On a global scale, 2016 has been so far from perfect it's laughable. It's safe to say the world is ready to ring in a new year. Changes and second chances can happen at any time, but January 1st carries a special weight; it's when people unite worldwide in support of new beginnings. I figured that in an effort to right all the wrongs in the last year and to truly start anew, I should start with some apologies.
Dear Trump supporters ~ I'm sorry I was one of those people quick to judge. I know that not all people who supported the Republican ticket are the discriminatory people the liberal media painted you to be. I cannot and will not stand by some of the things Donald Trump has said and done, but I know there are many of you who don't approve either, that there are more personal, less easily explained reasons for supporting him, and I respect that. To those of you who are the epitome of what the liberal media described, who are the discriminatory, hateful people, well, it might be time to start working on your own apology letters.
Refugees and People Who Still Need to Escape~ I'm sorry I didn't do more to help, that I didn't contribute in the small way I know I could have. Only as this year comes to a close am I starting to realize the full scope of the terror and fear that you live or have lived. In the coming year I promise to educate myself, and to help in the most meaningful way I can.
My parents ~ Sorry for the times I've driven you a little too crazy, blasted Beyonce a little too loud, and told a white lie a little too well. This isn't me promising to be perfect in the new year, or even better than this year, but a promise that I'll be as good of a daughter as I can be in the moment. Sometimes I feel justified in my back-talk, but here's to hoping there's less of it in the coming year! :)
Odyssey editors for not communicating more effectively~ To my Odyssey editors, I'm sorry for all the times I cut deadlines a little too close (or missed them completely), for all the Facebook posts I forgot to respond to, and the team meet-ups I couldn't make it to. I'm sorry for all the times my appreciation for this platform wasn't accurately represented by my actions. I still feel new to this entire process, and I can't wait to get better at it in 2017!
To the People Whose Texts I've Ignored ~ Sometimes, I'm just doing something else, just don't feel like talking to anyone, and sometimes I don't feel like talking to you in particular. That being said, everyone is armed with at least a little bit of empathy, and I recognize I probably should have sent a quick "Hey, can we just talk about this later? I'm caught up with something right now" text instead of just ghosting. Sorry to leave you staring at your phone (for hopefully not too long!) and I promise to try and get better at communicating in the new year.
Teachers and Educational Resources ~ To my teachers, I apologize for not showing them how much I appreciate everything you do to contribute to my education. I'm sorry, I know I project taking my education for granted and I know I shouldn't, especially since there are millions of girls fighting a much harder fight for access to education. I take care and pride in my work, but in 2017 I aim to take more care and pride in the relationships that define my education. That being said, I want to also apologize to the inanimate online resources that I didn't take full advantage of this year. I should be trying a little harder to learn, considering how much is available at our fingertips. To Khan Academy in particular, you'll be seeing a lot of me in the coming year because of your free SAT Prep!
To my "Old" Friends, for Not Keeping in Better Touch ~ To camp friends and pre-move friends alike, I did absolutely no justice to expressing how much I love you. You are the people who shaped me, who taught me what good friends are, and I did an absolutely awful job of showing my appreciation. I promise to meet up more, to call more, to tag you in more random posts on Instagram. Thanks for putting up with me through thick and thin, it's time I returned the favor. Here's to more funny photos and surprise visits!
To the Girls who I Wrote Off as "Pretty" ~ Some people are especially genetically blessed. To every little girl, young adult, or grown woman I wrote off as pretty as soon as I met you, I'm sorry. It's not right to judge you, for not also assuming you're smart or creative or funny or kind. There are so many more meaningful things than pretty, and I'm sorry I got jealous or insecure or just unaware. Pretty shouldn't be the first or most weighty compliment that I give you ever, so here's to a year of knowing people in their entirety.
To the People I Annoyed Because I Refused to Put My Phone Away ~ Well, 2016 gave me plenty to hide from, but I should try to put away my phone more. I think adults are not entirely justified in their immediate judgment of the millennial generation; half the time I have my phone out I'm studying, writing an essay, writing an Odyssey article, or doing something else that is productive. However, the other half I am mindlessly scrolling on Instagram and that is the part I hope to minimize in the coming year. I'm sorry for using my phone as an escape route from having to socialize at family parties and such, and I promise to work on it in the coming year.
An Apology to Everyone Else ~ To anyone else I may have mildly pissed off in the past year, I'm sorry, I probably didn't mean to be annoying, judgmental, a prick, pretentious, or "holier than thou." (If I was trying to be, I probably still mean it). Here's to not holding grudges and new beginnings!
