It's 2018, the year lies stretched out before us, a journey into an unknown future. Will it be a good year? 

We face so many uncertainties. How much of what happened last year would we have foreseen? Very little I expect, so trying to hazard a guess for what 2018 will bring will be just that, a guess.

![2018future.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYe5cbbNjLKVUVPB1jdxRfmKR1icdjcMz2ETCzwAGnxnu/2018future.JPG)
[Image Source](http://www.shaw.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1204986/brs-opt-in-period-approaches/)

What stood out for you in 2017?  

This is my list.

On the political front, it was the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as leader of the ANC. 

![Cyril_Ramaphosa_in_Tehran.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdu78ohj2JE2d5gcHjdDSB295wTUdMqzLtEozdv5W9rA4/Cyril_Ramaphosa_in_Tehran.jpg)
[Image Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyril_Ramaphosa_in_Tehran.jpg)

 The downfall of Robert Mugabe was totally unexpected. I expected it would happen sooner or later but the relatively peaceful way it occurred took me by surprise. 

![399px-Robert_Mugabe,_12th_AU_Summit,_090202-N-0506A-417.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdbLWjGssripiHoYaRgFh42xRfwCzvd8R6sxMFUT3G3ob/399px-Robert_Mugabe%2C_12th_AU_Summit%2C_090202-N-0506A-417.jpg)
[Image Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Mugabe,_12th_AU_Summit,_090202-N-0506A-417.jpg)

World politics became much more unstable, 2017 was the year of Trump, whether you love him or hate him he stole the headlines. Brexit! What happens now, are we seeing the beginnings of breakup of the European Union?

![North_Korea's_ballistic_missile_-_North_Korea_Victory_Day-2013_01.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdxRHWd4pBAL63nqBA1QmC1q3aiZQBq679KMS8hVA4Z4j/North_Korea's_ballistic_missile_-_North_Korea_Victory_Day-2013_01.jpg)
[Image Source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Korea%27s_ballistic_missile_-_North_Korea_Victory_Day-2013_01.jpg)

The world became more unstable in 2017. North Korea, Syria, heightened tensions in the Middle East. It sometimes seems as if we are approaching a perfect storm, let us hope that cooler heads prevail.

Technologically we are heading into a new era, who has not sat open-mouthed at the launch and landing of SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, the incredible robots from Boston Dynamics and Google's Deep Mind beating the world's greatest Go champion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVlhMGQgDkY

2017 was also a year of extreme weather, hurricanes and tornadoes, wildfires out of control, even here in South Africa we experienced extreme weather.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-Vdmu9iMTo

Never mind we have it on good authority that climate change is not real. Perhaps the extreme weather was not real either. From what I hear we may be living in a simulation.

Here we stand at the edge of 2018, what will it bring?  We will have to see what develops in the USA. We are all so interconnected, when America sneezes we catch cold. For me I will leave the future to fate, I cannot influence it one way or another. I will concentrate on my Steemit posts, there are so many intelligent, broad-minded Steemians out there, maybe we can make a difference. Do what you can to help your brother and look to yourself for self-improvement, in the end that's all we can do. A very happy 2018 to all you out there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLiGcsdxR8k