Bizarre new year’s resolutions: I’m going to start smoking. I can’t wait to become less organized. I’m going to waste money. I’m going to eat all the things and gain lots of weight. The past couple of years have been bizarre to say the least, but it seems as if the general population is not only going right along, but embracing absurdity.
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Word of Year for 2021: Bizarre
Twenty-twenty one brought us some bizarre stuff for sure! It started with a bang back in January with the insurrection. Then the inauguration. The lock downs, the mandates, the riots, the fact-checking, the Olympics. Political scandals, immigration, explosive school board meetings, supply shortages, high gas prices. Bizarre is definitely an understatement, and I haven’t even mentioned critical race theory, the masks, or the vaccines – they go beyond bizarre.
However you may feel about the masks, there is no denying that it is bizarre to see people wearing them in a vehicle while they are alone. It is crazy to wear a mask from the front door of a restaurant to your seat. It is utterly insane to see people play wind instruments with a slit through the masks. The world is full of people who do these things without question. As far as the vaccines, whether they work or not, it’s bizarre how people are either being bribed with lotteries and donuts, or threatened with job loss if they don’t take it. Finally, what breaks my heart the most, is the children living throughout all of this. If there is anything that can change the trajectory of the future, it is our children.
The future is questionable
How can the future leaders of our country lead anything when they can’t even understand elementary biology? There are only two genders, and it’s not difficult to figure out. How can future leaders lead if they can’t learn from the past? History is important and to be learned from – the good and the bad. How will our country thrive with no moral compass? What used to be obviously right or wrong is now blurred. I’m concerned about our future. I have two teenagers who will be on their own in less than five years. What kind of world will they enter in after leaving the four walls of our home? It’s not looking good, but I believe with proper training, children can certainly make a difference.
If you’re one to make resolutions for the new year, how about resolve to banish the bizarre? Let’s stop normalizing things that are clearly not normal. It may not be easy, it will take making sacrifices, but is anything worth it really easy? Here are some ways to have a less bizarre 2022.
A little less bizarre
- Turn off the news. This is the big one. Just turn. it. off. The mainstream news media has been the biggest contributor to the downfall of our society.
- Get your kids out of public schools. Sure, we all would like to think they will get better if we have a nice teacher, a better school board, or we get more involved. Sadly, the government-run public school system is a sinking ship, and it would be best to jump ship sooner than later. Begin by checking out your states laws regarding homeschooling, and make a plan to start immediately.
- Get sound Bible doctrine down in your soul. It’s not enough to just attend church, or send your teens to a youth group. Study to be a “workman”, and rightly divide the word of truth as it says in 2 Timothy 2:15.
- Be the role model. Don’t let the internet, the celebrities, news media, or professors and teachers tell your children what to think. I’ve noticed the latest that’s trending among young people in my area is that it’s “trendy to be trans”. Keep communication open with your teenagers. Talk about those things. Point them to the authority – the Word of God that tells them truth.
- Don’t go along with the bizarre. Sure, you may miss out on some things, but resolve, or purpose in your heart that you will not participate in whatever you recognize as bizarre. This does not mean being a jerk, either. Exercise being kind and polite. People are much more likely to listen or even follow your cue.
What to do in 2022?
Focus on what you can do to live normally. I have found not participating in things or patronizing places that make me feel less than normal has actually been empowering as well as rewarding. I have a new found love of the ocean, art, and cooking to name a few. Celebrating the little things using the National Day Calendar was another highlight of 2021. Feel free to find my monthly list of national days in the Free Resource Library, and celebrate something all year long. A final word about the future: the most reliable way to predict the future is to create it. I don’t know who to credit that saying to, but I believe it!
The new year is always an exciting time for me. If you have big or small kids you’re celebrating with, you may want to check out a prior blog post for bringing in the New Year, 5 Ways to Celebrate the New Year with Teens. I’m not sure that I will make any new resolutions, but I may revisit a previous idea from 2020 on being TRIM, (it means more than you think). Happy New Year to you, and make 2022 a year to banish the bizarre!
Bizarre was definitely 2021! We have sacrificed a lot because we don’t want all this to become normal for our kids. I wish more could understand why. It is frustrating to see people give into all this even though they don’t agree. This was a very good read.
EXACTLY! Well said. I only “gave in” three times through all this – and they were all huge situations. We missed a lot, but I could not bring myself, and especially my children to mask up to look at fish at an aquarium, go to an outdoor concert, eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and so on…. and it’s not the ones who are truly worried that bother me. They all have their personal reasons. It’s the ones constantly griping, while constantly complying. Thanks for the support. Here’s to wishing for a less bizarre 2022!