“Juepucha. This is the actual worst year of my life, and it’s only February. So many things have happened that I am literally losing my mind. I’d write it out as an actual list but I would probably cry just looking at it. I’ll just bring things up as they come to me…”
I wrote that in February of last year. I didn’t touch my blog or write anything else since. It was, very literally, the worst year. At the time I wrote that, my grandmother, who I care for full-time, was recuperating from a broken leg, my sister was trying to evict us, along with our parents, and I was suffering from a very difficult and long depressive episode. A total solar eclipse signaled the end of the world, Russia invaded Ukraine, Isreal and Hamas unrest came to a head and, Biden was slowly losing his ability to continue in office, leading to Kamala Harris taking over for the remainder of his presidency.
I’m sure plenty of people share my sentiments about 2024, seeing as it was actually terrible across the board. Unfortunately, as a consequence, we hyped up 2025 a little too hard. Thinking it was going to be SO much better, everyone on the internet was posting about how it was going to be THEIR year.. And all the “Getting my shit together for 2025!” posts? Typical “New Year, New Me bullshit.” It’s starting out just as unhinged as 2024 did, and this time, I’m writing already in January…
Trump has been sworn in and has started immediately on his racist, sexist, ableist, classist, sexual orientation-ist, anti-abortion-ist bull-shist. The world is still reeling from war and genocide in Europe and the Middle-East, and instead of strengthening bonds with our allies, we now have tariffs to cut our economic ties with those closest to us. Instead of banding together with the other economic and social leaders of the world, we are being isolated. The divide between our own people is getting bigger and bigger. Is this what they mean by the “Trump effect?”
I’m terrified every single day of civil unrest; uprisings, and riots where neighbors shout at each other emboldened by their cause, authorities using undue force on protestors and demonstrators crying out for their rights, families torn apart by violence, and curfews and military control enforced. It might sound dramatic to some of you, but to those of us who are realists, it doesn’t seem too far off. We’ve seen it all happen before. History repeats itself. It defies logic always. You would think we would see our past mistakes and learn from them. Unfortunately, sometimes we are faced with leaders and government bodies who have grandiose delusions about their right to enforce their beliefs on others.
This isn’t meant to be a political rant, though it seems to have taken that turn. We are also seeing FEET of snow in Louisiana and Florida, and TWO of the worst wildfires EVER in Cali, whole ocean and glacial habitats are disappearing, our waste is off the charts, but the worst thing about all of it is that nobody seems to care. I feel like I am living on an island of fear and isolation, floating around in a sea of constant terror, bumping into everyone else’s isolation islands. Why can’t we connect? Where is the off button for the rampant overconsumption, overproduction, overstimulation we face every single day?
The rise of the minimal movement and the cozy movement seemed to at first be addressing our mental health in a positive way. However, now it seems to be forcing a stand-off between the rest of the world and our own mental health. Minimal influencers say, “Your mental health is more important than the planet, be a good steward later! It doesn’t really make that big of a difference, throw it out! Once you get rid of everything, then you can make better choices!” They fail to factor in that they are sharing that sentiment on a global scale, each to 30 thousand or more followers. Cozy influencers say, “Do what makes you happy! Buy what makes you happy! If you didn’t like it, buy something else! You need all these cozy things to distract you from this shitshow of a world! Don’t do anything about anything, self-care will solve all of your problems!” What they don’t account for is the next two “Me” generations that are so self-involved that they have zero regard for how they affect the world around them and care more about what everyone else thinks about them.
Who is going to do anything to change any of this, and when? And why is it all so confusing?
If you can do something to make the world a little better, please do it. And please be kind to each other,
Love, me ~ Katie Lee