Well, 2016, it has come time that we part ways. And
while, personally, you haven’t been all that bad on the whole, you’ve just been
downright brutal when it comes to childhood nostalgia and other such world
events. I mean you took virtually every musician and actor* that I grew up
loving, as well as a handful of other significant people. You saw a few brutal
attacks on western life – that garnered tremendous outrage – while a number of
“other” incidents took place which received little, if any, coverage. I mean,
they were in “those” parts of the world, so really who could blame you… or them
for not really caring. You were deemed to be the warmest year in human history,
which has only been reiterated by the instances of ‘worst drought/flooding to
happen xx number of years,’ along with a continuous stream of other weather and
climatic related occurrences from earthquakes to hurricanes, record highs and
lows, and pretty much everything in between. You contained a number of brutal
political blows such as Brexit and Trump, and irrelevant to the majority of the
world, president Museveni’s 6th term as President of Uganda (yes,
we’re going into year 31 with our beloved leader!). And all this is only a
minor snapshot of the doom and gloom you have bestowed upon this world.
But since this is my blog – my space to let my creative
and/or ranty juices flow – I’d like to bring this back to me. Let’s just take a
minute to discuss my 2016. Here are
just a few of the highlights:
My brother’s visit to Uganda in April, and his first
time on the continent, which allowed him to see, first hand, just how
incredible this part of the world truly is. We had a great 10 days travelling
around the country taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of Uganda.
I fulfilled my number one dream, goal, and bucket list
item, which of course was lion snuggling. I also had the “pleasure” of being
paparazzi-ed by a group of Asian tourists who took delight in my uneasiness of
holding a snake that could just as easily decide I was a worthwhile lunch
option.
I was able to contribute to some meaningful work, even
if it won’t be viewed by the majority of those who could actually do something
with it. This work included my research on the disengagement of youth in the Ugandan
agriculture sector, as well as assisting a team from Makerere University in
their research on food insecurity and its link to child trafficking.
I spent the longest time I’d been at home in over two
years, which included catch-ups with old friends, mini Grammy vacations, plenty
of early morning kayaking adventures (including the fear of nearby shark
sightings) and of course, obnoxious amounts of sushi consumption.
I sat in my grandmother’s TV room, in solidarity with
a good majority of the rest of my home-country to show support for a man who
has placed a tremendous contribution both artistically and politically within
Canada and the rest of the world, and for who chooses to spend his remaining
days fighting the good fight towards a world free from injustice. And while
Gord Downie may not be my favourite singer, nor his band my favourite musical
group, I can certainly understand the gravity of this tremendous loss of Canadiana,
its culture, and the impact his passing will surely have on the bigger issues
facing this country (i.e. Indigenous Rights).
I was one of 10 ‘wild card’ participants at the Nudge
Global Leadership Challenge, which took place in Zeist, Netherlands, and placed
me amongst some of the most incredibly energetic, inspiring and wonderful folks
I have ever had the pleasure of spending 3 exhausting days with!
The blog has seen inexplicable attention since the
lead up to the US election, with each month increasingly gaining over the last
– and continuing to do so. December is currently on track to hit over 7000
views (compared to the usual 400-600 average!).
But the thing I am most proud of, is my return to
Uganda and the beginnings of a very slow, but exciting chapter of my life.
These past few months back in the country I have taken to so greatly, have been
challenging, beautiful, and filled with numerous reunions with old friends and
colleagues – including one very big reunion from a friend not from this part of
the world! Each day I continue to be humbled by the kindness of the people I
interact with – inspired by their stories, humility, and openness to a little
Orange Canadian like me.
And while all this is great, there is so much that I
have learned, about myself, life in general, and the world that surrounds me.
This year I have lived, I have loved, and I have lost.
But most importantly, I continue to survive the sometimes frustrating and
brutal realities of the world we live in. I have embraced many of the
opportunities that have been sent my way. I have taken on projects and
positions that have challenged my way of thinking, that have taught me things I
otherwise would never have known, and overall just allowed me to grow. I’ve faced
a few heartbreaks, and have come out smiling, all while trying to just be in
the moment every minute that I can.
I have been told that I love too much – too big –
while others maintain that I have yet to give enough of myself in order to make
them happy. But, I’m only one person, with only so much time, energy and
empathy/understanding to give to another singular individual, let alone a
number of others. Someone once told my mother that she can’t take care of the
whole world, which in many cases her eagerness to try to do so most likely lead
to passing. But I fear I also hold this responsibility myself, with the number
of projects I want to get started, the research I wish I had endless time and
money to complete, or the vast number of causes that deserve far more attention
and energy than I can offer. All of this has led me to conclude the following
about myself: I lack perfection – but happily so. Sure, sometimes my
imperfections can be difficult to accept, but then, at least, I have something
to work towards, to keep me interesting, to keep life worth living, and to
continue to challenge me. My life is far
from where I thought it would be, but I’m on a path that is exciting, and one
that I can confidently lift my head to acknowledge.
2016 – you were different, that’s for sure. But I have
persevered, and I can’t wait to see what 2017 throws at me!
-the Orange Canadian
*But you couldn’t have done me a solid and taken
Michael Bay, now could you!?
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