“A step in the wrong direction is better than staying in the same spot all your life.” –Maxwell Maltz
Two years ago today, I returned from New Zealand. Instead of focusing on my trip though, the focus will be on how much can happen in two years. This period of time seems long, but while it’s really only 730 days, there’s still ample time for change.
When I think specifically about these last two years, I realize how much has changed in my life (and the lives of my friends and family). Part of this is because of where I am in my life: college and graduation naturally bring change. Thinking back, I obviously knew changes were coming for me; however, I didn’t know these changes would include Alice (a cat, yes, but not one I love so dearly), living alone, still being single, lots of new friends and reconnecting with old friends (new friends, yes, but not ones I hang out with quite so much 🙂 ), improved relationships (particularly with my first younger-sister), graduating cum laude from college, a full-time job (not this full-time job anyways), my love (borderline obsession) with everything French, and so much more. I also anticipated going abroad again within these two years…that has yet to happen 😦 All of this—and heaps more—happened in just two years.
Thus there’s a lot of power in two years as it can easily bring changes, some permanent. Numerous births and deaths have occurred in this time span—and in any two year span. All changes can have a lasting impacting, but major changes such as births and deaths will always leave a mark in/change one’s life. With these emotional events come the opportunities for further changes. A child learns an incredible amount in her/his first two years of life: rolling over, walking, climbing, talking, eating solid foods, deciding what foods he/she does/doesn’t like, playing games, and in general learning about her/his world. A death can lead loved ones to re-evaluate their lives or adapt to living without someone—sometimes an extremely important person in our lives.
Just about anything can happen in two years. You can meet your soul mate and get married in less than two years; you can also go through the turmoil of a divorce or messy breakup in two years. Someone can become famous in two years; a celebrity can also lose her/his fame in those same 730 days. You can become a whole new person and discover a completely new way of life in just two years; you can also destroy your entire life by making one, or a series of, poor choice(s) in two years. In the next 730 days, a nation could resolve or start a war; the same nation could also experience its coldest winter or hottest summer on record. None of this even begins to account for the technological changes that have been accomplished in the last two years or will be accomplished in the next two years.
The point is a lot can happen in two years and we could have only a miniscule idea of what changes will occur to us or in our world. At least part of what happens is within our control as well as our openness/willingness to change. However, that which is outside our control shouldn’t be stressed over because those stressors can easily disappear with time. Two years contains so much power and potential for change 🙂
While I might not look different, two years has changed me a lot.
A glimpse into June 28th, 2012
Music
- “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson peaked in popularity the week before and was the current Billboard’s Number One Single 1,2.
- “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna and “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry broke into Billboard’s Top 10 the week before and remained there for three months 1.
- Justin Bieber’s Believe was currently the number one selling album, followed by Kenny Chesney, Fiona Apple, Smashing Pumpkins, and the Rock of Ages soundtrack 3.
Movies
- Ted, Magic Mike, and Tyler Perry’s Medea’s Witness Protection were released in theaters the next day 4.
- Brave was released the week before in theaters 5,6.
- Madagascar 3, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman, Marvel’s The Avengers, MIB 3, and Rock of Ages had all been playing in theaters for two to six weeks 5,6.
News/Events
- Google announced the pre-sale of Google Glass 7.
- CNN initially misreports a major Supreme Court ruling regarding Obama Care 7.
- Nat Geo poll results reveals that Americans believe Obama would be better than Romney at fending off an alien invasion 7 😛
- There’s some other info on armed conflicts and attacks, business and economics, disasters, international relations, science and technology, sports, and others here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events/2012_June_28
After ~30 hours of travelling, I finally landed at MSP where my mom waited to finish taking me home after my five months of adventure 🙂
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_top_10_singles_in_2012
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_2012
- http://top40.about.com/od/onthecharts/a/Us-Pop-Music-Charts-June-28-2012.htm
- http://www.movieinsider.com/movies/june/2012/29/
- http://www.boxofficemojo.com/daily/chart/?sortdate=2012-06-29&p=.htm
- http://www.google.com
- http://theweek.com/article/index/230005/good-day-bad-day-june-28-2012
Bethany Blount 