Prince. Alan Rickman. George Michael. David Bowie. Leonard Cohen. Carrie Fisher. The American Election. All casualties of 2016. All shocking in their own right. In many ways 2016 seems like the year where their were more celebrity mortalities than ever.
In reality, we have actually approached a nexus with pop culture. With the advent of social media and the proliferation of internet availability,we are not only more aware of things and events, but we are made aware almost instantaneously. Often the bodies aren’t even cold and we are reading tributes on Facebook. And because we often live vicareously through celebrities, the loss we feel is quite real. Coupled with lifestyles that the rich and famous lead, I suspect we will see an even more shocking year in 2017.
I find it sad that we put so much stock in their passing, but somehow don’t care as much about more tragic events. Syria and Aleppo. Airplane accidents. Mass killings world wide. Bombings. Greed. Avarice. So many more noteworthy events that in reality affect us globally much more than the passing of a famous person.
I am not trying to say not to feel the loss of a favourite person. Not at all. I am trying to say that perhaps in 2017 we can adopt a more global view of things. Throw some effort into our empathy for those who have the misfortune of being ordinary.
Throughout the election I was quite vocal about my opposition to Donald Trump. Some would think that this means I dislike all Trump supporters. This is not true. I believe that Trump was elected by the very media that tried to make sure he was NOT elected. Oh the irony. And 2017 will certainly be an interesting in the political arena.
Lost in all of this is the passing of real people we know and love. Local people we interact with daily, people who have lived among us all these years, who have had coffee with us, said hello at the post office, had children and grandchildren, spent money locally, actually cared about us. Social media does help in this though, sometimes despite the wishes of the affected families. I hope we are able to strike a balance between privacy and practicality.
May 2017 be a year you find peace where there was not enough, where you find prosperity, love, family, vigour, energy, and all the things that give us an existence in positivity and light. May we all treat other with respect and love and above all understanding for those less fortunate. We are a global village…..let;s act like one now.
Bill's Musings 