Dear 2015,
It's all yours now. I tried my best to keep my "worst of" list to a minimum, but we're talking Mother Nature and Mankind. And well, you know how that goes.
Good Old Mom has quite a temper and loves to let us know she's in control. As for the Human Race, although they can be very loving and kind to one another, they can also be greedy and needy.
And very much into themselves.
From what I've witnessed the "self" has risen to a new high, or low depending on how you look at it.
In fact, I'm sad to say, I know you are the "Year of the Selfie", but I think during my reign, this action has grown too big for its britches.
It's no surprise, really. What with the iPad, iPhone, iPod. And the "I need it now" mentality so prevalent in today's society.
I guess it's just part of evolution.
Why, just the other day I was speaking with 1948 and she was telling me how excited everyone was with the invention of the Polaroid Instant Camera. Seeing a photo only minutes after it was taken. She was actually a bit jealous of how instant it is today.
And people have always been fascinated with themselves. Looking at their image in storefront windows and rearview mirrors. Giving themselves a smile and puckering up.
So, you put the two together and there you have it.
But that's not all. Mankind has always wished for more and now it seems as if he can have it.
Bigger eyes. A smaller nose. Silkier hair. And those, wrinkles. Can't have those anymore.
Voila. A little photo shopping (or a lot, depending on the Self) and there you have it. A new and improved Selfie.
It's all just too much. Beyond comprehension for even 1968, when the world seemed to be turning upside down with protests, love-ins, and flower power. He was totally in awe of how things are going today. He thought mankind was on the path toward helping others, looking outward.
But no. Man doesn't even ask for an autograph anymore, but must insert himself in the photo. Proof of his importance? Or egotism at its finest?
Why, one of your first laws involves lions, tigers and selfies. "Oh my!" 1939 exclaimed when he read about this.
And when I explained to 1985 that along with the selfie, the human race is now expressing itself in 140 characters and in 10-second videos, she was simply appalled. How can anything really significant and meaningful be conveyed in less time than it takes to relieve oneself? Even big hair lasted longer than that.
I fear for our descendants. How much more self can we take. How much quicker can things get?
Will the children of the future still love to read books? Take long walks without looking down at some device?
Ah, I'm tired just thinking of where you're headed.
But maybe things will turn around a bit. Perhaps mankind will look back on the earlier years and realize the benefits in simplicity.
Or perhaps not. He's been confronted with facts about smoking and yet, and here I have to cringe, my word has been declared as "Vape". It leaves me with little hope for the future.
But sometimes a little can go a long way.
In any event, in a few weeks, I'll be no more than a memory.
So, I wish you the best of luck. And I hope you can be remembered for something that makes you proud.
Sincerely,
2014