5 Things We Need to Say Goodbye To In 2019

Say Goodbye

My family and I mourned after experiencing a few impactful deaths, my favorite sports teams continued to suck, and I couldn't bring home a chip in my fantasy baseball league, yet 2018 still goes down as one of my most favorable years. Aside from launching a book, website, and podcast, I checked off more boxes on my bucket list, established relationships with some incredible people, traveled, discovered happiness (what a great feeling and I'll be damned if I give it back!), further embraced aging, and I finally accepted my reality; that not only am I okay with being an Average Joe  (in a world obsessed with obtaining followers), but I love the sh*t out of lists! As we bid farewell to 2018, here are five things I'd like to see obliterated in 2019 (and beyond!): 

5) MEN arching and shaping up their eyebrows:
The metrosexual male has run amok over the past decade; from skinny jeans, to (fill in the blank). Let's put an end to needling and threading our eyebrows and become f#ckin' men again for goodness sake!

4) Transwomen airing out celebrities:
The Transgender community and its murder rate has spiked over recent years, but airing out ones personal business can't be conducive to your well being (one would think).  I understand people say and do things when they're emotionally scarred, but when does common sense ever factor in? Why must the general public know what goes on between two consenting adults? Let's do better when vying for acceptance. That goes for all of us.

3) Employers asking potential employees dumb questions on interviews:
How many of you have heard the follow:
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When was the last time you went over and above for a co-worker? Can you name a time a customer was unhappy, and what did you do to rectify the matter? Where do you see yourself in five years?

Can I tell you how much I absolutely HATE these questions! After spending so much energy preparing for an interview; from what to wear, to just about everything else, you arrive to your destination all wide-eyed, giddy and full of anxiety. Suddenly, you're asked to summarize past job experiences, entering an extensive memory bank to include isolated moments in your professional career that have absolutely NO BEARING on whether the current job can be executed accordingly (how would an employer EVER know if you're telling the truth on those isolated events?).

How many people have b.s.'ed their way through interviews? (don't all raise your hands up at once).

2) Goodbye Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Love & Hip-Hop, Wildin' Out and any other annoying TV show:
Sayonara! The novelty has worn off, and there's simply NO REASON for Dancing with the Stars to have just completed its 27th season! That's insane considering the show only debuted in 2005 (I'm aware they've typically had two seasons per calendar year, but enough is enough!). Maybe some of us will be in for a treat come 2019.

1) Current state of music:
Any up-and-coming artist, I beg of you: PLEASE CREATE SOMETHING MAGICAL, OR STAY THE F#CK AWAY FROM THE MICROPHONE. Work on your craft, treat it as a job; as if your life depends on it, be original (yea, yea, no idea is truly original - so they say - but you get the point), and don't leave the studio until you've listened to your tunes ad nauseum - so, that would be at least 1,000,000,000 times in my book (listen to it until your ears permanently hate you). Don't be in a rush to flood the market with more garbage. It's oversaturated. Create something timeless and stay far way from following trends. That's all I ask. Wishful thinking, I know, but allow me to have this moment. 

Goodbye 2018; it's been fun! As you all countdown the new year in a few hours, I'm sure to be in LA-LA land (unless my ignorant neighbors have plans on blasting music through the wee hours of the morning - which I highly expect), after puffing on a nice cigar purchased from the Dominican Republic. BTW, make sure to tune into the next podcast where I go in depth on that beautiful island! ​