2016 in Reflection... My Final Selfie of Madness

Scene: Inside my apartment as it is cold and snowy outside.  Temperature is 38 degrees and cloudy.  Dress style is casual but relaxed. 

Script:

Hello and welcome.  This is my final selfie for Digital Storytelling.  I know and understand we can sit and talk about how much we have learned and shared with the class, but we do that every day with our reviews and discussions.  Instead I would like to take a moment and look back on the year 2016 as we move forward into 2017.

“This is NOT the @TIME 'Person of the Year' cover we want; it's the 'Person of the Year' cover we must acknowledge! #Death” (The-AnswerMan, Nov. 2016)

So many have declared that Time Magazine should and needs to name the Person of the Year for 2016 the Angel of Death, and as we look back one can understand why.   We did not simply loose celebrities this year; we lost people that helped influence how we grew up.  These were people that helped us and guided us into our future; people such as Florence Henderson and Alan Thicke, or the music of David Bowie and Prince. 

There are many whose childhood will forever be influenced by Willy Wonka and his infamous Gene Wilder, or Sir George Martin otherwise known as the “fifth” Beatle.  Many will recall Fidel Castro and the extreme changes he brought to Cuba as its Marxist Leader until 2008.  This and so many more have impacted our lives, on both a personal and grander scale.  The New Yorker posted a cartoon The New Yorker ran a cartoon showing an angel at heaven's gate telling death, "Maybe cool it on the beloved celebrities for a bit." (CNN.com, Nov. 2016)

                                                                

In other news here in the US, we had a huge upheaval as far as our election this year.  Though Hillary Clinton did not win the electoral votes, she did win the popular vote, making this the first time a woman has won.  What makes this outstanding and historical is this is now the second time in a presidential election that we have seen history was being made.  Yes, we have seen many upset and angry people over Trump’s election, but there has been something to give pause also.  And not just for women, but those who fight for equal rights need to look at how significant this election overall has been.  How close has a woman ever come before to becoming president of our great country? 

 As I sit here and reflect, I realize though this has not been the easiest of years for me on a personal level, it’s been a year of learning.  Now we have 2017 to look forward to.  Look into the future with hope, not sadness.  Step onto those cobblestones of time and remember life is fleeting.  Death is simply a part of life.  It will come.  It is unavoidable and yes it is sad, but it can be joyful also.  The people who passed away, who left us also gave us a future.  What that future is depends upon all of us.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and Happy Holidays.  It’s been a pleasure.