I am an optimist. I am so optimistic that every morning I wake up thinking it’s going to be 72 degrees and sunny, and when I discover it isn’t, I’m disappointed.
So I have to apologize for this post. It’s going to be a downer. That’s because it’s about 2014, which has NOT been a good year.
I’ve lived long enough that I know that most years can be seen as either good or bad and it really depends on your perspective how you experience them. That’s one reason I’m an optimist, because one’s attitude has a lot to do with how one experiences life.
But, I’m sorry, 2014 was not one of those ambivalent years that could be seen either way. It was bad; very bad.
I’m not saying I can’t find things to appreciate about 2014, but there’s just so much to dislike about what happened during this year. Here are some examples.
World Events:
ISIS. What could be worse than an organization that combines misogyny and religious bigotry with AK-47s and butcher knives? I can think of nothing as horrifying as people who think they are doing God’s will by beheading children who refuse to convert. Even Al Qaeda condemned them. So the rise of ISIS tops my list of all that was wrong with 2014.
The Missing Malaysian Airliner. Plane crashes are terrible, but at least there’s closure. The loved ones of those on the Malaysian plane that is still missing must be suffering terribly, not knowing what happened.
United States:
Not United At All. Yes, I know, it was worse during the Civil War, but the unfortunate deaths of at least two young black petty criminals at the hands of police and the subsequent senseless riots and looting, not to mention the assassinations of innocent policemen, have laid bare the seething hatred that some feel and that charlatans like Al Sharpton live to exploit. It also once and for all killed any hope that the election of the first black president would end the racial divide.
A Seismic Election. While I am glad the Republicans won in landslides at every level of government in November, it points out that many people who had so much hope in 2008 are now thoroughly disillusioned. Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy about the outcome, but I’m sorry that so many people are so disappointed in the president and Democrat majorities they elected in 2008. I wish I believed the majority who voted for Republicans this year would always choose Liberty and Responsibility from now on, but I fear the see-sawing of power will continue.
Personal:
The Year of the Hacker. I put this under Personal because, not only was Target and Home Depot and countless other business and governmental organizations hacked and private information disseminated, but my own business has been affected, with hackers succeeding with us and our customers just as they did so many others. We have been able to secure ourselves, but it has been at great cost.
Dying Too Young. This is probably the most important reason 2014 has been a bad year for me personally. I have had several family members and friends who have died this year before their time. The youngest was my nephew at 39. He was ill, but none of us knew just how ill he was. He died alone and it was two weeks before anyone found him.
Then there was my daughter’s father-in-law. At 64, he went a few inches off the road on his moped when he flipped and crashed. He never regained consciousness and died 24 hours later.
A friend whom my wife and I sometimes met for Tex Mex had a heart condition and went for a scheduled test, but died unexpectedly a few days later. He was 68.
Then there was one of my wife’s friends who was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and was dead in six months at 66.
Just Bad:
One of my clients put on Facebook that 2014 has been the worst year of her life. Another, after taking her father to the emergency room, said this was the worst Christmas ever. Someone close to me and my wife is going through a messy divorce.
So I’m sorry to be such a debbie-downer, but I’m glad to be saying goodbye to 2014. 2015 just has to be better. Has to be.
So HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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