2024 has been quite a year but I think we’d be lying of we said we hadn’t observed a few things over the past 12 months. I’ve listed a few of my observations below – believe me, I have many more, but I think this is enough for now!

1. Your inability to put up with people’s shit the way you used to may be a sign of growth on your part. Or low iron.
2. Ageism is still an acceptable form of discrimination practiced by everyone
3. Health is wealth!
4. Interested people are usually the most interesting people
5. Some of your liberal ‘friends’ are more racist than openly racist people
6. At least one person in your friendship group is only friends with you because they take solace in their belief that as bad as life may be for them, at least they’re not you!
7. Seasons 3, 4 (and probably 5 when it’s released) of The Boys are not and will never be as good as seasons 1 and 2.
8. Two of your co-workers were or are shagging
9. When highly paid but under-qualified people struggle with work they get support staff. When low paid qualified people struggle with work, they get sacked
10. At least one person you know is jealous of you
11. The more authentic you are the harder it is to fit in. That’s okay though because fitting in is terribly over-rated
12. Aldi have changed the packaging of their hot chocolate, but it still tastes the same (the hot chocolate, not the packaging. I’m not sure what that tastes like!)
13. Weight loss medication is not ‘cheating’ when your weight is affecting your health, but taking meds away from people who really need it because you’re a few pounds overweight and could easily shift those pounds with a few sessions at the gym and one big shit is immoral
14. Quality Streets are far too sweet now and, let’s be honest, you don’t even like them anymore! You just buy them every Christmas because it’s become a habit. Like crack
15. It’s not only okay but it’s actively encouraged to ghost people in your life who take you for granted, only contact you when they want something and take zero interest in your wellbeing
16. Generally speaking, when seeking a female mate, men tend to look for staff while women tend to look for qualities. Women: ‘He must be kind, funny, generous, kind to animals and children, love the Arts…’ etc. Men: ‘She should be a good cook (cook) dress well, be thin and not wear too much make-up (human doll) She should be able to keep a clean and well-organised home (cleaner/house manager) do what I want in bed (prostitute) raise the children (nanny) and meet my needs (assistant). For some women, this isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker if said men can pay them accordingly, but in this economy that’s damn near impossible. Also, despite this being a clear exchange of labour, both parties insist on calling this arrangement ‘love’.
17. Many of the episodic shows on streaming services could and should have been just 2-hour long films instead of 8+ long, drawn-out, boring episodes
18. Be careful when dealing with therapists, coaches, mentors and the like. For every person who’s in it to genuinely use their experiences and skills to support others, there are many others who have not engaged in the personal development they expect of you, and are only in the role because they get off on feeling superior to their clients and need to distract themselves from dealing with their own issues
19. There’s someone out there who absolutely adores you 😊

19. Women have more power than we like to think we do. Were we to tap into this power instead of being bound to our own oppression by dumb shit like ‘respectability’. ‘niceness’, ‘humility’ (as defined by the patriarchy, not actual humility) performative marriages, internalised misogyny and vanity we’d be a force to be reckoned with.
20. The horror genre is not promoted enough in the literary community
21. The ‘generation wars’ on social media are pathetic and should be left in 2024. What started out as a fun way for people to engage in nostalgia and poke a little good-natured fun has become an outlet for miserable people stuck in the past and struggling in the present to talk shit and be nasty about other people. Crapping on Gen Z by suggesting that they’re all entitled, lazy, illiterate weirdos is gross and any millennials engaging in these moronic generalisations should really know better considering what people said (and some still say) about us

23. We should all stop shopping with Amazon but most of us won’t because it’s very convenient. So maybe we should gradually reduce our Amazon purchases – slowly break up with them as it were – because there’s really no excuse for the way they treat their staff.
24. Speaking of, independent bookshops still exist and some of them are really lovely so if you can, try purchasing from them
25. It’s funny that some people get angry with people who choose not to vote during elections because none of the parties represent their interests or interests for the greater good, yet these same people have zero anger for a system that calls itself democratic but doesn’t fight for equity or represent the needs of its most vulnerable citizens.
26. It is harder to make new friends as you get older but not impossible
27. Regarding nostalgia, it’s not that things were necessarily ‘better’ back then, it’s more that as a younger person you weren’t as directly affected by things as you are now.
28. It’s okay to be bored and frustrated by women who cannot get through a single conversation without talking about men, relationships and/or sex, especially when you consider how many women have been (and still are) imprisoned, hurt and even killed fighting for women to be educated in things outside of men and domesticity
29. Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach – have some water or herbal tea first
30. Continue learning! Despite what modern capitalism will have us believe, learning shouldn’t solely be about making money, and not every learning opportunity needs to result in a certificate or accreditation. Learn for learning’s sake. We should learn about the world we live in. Learn to understand ourselves and others, learn so we can help each other. Read! Listen! Engage! And don’t be afraid to change your mind! What we believed yesterday is not what we believe today and may not be what we believe tomorrow. This is a normal part of the learning process. The more information and experiences we acquire, the more likely it is our views will change in one way or another. This is called growth and is an important part of life.

What were some of your observations in 2024?