Did anyone think we’d actually be here? Did anyone think, when Donald J. Trump made his way down the golden escalator at Trump Tower in June of 2015, that we’d now be a full year into his presidency? Probably not. And many are still in shock.

But has President Trump’s first year been good for us? Have we improved as a people – and have our lives changed for the better?

The first year has been dodgy, as one can imagine. President Trump, with two parties of opposition around him for most of 2017, seemed to be less effective than his campaign mantra “we’re gonna have so much winning” touted.

Even on the political Right, it wouldn’t be hard to make a list of his shortcomings, which are abundant. But taking a break from the laundry list of demerits from mainstream publications like L.A. Times, I wanted to ask myself, if I were to construct my own “perfect” Trump, what would I get rid of?

It’s a new era of presidency, and what would it be without Twitter? Under President Trump, probably more succinct, more focused, and clearer. I’m unsure about the professionalism of the POTUS using a medium like Twitter. Trump’s Twitter use seems… inappropriate for a president, I’ll admit (Really, I don’t care for people in positions of power using such a casual platform in general). His tweets seem like personal diary entries, notes on scraps of paper, random thoughts, never meant to see the light of day, now broadcast directly to the public.

The Twitter battles President Trump has instigated and participated in seem childish and unnecessarily aggressive. From Schwarzenegger, to Curry, to Congresswoman Wilson, his attacks are personal, childish, and unprofessional. These things are all distractions from the greater issues at hand.

What else? Tensions with North Korea would certainly be relaxed under a different president. President Trump’s public messages to Dictator Kim “Rocket Man” Jong Un are only prods with a stick to an insane, unstable junkyard dog (thank you for the analogy, Dr. Michael Savage). While North Korea is not yet a threat to us, playing schoolyard penis-measure with a dangerous regime’s leader is irresponsible.

Finally, on a more social issue on the home-front, I think race relations under President Trump have grown no better than under Obama. While Obama laid the foundations for national racial unrest, those who are hateful see Trump’s rhetoric as an opportunity to ram Dodge Challengers into crowds and more openly attack minorities.

You’d think with all his self-made handicaps and a media rooting for his failure, President Trump would be a wildly ineffectual, impotent leader. Those on the Left would wholeheartedly agree. I think reality might paint a different picture. My own personal (and I think reasonable) priorities would say so, as well.

As I try to stray from the typical cheers made of the Republicans (like deregulations, the SCOTUS appointment, and the tax bill) by talk-radio pundits and Right-wing outlets (sorry, National Review), I want to present the issues I thought may have been underrepresented in the media.

Was anyone else’s confidence boosted when the election results came in? No, just me? I believe morale has gone up, I really do. It’s possible that it’s just the political bubble effect, in that I haven’t seen others around me crying in the streets (except a few ridiculous children on YouTube) or women being disrespected on a level equal to that of an Eminem album – but from my perspective, things are brighter.

The people who are being revivified (besides the supremacists) are the “middle-Americans.” Just as Obama gave a voice to Black activists during his tenure, President Trump has given a platform back to those in the heartland that have felt unrepresented since Bush, maybe even since Reagan.

We in middle America have been disillusioned by our leaders, government and media for a long time. Those “gun-toting, redneck, racist, bigot, homophobes” (who comprise about 46% of Americans, let’s not forget) have constantly been either ignored or derided for being uneducated, insignificant, old-fashioned, or blue-collar.

Late night hosts regularly hold us in contempt for our beliefs while Democratic candidates call us “deplorable” for wanting some personal accountability and fiscal responsibility.

Among the voices now being heard are the cries against the politically correct movement. It might have been Trump’s anti-P.C. message that pushed him to victory in 2016. His plain-talk and crude, simple language is relatable and genuine. This has helped create a tone of “real talk” in this nation again, in stark contrast to Obama’s divisive (and unfortunately effective) rhetoric.

Trump’s victory has unshackled free speech and re-tethered us to our First-Amendment roots. It’s possible that now, after this wave of candidness, we can begin to have open dialogue and heal the racial strife.

Another issue, close to home for me in Texas, is border security. While President Trump’s “build a wall” promise and “Muslim ban” seem like racist policies to some, I think that a more strenuous and comprehensive vetting process is necessary before others enter our country. I feel safer knowing that our President holds our national security as a top priority. The simple fact is, since November of 2016 (election day), illegal border crossings have plummeted. Let’s be clear, I’m not attributing that directly to Trump, but just like climbing markets and economic growth in 2017, this has clearly been a positive side-effect of his agenda and rhetoric.

Finally, I’m really happy to say that loving America and its principles and values is back. Being a patriot is finally “in vogue” again. A wave of patriotism swept across the nation as Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. Over are the days of Obama’s worldwide apology-tours for America’s exceptionalism. No longer do we have a First Lady who isn’t proud of her country. We need not be ashamed of how great we are as Americans. We can once again be proud of our traditional values, our wealth, our prosperity, and our strength.

So, as we wrap up 2017 and welcome 2018 with open arms, what can President Trump do to continue and improve? He can deliver on the familiar old "racist, bigoted" campaign promises that got him elected. If these things are accomplished, I can guarantee that America (still) won't be "on fire" by the end of 2018.