The 50 Shades of 2024 in the U.S.

I want to preface my encapsulation of 2024 by saying , for myself, I have had a good year. I feel guilty like I did when Covid was happening for feeling I had been thriving during it as an introvert. On top of that, I began a hop, skip, and jump in my career that changed my life forever. So, while the world was experiencing one of the horses of the Apocalypse, it felt odd I was living my personal best life. It’s been a little like that in 2024 though not completely. While “wars and rumors of wars” on Biblical proportions, horrendous natural tragedies, loss of life, and the looming collapses of countries including my own, it was still a good year personally. My present job improved along with my pay in ways I could only dream it would. I’ve gained more confidence in myself, more understanding of myself, and taught myself to cook which has given me a body composition in my fitness goals. There were some personal ups and downs but overall I’ve landed on my feet. As the year is closing, I’m settling in with work/life balance more and not engaging so much on comparing myself to others.

2024 stands out to me as having a Debby Downer attached to her trying to ruin good times with bad prophecies, conspiracy theories, division, and…well death. She seemed like the longest game ever of Clue that was taking people out before we could solve her. I was sure we had the year of the most celebrity deaths but I guess not. Even in 2023, we had far more celebrity deaths getting close to 70 whereas this year we were right around 52. Maybe they stood out because of the rapid-fire which came at certain times or perhaps because they were big names: James Earl Jones, Don Sutherland. Quincy Adams, Dr. Ruth, Dame Maggie Smith, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Simmons and more. Or perhaps it was that many of us were facing other losses at the same time. In my family and in other families, there seemed to be family deaths and tragedies more so this year than last.

Family deaths, auto accidents, and the like, seemed to be the sad tales of the year and it weighed heavy on my heart too for my loved ones. My sis was involved in a hit-and-run that has changed her life forever and the suffering is immeasurable. Interesting to note that the number “4” in Chinese and Cantonese does in some sects of China represent not only bad luck but death, and here we are in 2024.

However, I would be remiss if I did not stop right here before I go on and take a step back to see the good that happened in 2024. For as the number 4 can be seen as an unlucky number, the number 2 is lucky and we don’t want all that shade to ruin the good.

*At a global summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, wealthy nations within the UN agreed to triple their efforts to help developing countries with climate action. Overall emissions that negatively impact climate change did shrink some. In the EU, by 8%.

*Green jobs, poo poo’ed by old-school economics, have shown to be a driving force in GDPs becoming highly competitive, even in China.

*US states are starting programs this year to wipe out peoples undue medical debt, this began on a big scale in Arizona.

*Significant aadvancements in the treatments for Cancer and Alzheimers were achieved.

*Infrastructure like never before continued to build up this country after a severe lack during the Bush and Trump administrations put us in grave danger.

*Congress passed the Equality Act in 2024 that protects everyone from discrimination in the workplace including LGBT people.

*For the first time in quite a long while, there was a manufacturing boom and a big increase in available job opportunities not seen in an administration for quite some time.

*Fake news, misinformation, and news sources that are sold out under political agendas have taken a front-and-center agenda in the public eye. It is being talked about and not being swept under the rug. Citizens are turning to sources that are trustworthy and doing more checking.

*People in general are finding more of a work/life balance, especially with work-at-home jobs or hybrid jobs.

And maybe we can add the movie Wicked to that list because it was great, wasn’t it? Regardless, you will have your own positive moments, and don’t let the shade of 2024 steal that from you. Because boy oh boy, was she a shady bitch!

The Bible says in the last days, there will be wars and rumors of wars. 2 big blow-out wars we have had going on in the globe is the Ukraine war and the war in the Middle East inside Gaza. Most recently Syria has been torn asunder. Your average everyday person does not want these wars. It’s all about politics and money between the elites while genocide in these countries takes place. It is like the bloodiest game of chess and terrible to watch. At some point, no side is right and it just needs to end. That’s pretty much where we are.

Leaders across the globe now do not have the confidence of their own people. The people of Canada, France, Georgia, Hungry, and Germany have all made it clear that as far as they are concerned, they are giving their leaders no-confidence votes. The people are throwing the shade back! Interestingly enough, this began once Trump started mouthing off he would be holding tariffs over countries. Talk about shade. He is an expert at it. He could compete in Ru Paul’s Drag Race if he wasn’t so afraid of men dressed in women’s clothes threatening his masculinity.

So, he is either the catalyst or a symptom of the invisible war going on–one of the past oligarchies that want to control us and hold us down vs. the push to the future where there is open-mindedness, new ideas, and new ways of being that aren’t so limited. Notice I say the past. Have we truly ever been out from a rich ruling class calling the shots for the classes below them in this country? I don’t think so. I’m not sure exactly when the Oligarchy got its ugly control on our system, but it is really that it just revealed it’s choke-holding hands that we are waking up to it being here. It’s only that they have become more meaner and greedier about it now than before. In prior decades, we could live somewhat decent lives. Now, they can’t even comprehend that for us. They’re cruelty and ignorance is open and in your face about it. This is now popping out around the globe like a case of bad acne on a high school teen. The election of 2024 was a huge shit show that I believe only the truth will come out in the history books as to what really took place. While Trump continually dishes out shade to individuals, federal employees, organizations, and foreign leaders, our leadership here has chosen to do nothing but complain, and investigate but never actually do anything to stop him. The only reason for that could ever be that he is part of the ruling oligarchy and they want him here. They may wish he would “behave” or “perform” to their preferences but they aren’t going to get rid of their own. There are so many illegal things he has not only been charged with but is also in violation of the Constitution and its social contract, yet no one wants to do more than make Tik Tok videos about it. That should strike anyone as odd.

A long time ago, this country had a man by the name of David Duke who wanted to throw his hat into the political ring but our country at that time said no way because of his past ties to the KKK. Now look where we are. A man not only supported by white supremacists but they stormed the capital when he wasn’t voted in and this guy said, ‘you’re special and we love you’. Criminals the likes of which Gotham City would blush with for his cabinet picks and already pissing off other countries and going back on campaign promises that those who voted for him are having regrets. And he hasn’t even started yet.

How in the Boston Tea and God Save the Queen did we get here? The only reasonable explanation I have is the powers that be want him right where he is. Our country isn’t run by the people any longer but by the rich elite headed by corporations or with ties to them. Apparently, Trump, as weak as a business man as he appears on paper, has more muscle than we can ever imagine in this business world.

So, here we are. The Shade-in-Chief is going to attempt to tear this country a new A-hole out of the forward future-looking direction this country was heading. However, I refuse to enter that world and hopefully we all ultimately all wake up and fight back. Hopefully, one day we can get our country back to the people.

Mother Nature gave us some shade too. She looked at what we were doing, whipped her gown around, raised the temp just a % point, and kapow! We saw several nasty hurricanes to the extent that the mountains in North Carolina experienced rip-roaring waters and winds dumped on them from the depths of the ocean causing disaster scenes like we have never seen. Tornadoes and crazy temperatures have been going on across the country like nothing we have ever seen.

But if that wasn’t enough, wait there’s more! After a fever pitch of conspiracy theories on what Kamala Harris may do to take the election back from Trump blowing up social media, it all switched when glowing orbs and massive amounts of drones started filling the skies of New Jersey and eventually spreading to other states. Never really being able to tell what was man-made drones and man-made fears, everyone waited and waited for our governing leaders to give us something, anything on what was taking place. They too essentially gave us shade. Their response was basically this: “Oh those? Gurl calm down, they aren’t any danger to you. Now, go back inside your homes” As days turned to weeks and to a month, and people weren’t calming down, the FBI and DHS released a bogus sounding statement saying they were man-controlled drones that were a combination of private, military, and commercial that just so happened to all be out at the same time.

When that bit of bogus info came out, TikTok died down significantly (or posts were removed, I can’t tell which) till more sitings popped up. Then probably the most valid explanation came to surface inside the report that the FBI had released that others noticed– a damaged container of radioactive material showed up empty at its destination. People now think the drones are looking for this material. Both President Biden and Bernie Sanders did a terrible job at using poker faces during questioning on these matters. Bernie looked like he was trying to conceal a fart and Biden hid behind shadow and grins like the Sith Lord in Star Wars.

So there we are. 2024 has a lot of doom-and-gloom possibilities and has a lot of stress. However, I would still encourage you to not let the shade take away the good. You know, in the gay world it is common for a gay person to throw you “shade”. That is, judge you, look down on you, give you bad mojo and just generally treat you in a way that makes you feel awful. But, no one purposefully befriends this kind of person, hangs out with them, or aspires to be them because they are some kind of great guru. So, don’t see all the shade projected on 2024 as an eternal truth. Don’t befriend it or let it define your future. Deal with everything as you always have, day by day. Go with God. The darkness always wants to cast visions as if God won’t be with you or the worst case scenario. Yet, think over your entire life and I believe you will see that isn’t always the case. Your worst fears didn’t always play out. You are still alive, here and kicking. If it is the case that you say your worse fears happen all the time, start something new. Start envisioning good things around every corner instead of bad things around every corner and maybe that will change. Often we get what we expect because we see what we expect to see, and feel what we expect to feel. So change that story in your head. There is and was a lot of fear and sadness in 2024 but rise above it simply by remembering what is good in the face of a dark and fearful presence.

Here in snowy Michigan, the sun goes behind gray skies a lot. We also have shorter daylight hours, especially in Dec. It is so easy to just curl up and never get out of bed. You just want to cry and go over gloomy, sad things all day. One thing we do to counter that is buy light bulbs that mimic sunlight to our senses. It essentially tricks our senses into feeling like we’ve been out in the sun and our mood changes from gloomy to happy. It really works! You have to sometimes do this with your thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. You do this by recognizing the dark and purposefully bringing the light of good thoughts and feelings during that dark moment. Snapping yourself out of it, so to speak. Just like they trick you into a cycle of dark thoughts and feelings, you can break that cycle with the good. Here are some examples that sound lame as hell but actually work in practice.

*Remember 3 things you are grateful for

*Do something that brings you joy

*Talk with someone about how you are feeling so you don’t feel alone and can process it

*Journal your feelings to get them out.

*Make a craft for someone else as a gift

*Call someone or write them about how you feel about them/grateful for them

*Watch your favorite movie/music

*Go to the spa/take a bath

These are just some ideas for bringing some light out from behind the clouds into your home, but you need to do it and find a way that works for you to bring you to the light and out of the darkness when it gets all-consuming. It’s a good journey, and many of us are on it in this shady year of 2024.