Just as quickly as it arrived, it has come to an end. 2013 has been a year of ups, downs, twists, turns and hurdles for all of us. Many events have been tragedies that have brought people, families, schools and even entire countries closer together. Some events have been comical and others were just down right surprising. Every event that made Scarlet’s Top 5 List isn’t necessarily the most noble, award-winning or monumental event, but it certainly was newsworthy and had a huge etiquette and protocol lesson, specifically in the area of perspective. Let’s get started and be sure to vote for your own top 3 moments at the bottom of this post.
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Affordable Care Act – The Affordable Care Act, aka Obama Care, has been the talk of the town for pretty much the whole year. From the launch of it, to its rocky roll out, to present day, where citizens are constantly reminded of the deadline to sign up, it has certainly been a huge media topic of discussion. Considering its reputation, you wouldn’t believe that this piece of legislature was actually signed into law on March 23, 2010. Whether you’re for, against or still on the fence about it, the law is pretty much here to stay in some shape, way or form and there are many citizens who will benefit from its it enactment. Perhaps your current status in life prohibits you from needing to take advantage of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, but does your perspective keep you from considering if others will benefit? Contrarily, are you considering that others have been priced out of their existing insurance (either can’t afford personal plans or their companies are dropping because they can’t afford it) and are forced to change. Both perspectives are valid and are issues that people are facing today. We’ll all have our opinions and it is expected that we make decisions based on whats best for our own personal well being, but as we discuss subjects and debate issues, we should keep in mind that our own perspectives are not the only ones to consider. Click HERE to read more about the law.
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GM Appoints First Woman CEO – Mary Teresa Barra was named to succeed Dan Akerson as Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, making her the first female CEO of a major global automaker. Barra is scheduled to take office as CEO in January 2014. While the chatter of the social media-sphere was mostly in pleasant congratulations of this appointment, there was also a small buzz of talk about why a woman being appointed to this role was such a big deal. So perhaps you aren’t a feminist, have no women that are close to you and quite frankly don’t care about gender equality. Consider that there are 72 million women in the workforce in America, many of which who do care significantly about this appointment because this is a reflection and pathway to what their successes could be. Our individual perspectives and positions in life sometimes limit us, and the inability to consider the perspectives of others can potentially limit us even more. For more about women and workplace statistics, click HERE.
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Government Shutdown – From October 1 through 16, 2013, the United States federal government entered a shutdown and halted most routine operations after Congress failed to enact legislation appropriating funds for fiscal year 2014. Some very vital services that are unknowingly government driven were suddenly halted for more than 2 weeks. Most times when we think about the “government”, we picture a few massive buildings, some politicians, maybe some judges and usually the White House. What we don’t picture are the people – the 109,000 people who were furloughed and financially affected by this shutdown. While you may not have been directly affected by the shutdown, chances are your neighbor, your Facebook friend, your mail delivery person or your child’s teacher very well may have been. Did you keep them in your mind and consider their perspectives while you discussed, complained or even disregarded the issue?
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Nelson Mandela Dies – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa, on July 18, 1918. He joined the African National congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party’s apartheid policies for many years before being arrested in August 1962. Mandela was incarcerated for over twenty-seven years, during which his reputation as a potent symbol of resistance to the anti-apartheid movement grew steadily. He held an impassioned stance on the rights of everyone to live in freedom. Released from prison in 1990, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994. Mandela’s selfless, diligent and forgiving nature is what has identified him as such a global icon. At a time when we are tasked with doing more with less, producing results quicker and ensuring that we are our own personal cheerleader and advocate, it is refreshing to reflect on and honor an individual who embraced the broader perspective of doing what was in the best interest of not just himself, but for so many others. Read more about Nelson Mandela HERE.
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Boston Marathon Bombing – During the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, two pressure cooker bombs exploded, killing 3 people and injuring an estimated 264 others. The bombs exploded about 13 seconds apart, near the finish line on Boylston Street in Boston. This tragedy was disheartening in so many ways. The story resonated and is touching to so many people, especially those who are runners or have friends or family members who are avid runners. As tragic as this attack was, there were some people who took advantage of the opportunity to do just the opposite – to be giving, kind and to think of others before themselves. One prime example of great hospitality was that of the food and beverage industry, After the bombs exploded, Lenox Hotel on Boylston Street became the hotel command central for hungry law enforcement investigators. What started out as lunch for 80 on the Tuesday afternoon following the bombing, became dinner for more than 400 on Tuesday night, and grew into about 1,500 meals a day. The show of kindness, generosity and community at the Lenox over that week provided a stark contrast to the hate and terror of the Marathon bombings. About 70 Lenox managers and employees volunteered their time at the hotel, cleaning rooms and preparing pizza, burgers, steak, and whatever else they had on hand. Unfortunately, unexpected bad things happen and will continue to happen in our lives. Luckily, to combat them, smiles, hugs, kind words and the giving of your time to help another person in need still costs absolutely nothing. Read more about the Boston Marathon bombing and the Lenox Hotel HERE.
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BONUS – Miley Cyrus Twerks – Ok, so don’t side eye this selection yet. First, let’s just get the facts out of the way. Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and recording artist. The daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, she held minor roles in the television series Doc and the film Big Fish in her childhood. Her most popular and well-known role was that of Hannah Montana, which focused on Miley Stewart (portrayed by Miley Cyrus), a teenager living a double life as an average schoolgirl by day and a famous recording artist Hannah Montana by night. Miley has had a much more colorful and successful career than the one MTV stunt (and succeeding acts of surprise) than many of us would be forced to believe. With over 81 awards under her belt, 187 nominations and a net worth of over $150 million, many would certainly go out on a limb here and say that she is successful. The ongoing focus is not the aforementioned list of accomplishments. It is instead that one performance on Sunday, August 25, 2013 on MTV. It was risky, sexy, over the top and definitely full of protocol breaches (of course according to the Scarlet scale). But, when we’re talking about the world of entertainment and MTV, there are always risks involved. The general public can sometimes forget that entertainers are usually in business to do one thing, entertain. This often results in what many describe as raunchy, bad role modeling and irresponsible behavior. However, it almost always results in something else – something that most entertainers are always after and is in fact what they end up achieving – high ratings and increased album sales. Like so many others, we don’t want bad role modeling displays for our future leaders, but from an entertainers perspective, if the result of what we deem bad role modeling ends up being higher sales, why would they stop?
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Other Notable Moments In 2013:
- Washington Navy Yard Shooting
- Lance Armstrong Admits Doping
- Beyonce’s Secret Album Release
Vote for your very own top moments of 2013 here: [polldaddy poll=7678226]
