The Guide Istanbul - November/December 2019

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Even if we don’t necessarily like end-of-the-year questions and surveys, in November and December they always find a way to get to us. Suddenly, in the middle of scrolling down our social media feeds, we begin to reflect on how we did in 2019. We analyze our relationships, careers, family, health, and maybe some questionable fashion choices, placing the largest community we interact with—the city of Istanbul—somewhere towards the end of the list, if on it at all. If we had to mention something we did with the city’s interest in mind this year, rescheduling summer holidays to vote in the mayoral election would probably top the chart. Some of us might have exchanged plastic bottles for transport credit, others might have managed without plastic bags altogether. We might have switched to public transport over private cars, and if the year went well, we might have even gotten ourselves an electric or hybrid vehicle. It’s possible we moved closer to the office, or chosen not to participate in traffic and started working remotely. On hot summer days, we put the water outside for stray cats and dogs. We might have supported historic manufacturers and local vendors, or segregated our trash and made sure others did too. As the list continues, it all seems a lot, yet looking around we can’t seem to understand the real difference these actions make. In an overwhelming surrounding like Istanbul, it’s easy to bring yourself down by thinking that a single individual makes little impact. But when 15 million people follow the same lead, real change happens quickly. Just like any other trend spreading around the city, we also can make a good example go viral. All you need to do in 2020 is to become even more mindful of your actions, and you will eventually see a great difference.