I was reading the Independent at the turn of 2017. I thought to myself, as I do every year new year, new me and so I decided that I had to broaden what my reading materials. It can't all be Daily Mail Showbiz. My goal for this year, in this selfie-crazed society that I would develop myself mentally - as well as Snapchat my own face over and over again.
The first thing, I read was so gloomy. To be fair, the first thing I watched was even gloomy - RIP the Mitchell Sisters. Wait, can we just take a minute to break down EastEnders then we can go back to my actual breakdown. Ronnie Mitchell has killed nearly every man to have crossed her - and she stole Kat and Alfie's baby, yet the big answer to the soap's 2017 whodunnit is a SWIMMING POOL.
Anyway, one of my biggest gripes still is that there is still a class divide. I mean when who was the most recent working-class person to 'breakthrough'. Where is the next Paddy McGuiness? Or Jason Manford? Or Sarah Millican? I know these are all comics - but they say talk about what you know. This was more of a feeling than an actual educated fact.
I've grew up watching Sabrina -The Teenage Witch, Hilary Duff films and MTV's hit show The Hills and I really, really believe that anything is possible. I don't want to sound like an Instagram quote - although I do love one but I don't think anyone has the right to say that something isn't possible. As a performer, I know many people who were supported financially by their parents until they could be financially independent. I never had that luxury, nor would I want it. I love my parents - and I wouldn't change anything about our upbringing because in the grand scheme of the world, even during the most financially fraught times, we were better off than most because we were a unit... and we still are.
Back to the article in The Independent. It said that a recent study warns that "inherited wealth will decide how rich young people become". There's a few things about this that sit uneasy with me. First, I AM GOING TO INHERIT MY DAD'S OLD PLUMBING VAN. It doesn't even have power steering and worth about £200. Does this mean, I am going to inherit plumbing ability? Am I destined to be Stephen, the Plumber?
But also - how restrictive is this article. So, wealthy people will stay wealthy? And the poor, stay poor? Or the plumbers stay plumbers? Well, fuck that!
2017 start with Mercury leaving retrograde. Now, I don't want to sound like I have crystals hanging from my ballsack but I moved to London, I got a job and then I decided to be a comic. I worked 5-6 days a week, 12 hour days to make my rent and then in the evenings and at the weekends I would go and tell my dick jokes. I did these long weeks until it was financially viable for me to earn what I did in my day job through comedy.
I don't have savings or a mortgage - YET.
And, I am not going to wait to inherit the little blue, clapped out van to make it happen.
Anything is possible, if you believe and find ways to make it work. And even on the days that doesn't feel possible and you are exhausted and wonder if it is all worth it, I am going to believe that it's worth it for you.
FUCK. THAT. ARTICLE