I’ve seen a lot of 2016 review posts so far and, to be fair, I was considering doing one myself. Until I took a few seconds to actually look back on 2016. What a year. It was certainly not a year that I want to spend time dwelling on. Instead, I’m looking forward:
The Chinese zodiac tells us that 2017 will be the year of the Fire Rooster. It is a year that is intent on progression, on developing honor, and searching out maximum integrity. Depending on your own personal zodiac sign, this is either a very good or bad thing. It seems there is little middle ground with our friend the Fiery Cock.
Forbes tell us that 2017 will the year of Cyber Warfare. What with the alleged Russian interference on the US election, the public admission that over one million Yahoo accounts were affected by a massive security breach, and the admitted dozens of major private sector attacks that include names such as Twitter, Amazon, Netflix, and PayPal, this doesn’t surprise me.
Times of India reports that 2017 will be year of “vagina-nomics,” the Gates of Vienna has reported that the Prime Minister of Hungary believes it will be the “Year of Revolts,” and I’ve seen links promising everything from the “Year of Social Experimentation” to the return of Jesus Christ. Without putting any political preferences into this particular post (alliteration for the win!), I would be remiss if I didn’t add that 2017 will also be the first year of Trump and I am pretty certain that’s going to be all kinds of “interesting” to watch unfurl.
Apparently, it’s going to be one hell of a year again and I’m not sure if I’m terrified or looking forward to the change. I do know that I have a question or two for J.C. if he can find a free minute for me during his return celebrations.
On a personal level, I think 2017 is going to be an odd year for me as well. I have two releases coming out fairly early in 2017, one in January with the ever-fascinating and oh-so-talented Kelly Wyre, which is the first of our Exile series novel, Breaker, and another coming out on March 1st that goes by the name, We Three Kings. After that… well, I just don’t know. I can’t say that I have completely lost my devotion to Sparklemotion, but I have—well, to quote Sister Aloysius, “I have doubts. I have such doubts.”
Maybe we all do after 2016, though. Maybe that was 2016’s job: inspiring doubt. After all, doubt isn’t such a terrible thing. Doubt makes us question things more intently, research with more depth, and come to our own conclusions instead of accepting someone else’s assumptions with blind faith.
However, even with my doubts and cynicisms, I swear to myself that I will not knock 2017 until it gives me reason to. I will do my best to look forward with hope—because hope is the ultimate cure for doubt—and I will endeavour to keep my heart (but also my eyes) wide open.
After all, it’s not like 2017 can take Bowie all over again. Or Leonard Cohen. Prince. Ron Glass. Florence Henderson. Gene Wilder. Anton Yelchin…
And there I am, doing what I said I wasn’t going to. So before this gets any more morose, how about you? What do you hope the new year brings? Are you looking forward to 2017? Do you have any words of wisdom for those who might not be? I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to share with me down in the comments section.
And until next time,
AF Henley <3
About the Author
Henley was born with a full-blown passion for run-on sentences, a zealous indulgence in all words descriptive, and the endearing tendency to overuse punctuation. Since the early years Henley has been an enthusiastic writer, from the first few I-love-my-dog stories to the current leap into erotica.
A self-professed Google genius, Henley lives for the hours spent digging through the Internet for ‘research purposes’ which, more often than not, lead seven thousand miles away from first intentions but bring Henley to new discoveries and ideas that, once seeded, tend to flourish.
Henley has been proudly publishing with Less Than Three Press since 2012.
For more information, please stop by for a visit at afhenley.com.
I’m looking forward to 2018, skipping 2017
That sounds like an excellent plan! 😆
I wish you a fantastic, healthy, successful, and very happy 2017, my friend. 😃
Hopefully you will find great pleasure in writing new stories and finding wonderful inspiration.
Personally, I am looking forward to 2017. You know me: always the optimist. 😊
Many time things turned out differently than we expect them to and some things just go on as usual. Often events that we look at now in a gloomy way are proving not so bad after all.
Something else. We tend to believe that because a new starts that there will be big changes. But often life just goes on.
I am looking so much forward to creating new art and expending my work by picking up on traditional drawing again. 😃 I am already very excited about that prospect. 😃
❤️
Your optimism and brightness are always appreciated, my friend. I wish you all the best in 2017 and have all my fingers crossed that it will be perfect for you. 💕 😊
Technically, if Revelation is to be taken semi-literally Jesus won’t be having celebrations when he returns for quite a while. Lots of war first. Sorry, too much Sunday school when I was younger.
I have no anticipations or worries about 2017. It takes too much energy. That and my Acid Reflux can’t take it. xD
What I want from 2017 though, again without anticipation, is a clean bill of health. Maybe to sleep through the night for once. That’ll be enough.
If I had to give any “words of wisdom”, such as they are, it would be this. Every year is terrible, and every year is wonderful. (I’m getting a very good wolf bad wolf vibe here) Sometimes the year will hurt you when those terrible events hit closer to home. But there’s always something you loved about the year, no matter how small or fleeting. When you find it, hold on to it, grasp it firmly and the year will have to trample you to get it away. I am a very silver-lining kind of guy. 😀
Even with all of the bad, this year I got a truck which enabled me to get pizza of various varieties. And get myself to doctor’s appointments. Watch a movie every now and again. Also I’ve really been enjoying the fancy underwear I’ve been getting once a month. This month is a modern spartan styled loin cloth. Not sure if I’ve told you this before or not, but I have a big underwear fetish. xD
Well, I hope everyone has a good holiday season. And a wonderful intro to the new year. Start it off right, that way no matter what happens you have a beginning by which to move forward.
Did you just make a Bible reference and then use the word “literal” with it? XD
I love the fact that you got an underwear subscription. New underwear is awesome. New socks and underwear, in fact. Best feeling EVER. 😀
Best wishes for the new year, Frosty. I hope it’s a great one. <3
Those are some scary premonitions out there! Maybe I’ll make like an ostrich for a change.
The sand is so warm and comfy… 😀
After last year’s looking forward to this year, I’ll hold my reservations for 2017, hehe. Despite how discouraged I felt this year, I’ve successfully reminded myself constantly that I am blessed and fortunate to have a lot of things that aren’t readily available in many parts of the world, including and not limited to basic necessities.
I have goals for 2017 even though all the personal ones I set for myself this year didn’t get accomplished. There’s a new change of direction, and I’m looking forward to tackling that very much.
I bid everyone the best in the upcoming year. Keep fighting. Don’t lose hope. <3
And I wish you all the best right back. It has been a heck of a year, but I hank you very much for being part of it. <3