Dear 2016

Hello 2016.

I am writing a message to you, as I did to your predecessor, 2015.

I have to admit that when I wrote to 2015, I was highly skeptical that it would manage to fix the looming messes in which it was instantly embroiled.  However, I gave 2015 the benefit of the doubt and in some ways it did live up to its potential.

In other ways, of course, it fell flat on its face in horrifyingly spectacular ways that hinted sharply of some sort of human armageddon.

I have known you, 2016, for about a week now, and I'm afraid that you are starting  off at even more of a disadvantage than 2015.  

Yet it would seem that you are at a crossroads 2016.  You have in front of you 2 choices--care or apathy.  

Care about the condition of this planet, or go along with the status quo and keep on truckin' until we all live (and die)  in a poisoned morass of filth and illness.

Care about equality and respect between peoples or stand by and watch as we slowly whittle ourselves into extinction.

Care about making the right choices--the choices on the sides of peace and communication and joy and enlightened thought and learning, or lay back and let the ignorance roll on in.

It is up to you.  Sadly, your path to making a final choice may be ultimately in your hands.  I am sorry that we have dropped this monumental responsibility into your lap.

It would seem that much of  humanity can't be trusted to have nice things.  Yet.

I'm going to keep that "yet" right there.

After all, 2016, I'm an idealist at heart.  And I'm not quite ready to give up on us.

I wish you the best of luck.  

Christina