I’m not gonna lie, we’re all probably leaving 2017 with a pretty sour taste in our mouths. How could we not? It involved the worst mass shooting in recent American history, the inauguration of the worst American president, and now the threat of losing net neutrality. These things definitely deserve our full attention in order to enact change, but they’ve also made it pretty difficult to stay positive. Before you put a blanket ixnay on 2017 as a whole, here are a few positive things that happened this year.
1. Chance the Rapper
At the 59th Grammy Awards, Chance the Rapper won 3 Grammy’s (Best New Artist, Best Performance, and Best Rap Album) and was nominated for 4 others (Best Rap/Sung Performance, three songs nominated for Best Rap Song.) Why is this a big deal, you ask? His album Coloring Book was the first album to chart the Billboard 200 based solely on streaming. Chance doesn’t charge for his music, and he was still able to gain that much attention. Chance is also simply an amazing dude - he donated a MILLION dollars to Chicago Public Schools this year (even w/o charging for his music). WHAT A MAN. If that doesn’t make your heart warm, I don’t know what will.
2. The Eclipse
Remember this? August 21, 2017, was a day that this country was FINALLY brought together by something that was bigger than all of us. Solar eclipses are pretty special - in fact, everyone in the continental U.S. could at least see a partial eclipse. The last one happened 38 years ago! Even with all that’s changed in 38 years, the universe keeps on turning.
3. New Treatment for ALS
Remember the ice bucket challenge? Well, it actually raised a good amount of money for ALS research. In the bodies of people with ALS, motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged and killed by glial cells. Israeli scientists found a way to stop the increased activity of glial cells, which restores the nervous system’s immune defenses and increases life expectancy.
4. Royal Engagement
Okay, I agree that America has a weird obsession with the Royal Family. But hey, it’s fun to realize that there’s actual, real life royalty out there. Not only is it exciting that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged, it shows MASSIVE advancement for the Royal Family as a whole. The fact that Meghan is such an unconventional addition to the family proves that the era of a predictable monarchy is finally over. The last time a British royal chose an American divorcee as a spouse, it caused an immense uproar that nearly brought the family down. We’ve heard nothing but glorious wedding bells about Meghan and Harry.
5. Doug Jones Wins Alabama Senate Seat
If you didn’t hear about this one, where were you for the past two weeks?! Alabama is an EXTREME red state - Trump won by 28 points in the presidential election, and a Democrat hasn’t won a senate race there since 1992. Jones’ victory means that the Democrats are only two seats away from the majority, when at the start of this year, the idea of the Democratic party having the Senate majority was completely out of the picture. This is also a huge defeat of Donald Trump, who supported Jones’ opponent, Roy Moore, wholeheartedly. Moore was accused of sexual misconduct against underage girls while in his 30’s. The fact that Trump supported him despite this is appalling (are we really surprised?), but the fact that Alabama responded by saying that they won’t support a sexual predator, even if it means putting another Democrat in the Senate, is a huge step.
6. Daniel Caesar
Stop what you’re doing right now and go listen to Freudian by Daniel Caesar. He effortlessly dabbles in gospel and R&B to explain the complications of romantic love. The fact that he blessed our world with this amazing music is enough to say that 2017 wasn’t a complete and utter failure.
7. Trump's Approval Rate is Down to 33%!!!!!!!
I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST BECAUSE THIS IS A BIG DEAL. For those of us that die a little more every time Donald Trump opens his mouth, this is a huge victory. People - even those who initially voted for him - are starting to realize that his glorious “business experience” doesn’t make for a successful politician. It helps to know that you’re not alone, and that you’re actually in the majority if you disapprove of Trump (and always have been….circa the popular vote.)
