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Category: Abe Observes Abe Observes
Published: 28 December 2016 28 December 2016

By Abe Villarreal

A year from today, I hope we will be reading an article a lot like this:

In 2017, Americans changed their growing habit of sitting and watching, and scrolling and liking, and threw in a little more listening and understanding.

In 2017, instead of posting selfies, we started sharing moments that made others think about their own lives. Moments that showed neighbors and friends, families and loved ones.

In 2017, we spent a little more money on real food, the kind that goes bad after a few days, and spent less money on the kind of food that comes in boxes and bags, the kind that looks the same even if you find it a week later behind the couch.

In 2017, because we ate better, we spent less time with doctors and nurses, and spent more time with each other.

In 2017, because we became a little healthier, we smiled more, and people saw us as a little happier and full of joy.

In 2017, people in other places, far away places, began to see us as the good people we feel that we already are, as the people that were once known for their generosity and their willingness to share with those in need.

In 2017, we opened our doors, rather than closed them. We welcomed others with open arms, and we lived up to the old belief that we should treat others as we would like to be treated.

In 2017, we became a little less nervous, and a little more open to showing who we are as individuals. Believers openly believed, and non-believers weren't bothered by it.

In 2017, we were proud to be Americans. We raised our flags high, and we said the pledge, all the words, not just the ones that we felt comfortable saying.

In 2017, when someone wanted to make a difference in our local communities, we were open to listening to their ideas, rather than disregarding them because of the letter on their voter registration card.

In 2017, people stepped up to the plate to make a change. When there was a need, we didn't wait for others to fix it. We found a way to solve the problem.

In 2017, we taught our sons and daughters that it was OK to go out and try things, hard things. The kinds of things that make us want to give up but also teach us important life lessons.

In 2017, we were a little closer to forming that more perfect union we read about. That place we've been trying to become for such a long time.

Abe Villarreal is the Director of Communications at Western New Mexico University. When not on campus, he enjoys writing about his observations on marketing, life, people and American traditions.