I had said that 2010 was the year I got my shit together, and 2011 was definitely the year I got to enjoy some of the rewards from my hard work. I managed to save up money without preventing myself from having any sort of fun or going on any type of adventure. For example, I traveled more in 2011 (mostly to my favorite places in the country: San Diego and Las Vegas), without breaking the bank- as well as buy my new car- proving that I'm getting better at budgeting and therefore am indeed getting older (but wiser!)
And in what can only be described as a miracle- 2011 comes to a close on a high note with my father beating cancer. His diagnosis back in September, followed by his questionable treatment at UMass Memorial Medical Center- had the potential to not only ruin this year, but many more years to come- until the unbelievable heroes over at Dana-Farber swooped in to save the day, and his life. He's currently on the mend, and I couldn't be more thankful or happy.
In hindsight, 2011 was a very good year for me. I met some amazing new people who have since become part of my family, and I also got to re-connect with old friends I've missed dearly over the past couple of years. There were bad times this year, sure- there always will be every so often- but the good times far outweighed any low points and that's what matters most.
Of course, this year wasn't just about me and my life. 2011 was bursting with incredible news stories and quite a few pop culture phenomenons, too. So without further ado...
This is 2011: A Summary.
Time Magazine named "The Protester" as their Person of the Year in 2011. A wise choice, in my opinion. This year saw the uprising of oppressed and angry individuals finally finding and using their voices to speak out against tyranny and injustice around the world. From the Middle East's "Arab Spring", to right next door at Occupy Wall Street, whose message and movement has spread to other major cities in the U.S.- the outraged stayed resilient through the elements, sometimes violent counter-protesters, and even pepper spray trigger-happy law enforcement to get their message across. In places like Egypt and Libya, the uprisings proved effective, sparking much needed and desired change throughout their countries. Protesters definitely took the wheel in 2011, helping steer us into new horizons and uncertain, but hopeful futures.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were a couple of notable, embarrassing riots in 2011 that temporarily overshadowed the efforts of peaceful protesters and made me fear (and weep) for future generations. London looters destroyed sections of the beautiful city for fun and for flatscreen TVs after police had shot and killed a man in Tottenham, while Vancouver was turned upside down by crazed, enraged hockey fans after the Canucks' loss to The Boston Bruins. The riots were further perpetrated by social networking, as those involved took to Twitter and Facebook to plan meet-ups for looting, show off what they'd stolen, and basically make themselves look like irresponsible and immature assholes. The social networking bragging backfired for some, though- as they were identified by their peers, and later by authorities who prosecuted them for their crimes later on in the year.
2011 saw the death of a notorious terrorist leader, Osama bin Laden, as well as two out of touch, lunatic dictators- Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Kim Jong Il of North Korea- forever changing the landscape of freedom, and re-prioritizing the people we had to fear who threatened that freedom.
It also made "Team America: World Police" popular again!
This year, the world had the distinct pleasure of seeing two people in love marry each other in a fairy tale-come-to-life Royal Wedding, as well as the brief marriage (and the quicker divorce) of a money-hungry reality star and her athlete beau in what could be dubbed the "Sham of the Decade".
Now The Duchess of Cambridge- Kate Middleton dazzled the world as the classy, beautiful, and very down-to-Earth longtime girlfriend of England's Prince William. When the two became engaged at the end of 2010, it was pretty much already established that their wedding would be a regal event for the ages- much like Princess Diana's wedding had been- and when the exchange of vows took place in April, the Royals didn't disappoint. Between Kate's dress, Harry's mischievous smirk as he watched his brother tie the knot, and the long-awaited kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace- the wedding was an absolute joy to watch.
If the Royal Wedding renewed your faith in true love and romance, then Kim Kardashian's 72 day marriage to New Jersey Nets' player Kris Humphries did everything it possibly could to destroy it. I don't watch any of the Kardashian's television programming, mainly because I don't like to inflict mental anguish on myself- but I hope this family's 15 minutes are up soon and that they fade faster than Paris Hilton after this publicity stunt.
If there was one thing I took a particular interest in 2011, it was the courtroom drama that unfolded in the news. It seemed no outcome could be expected. Some verdicts and rulings were infuriating, like Casey Anthony walking free after being found "not guilty" of murdering her daughter, Caylee- or the case of Troy Davis- who was put to death by lethal injection despite no solid evidence and recanted stories by eye-witnesses, and who swore his innocence until the very end.
And still, other verdicts and rulings seemed long-overdue and satisfying- like Conrad Murray being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, and American student Amanda Knox finally being allowed to return home after 4 years in an Italian prison after a media influenced, seemingly biased trial in Italy where she was accused of murdering her then roommate, Meredith Kercher.
I'm pretty sure that the outcomes to these cases were more suspenseful than any episode of "Law & Order" could ever hope to be.
It should come as no surprise that there was a good amount of crazy weather/natural disasters in 2011. On the East Coast alone we experienced a tornado, an earthquake, and a hurricane- all within 3 months- but other places were hit on more devastating levels. Japan continues to suffer the after effects of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami from March, while Joplin, Missouri is still rebuilding after an F5 tornado dropped right on top of them in May- obliterating most of their community in an seconds.
I'm hoping mother nature decides to show us a little mercy (and forgets about that whole Mayan prophecy) in 2012.
This year we lost immense talents and contributors to film, music, and technology. Elizabeth Taylor, the legendary actress, passed away at 79. Amy Winehouse, one of my favorite singers, died tragically at 27, and Steve Jobs, the innovator who co-founded Apple and gave us the gadgets we love like the iPod and the iPhone- lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at 56.
They will be missed tremendously.
If I were to name "THE" celebrity of 2011, Charlie Sheen would definitely be in the running. His very public meltdown and consequent termination from his gig on the obscenely unfunny "Two and a Half Men" had started off pretty comical, with Charlie coining amusing catchphrases that were almost instantly run into the ground via Twitter ("Winning", "tiger blood", "rock star from mars", etc.)- but his escapades quickly turned into the downright depressing when he lost custody of his kids and then hit the road for a bomb of a "tour". Comedy Central's annual roast was dedicated to Sheen this year, and the actor seemed to be less crazy than usual when he took the stage.
Charlie made my list in 2010 as well, after he locked a prostitute in his hotel room's closet. Here's hoping he can stay off of it in 2012.
On the other hand, one of the most inspiring stories came to us in the wake of a tragedy back in January when six people were killed in an assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Giffords was critically injured, having been shot in the head- but miraculously survived, and has been on the road to recovery ever since. Her courage, strength, and resilience- which shined through at a triumphant return to the House of Representatives- provided a beacon of hope in an otherwise horrific event.
The Penn State Scandal: In one of the most disgusting, deplorable sports scandals ever, multiple sexual abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky came to light. What made it even worse was the apparent cover-up by higher ups in the athletic department at the university, and the nonchalant dismissal of the abuse by head coach Joe Paterno, who was later terminated from his position in shame. The outcry from Paterno/Penn State supporters was vile- and made one wonder what was more important: justice for victims and protection for future children- or football.
Rebecca Black's "Friday": Unintentionally hilarious/worst catchy song of the year? You bet! Fourteen year old Rebecca Black's music video for "Friday" went viral in 2011. It's so-simple-it's-stupid lyrics ("Partyin', partyin', yeah! Fun! Fun! Fun!") awkward rap breakdown out of nowhere, and overall awfulness sparked countless remixes and covers. In Black's defense, she actually didn't write the lyrics or the melody to this song- production company ARK did (which makes the whole thing even funnier when you take into consideration that ADULTS were behind this), and she seems to have handled the negative attention and embraced her unexpected and brief brush with fame with maturity and a good sense of humor, for a teenager.
The Rapture! Or... Not...: Despite being wrong twice before, Harold Camping's prediction that the world would end on May 21st this year sparked panic among his followers. Many gave up their life savings and worldly possessions to prepare for the return of Christ and the end of civilization as we know it. Needless to say, they felt a little sheepish when it didn't happen... And even more sheepish when Camping changed the date to October 21st- again- with no result.
Adele's "21": Beautiful voice, meaningful lyrics- Adele's "21" was filled with enough heartbreaking, tearjerker songs to make it the quintessential breakup album of 2011. Even if you weren't going through a breakup or a rocky point in a relationship, hell- even if you weren't in a relationship to begin with- the album still had enough emotion in it to defrost even the iciest of hearts.
The Red Sox Collapse: As a Boston girl and a lover of the Sox, nothing infuriated me more than watching the team pretty much throw in the towel before the season was even over. When reports came in that the team spent time drinking alcohol and eating fried chicken during the games- and just acting like spoiled prima donnas in general- the "team that could" quickly became the laughing stock of the MLB with their historical collapse in September. Shortly after enraging hopeful fans, it didn't take long for the blame to be thrown around. Terry Francona, the team's manager- was not asked to return for the 2012 season, marking the end of an era- and Jonathan Papelbon, the closing pitcher- went on to sign with the Phillies.
__________________________
And that, my friends- was 2011.
Tonight, much like last year, I'll be ringing in 2012 with the always lovely Samantha Ryan, where we'll be attending the party of the century:
Kidding- but how accurate is that? How many New Years Eve parties have you seen/been to that are EXACTLY like that?
Some of my resolutions for 2010 were made a little hastily, such as going to France and becoming fluent in the language- but for the most part, I stuck with what I had wanted to accomplish. This year, my resolutions are pretty basic, and are more of a continuation of what I set out to do last year- continue to work hard and save my money, finish college and get my Associate's Degree, keep staying fit and eating right- and take the time to stop and enjoy the little things in life.
If I had to make one specific resolution, I'd like to visit Dublin, Ireland this year if I have the time. We'll have to wait and see how that turns out!
And with all that said, I'm off to finish getting ready to go out. Thanks for being so amazing, 2011- please tell 2012 it has some big shoes to fill on your way out the door- and that I hope it really isn't the year the world ends!
I wish you all a wonderful and prosperous new year. Have a safe celebration tonight, and I'll see you all in 2012!
Cheers!
xoxo
xoxo
