Happy 2019! With a new year upon us, some tend to look ahead wondering what this new year will bring us. But before we do that, I would like to commemorate all that was accomplished in 2018. 2018 was a big year for women, we began to put a spotlight on issues of violence that were in the dark for far too long. Through the #MeToo movement, we gave a voice to victims of sexual assault and harassment who had been persecuted and silenced. In 2018 women everywhere stood in solidarity and said the words that demanded to be heard, “Time’s Up.” Time is up on feeling unsafe, mistreated, overlooked and trapped by the dismay that society has instilled within us. In 2018 we spoke, in 2019 we listen.
Now now, I am not saying that we stop speaking. I mean if you couldn’t already tell, it’ll take quite a lot to shut me up. What I am saying is that we all need to start really listening to one another. It is important to speak and use your voice, but the power that voice has depends on those who are willing to listen. I think we have been led astray and have lost our ability to truly listen and understand one another regardless of our differences, but I am hopeful that 2019 will be the compass that brings us back on course and guides us to what we have lost.
We all have our differences, but we should be embracing those differences and using them as a means to unite us rather than divide us. We need to take a step back, walk in one another’s shoes and really gain a deeper understanding and respect for one another. We need to start listening, no matter how much we disagree. We have to find a middle ground if we will ever be able to move forward. We need to do our part to make a better world that we are proud to pass on to the future generations. In 2018 we spoke, in 2019 we will continue to speak, but we will also listen and I hope you do the same. Time’s Up, Speak Up, Listen Up!