19 THINGS WE NEED MORE OF IN 2019
The first month of 2019 is over but I still have time for some New Years Resolutions, right? It's never too late. To be honest, 2018 went by so fast I don't think it really happened.
I had to think pretty hard to recall any significant worldly events and ended up just googling "what happened last year." The Olympics and the World Cup happened but I don't think it did. Canada legalized weed. Donald Trump is still making a mess. Justin Bieber got married. I was playing HeadsUp with a group of friends (specifically the Act It Out category) and Flossing came up - one person proceeded to motion in between their teeth, and another broke out into the backpack kid dance move.. so there's that. I haven't gotten front bangs yet. Also I'm convinced there's an FBI agent living in our phones. Air pods are a thing and I feel quite inferior when I can sense users judging me on the train when I spend half the commute untangling my dirty wire-exposed peasant headphones. But I will not succumb to the electric toothbrush-looking craze. The world is whack! Yet the most grandest thing to ever exist.
So what does the world need more of this year? Good question. I needed a little help with this one so shoutouts will be made. Here we go.
1. MICHELLE OBAMA. Starting this off with a bang. That woman is something else. Every time she speaks all I hear are the gates of heaven opening. Not only was she the first African-American First Lady but she is a Harvard graduate, lawyer, writer, university administrator, mother and so much more. She is changing the world and I want in. I vote her for President even though I have no privilege to help in that decision. But I can do a mean Barack Obama impression.
2. CONCESSION RATES. That means student discounts in Australian. Everywhere I go I find myself asking for discounts.. until the lady at the counter reminded me it's a public library. "Do you have a student discount?" has now become apart of my daily vocabulary because the world needs more. How am I ever supposed to afford a public transit ticket when you just charged me a gazillion dollars and my right leg for a textbook! Us starving students are just trying our best. We need some help. 10% off Tuesdays are a start.
3. RESPECTFUL CHEWERS. This one goes out to my beloved Avery Jane. At the ripe age of I'm not sure, AJ was self-diagnosed with a severe case of misophonia: the "hatred of sound" is a condition in which negative emotions, thoughts and reactions are triggered by specific sounds - the most common being the sound of eating/chewing. Reader - I'm warning you now that once you notice it, you'll never un-notice it. When we were younger, I didn't understand and I would chew really loud and grossly into AJ's ear in hopes of curing her "disease" like the great big sister I am. She made me become so aware of the sounds of bodily functions that not long after, I would consider my case a mild one. So please, close your mouth. We can't handle it.
4. BETWEEN 8-9PM IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE SUN HAS SET BUT NOT FULLY SET AND ALL YOU CAN HEAR ARE THE SOFT SOUNDS OF OUTSIDE. Yeah, that.
5. REUSABLE EVERYTHING. Sneaking in a "the-world-is-ending" war cry into this list. I'm not going to try to lure you into some environmental cult, don't worry. When you really think about it, our planet is dying and any living human being should be aware of that. I'm surprised a coffin with Our Future lying in it isn't buried 6-feet under yet. It's called climate change: the other day it was -35 in Canada and +44 in Australia. That's not normal. Ever want to change the world? You have to start somewhere. Try refusing plastic - put that straw back! Save the turtles. Bring your own bags to the grocery store! Better yet, unwrap anything that comes in plastic at checkout and kindly give it back to them with a sinister smile. Reusable water bottles are key. Buy sustainably and aim towards living a zero-waste lifestyle. Say no to fast fashion and invest in good clothing. Eat a more plant-based diet. Ever hear the phrase: reduce, reuse, recycle? Little things go a long way. Educate yourself or die - simple as that. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we are borrowing it from our children.
6. SPONTANEITY. The Type-A in me is shivering. However, I'm working on it and learning to accept and revel in impromptu things. One time I was planning on doing this thing, and then I didn't do the thing, so I did something else and it turned out great! How spontaneous of me.. more of that.
7. TIMOTHEE CHALAMET. I've said it once (last year) and I'll say it again.
8. COFFEE DATES. So wholesome. I don't even drink coffee, but the act of "going for coffee" is something I will always accept. Tell me about your day, or complain about work, or apologize for the fact that you were late because you spilled a carton of eggs on the dog while we slowly sip on overpriced hot drinks.
9. POCKETS. I truly don't understand how men can fit their phone, wallet, keys and probably a few snacks all in their front left pocket and I can't fit one dime into any of mine. There's only one thing worse than insufficient pocket space - fake pockets. In 2019, I am fighting for the gender equality of pants.
10. MARIE KONDO? My mom told me to write about this and I do what my mom says. I didn't listen to her when she told me to watch her show on Netflix though so I really don't have anything to say about this one. I don't know who Marie Kondo is or why she has so much power over my mom. Apparently we (and by we, I mean I) need more of her this year.
11. CAMPFIRE CONVERSATIONS. Shoutout to my long lost pen pal for this one - you know who you are. There doesn't have to be a campfire involved, but I'm talking about those times when you don't have phone service because you're camping in the middle of the woods. The kind of conversations with no distractions and no Instagram stories being made to show off the luscious fire you just made. We need more 'everyone's included and all opinions are valid' kind of conversations. Living in the moment type shit. Saying "I don't know" without the fear of being judged. Talking for hours because time doesn't exist. Reality is always a little altered around a campfire.
12. KIDS. I'm convinced that the world will end because of overpopulation but we still need kids to keep us sane. The cool ones are rare (anyone not yet corrupted by the digital age of slime and dabbing). Once I babysat this kid and I asked him when his birthday was and he replied with a confident "I don't know." He has no concept of time and I respect that. The next summer, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he told me a chicken nugget. I wouldn't be surprised if he made that happen somehow. He's just doing his thing with skinned knees and loose teeth. The kids are alright.
13. HIBERNATION. Just take a freaking break! Someone once told me that humans are meant to hibernate during the winter. And it makes sense. Our bodies aren't meant to always be on the go. Winter is the time (and perfect opportunity) to stay inside, have a nice cup of joe, recharge and reflect so we shouldn't feel bad about it.
14. CONSPIRACY THEORIES. Trust is my fatal flaw. Tell me that Avril Lavigne was replaced by a clone while she's really living on the moon and I'll believe you. I just made that one up but who really knows anymore! If I hear the words grassy knoll my heart skips a beat. I realize that conspiracy theories are often based off negative events (which we do not need more of) but if George Bush really was behind 9/11 I have to know.
15. AIMLESS DRIVES. Empty roads. Windows down. Tunes blaring. With someone you love. Ah, the life. Too bad gas is more expensive than Bill Gates' butthole.
16. TATTOOS. Cover my body in ink. Just do it. It also doesn't help that I live with the best tattoo artist on the planet. Here's my argument: life is too dang short. People will say "You're too young for tattoos" Sure, but the older I get, the quicker my skin will sag. I must preserve the longevity of my nice, young skin. "You'll regret it" Um okay, maybe.. but even if I regret it 20 years from now, it will be cool to look back and say that this tattoo was important to me when I was 19. "It's permanent you know" Oh what I thought it only lasted 4-6 weeks! "But what's the meaning?" It's art. And it looks pretty freaking sick. Self expression 2019. Sorry mom and dad.
17. SELF RESPECT. I feel like this generation is in constant competition with one another. If you don't go to university straight after high school, what are you doing with your life? If you don't find a job right after you graduate, where's your motivation? If you're not married with 3 kids by 30... you get the point. It's this constant race of productivity. "Oh look how much they can do, why can't I do that!" Yet we only see the successes. We've somehow glorified exhaustion, overworking and anxiety so if you're not constantly going going going, you're not going anywhere. Back yourself. Know that you are worth all the things. Focus on what's important to you instead of comparing your now to someone else's end result. You are not stuck where you have landed.
18. CODY KO TYPE HUMOUR. Hear me out on this one. I'm not a Youtube watcher, I don't usually enjoy weird Internet trends or humour, and I didn't know who Cody Ko was until a few days ago, but if there's one thing you do today, please (please) watch a CRINGE video. Thanks Maggie. Thank me and Maggie later.
19. GOOD PALS. When the world is ripping you to shreds with a fork and you got nothing left to give, it is your pals that will pick up the pieces of your mangled body and sew you back together with floss they found in an alleyway, put you back on your feet and not tell anyone. For all the messes we have made, we've somehow managed to create these unique bonds with strangers to begin with, that become best pals forever. Those kind of pals that you can call up at 9PM and sit on a curb eating popsicles in silence. It's a pretty cool feeling when you value, cherish and have a mutual respect for one another and expect nothing but good times in return. Good pals are hard to find, so when you do, never let them go unless they come at you with a fork. Go tell a pal you love them!
I'll leave it at that. Here's to the next 11 months filled with silent dinners, fires in a hypothetical sense and a lot of laughs.