2010

It’s finished and I know some people couldn’t wait to see the back of it! If it wasn’t the dreaded “R” word (recession), it was the economic climate or it was the government, bailout, banks etc. Or else it was the recent sub-zero weather that has my toes numb as I write this, or maybe a combination of all of them. Whatever way you look at it, it’s been a pretty shite year for the most part.

Mary was robbed in the X-factor and our other hopes Belle Amie and One Direction didn’t cut the mustard either, even though One Direction will be huge. (You read it here first!) And who can forget the travel chaos back in April/May, when Armageddon seemed on the cards when “Eyjafjjallajokull” erupted in Iceland and left the world thinking its time was up. We all thought we’d never see a plane fly again for at least 3 years as the ash cloud descended on us all across Ireland, the UK and the rest of Europe. Plane after plane was told, “no you can’t take off!” or “sorry you can’t land here, it’s too dangerous!”

Then we had the expenses scandals with our elected leaders and representatives! It seemed once one person’s hotel costs and personal driver claims came to the public eye, more and more scandal hit the red tops and broadsheets plus TV and radio too. You couldn’t turn on the telly or radio without hearing about holiday homes and telephone expenses. It was a like a god send when all of sudden of out of absolutely nowhere, we were hit by the coldest December on record and roads became icy and snowy. And then as if magic, for almost 4 weeks we barely heard a word about our delightful government and its continuing downfall! For a while it seemed great until we realised exactly how bad the weather had made things.

Chaos consumed our airports. Passengers in their thousands were now left with thoughts of spending Christmas without the company of their family, friends and loved ones. (And for some it was very much the case.)
But you know what? Things weren’t all that bad. Were they? I mean we had a cracking world cup take place! Yes we weren’t in it, but there were some fascinating games and decisions which most Irish soccer fans will see the ironic side of! The mighty cats of Kilkenny were de-throned by Tipperary in an action packed All – Ireland final! Grahame McDowell became a hero after performing superbly well at the Ryder Cup plus winning the US open. And then Robbie decided to re-join Take That, which ended months of speculation. And possibly the most amazing good news story and event to happen in 2010 was 1000s of miles away in Chile.

The Chilean miner story about 30odd men stuck down a small shaft for more than a month with slim chance of surviving or being rescued before Christmas, very quickly turned into the most talked about news story all over the world. People in pubs and restaurants were discussing it, watching it, reading it and following this amazing tale of human endurance. One by one they were pulled from the mine to safety, wearing the coolest sunglasses on the planet to protect them from harmful rays after not seeing the sun for so long. And so, the most boring and drawn out broadcast began. Glued to the box just in case something bad was to happen and the rescue capsule would fall or get stuck or whatever could or might go wrong. It’s quite amazing how even though we all really hoped those men would get out alive and well, to greet their family with hugs and kisses and smiles, there was that evil dark side of us that wanted some drama.

At the start of the year people got the news of the disastrous earthquake in Haiti and so a celebrity battle ensued. It was almost like a contest as to which celeb would out do the other by boasting how much they care about the poor people in Haiti and how they had helped this and helped that! When in actual fact most of them just spoke about it and did nothing. However, one man stood head and shoulders above the rest of these A-Listers, Wyclif Jean! The guy has to be a deserving winner after all he did try to become president!!

All in all, I think we can all take some positive things from the last 12 months, because even though things look bleak on the jobs front and money markets and all that makey uppey mumbo jumbo, one thing is for certain. A new year has just begun and we’re still here! Above ground and ready to fight on against whatever 2011 throws at us. And you know what I say to 2011? “BRING IT ON!!!”

Happy New Year.

Andrew.