New Year’s Eve 2020

Hello everyone.  It’s time for my annual New Year’s Eve rant.  Gather ‘round, pour a hot cup ‘o Joe, and listen in as I stand on my soapbox!

So it’s been a great year.  The economy has boomed, we had a calm and steady election process, people are getting along fairly well, health and well-being reign, and intelligent discussion has become the norm rather than the exception.

You are probably saying, “Is he joking?  I hope so!”  I digress.

Cue ominous music.

The first weekend in January I had “one of those weekends” with a trifecta of frustrating events.  On a grand scale everything was fine, but I wondered if it was a bad omen.  The rest is history.  I won’t get into the details of 2020 because we all know them.  Many have lost much, all have lost something, and I can’t blame anyone for being disillusioned.  Perhaps larger forces are telling us to stop being so lousy to the world around us . . . and to each other (humanity didn’t get either message).

Although eager to vent about the year’s problems, I shan’t dwell on them.  It’s not to belittle or ignore what’s gone wrong, but rather an attempt to see light during a dark time as we hope for better days ahead.  With this in mind . . .

Cue optimistic music.

We can see rays of sunshine for 2021 and frankly being better than 2020 won’t take much.  Now with the year over, I will do my best to remember its silver linings:

  1. Catches with my son
  2. Time with family
  3. Expanded technical knowledge
  4. Al fresco dining
  5. Exploring new (and old) music
  6. Quarantine music videos
  7. Classic movie readings
  8. Rediscovering board games
  9. Reconnecting with old friends
  10. Reintroducing paper football
  11. Movie nights
  12. Camping
  13. Corporations apparently care about my safety
  14. Clean air
  15. Trying new things out of necessity
  16. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” back on the charts
  17. Virtual parties
  18. Less traffic
  19. Fashion trends in mask design
  20. Getting money’s worth from Netflix
  21. Less need to buy pants or shoes
  22. Time to reorganize, reinvent, relearn
  23. More people voting
  24. Reduced expenditures for automotive needs
  25. No $20 movie tickets
  26. What cold and flu season?
  27. Masks keep your face warm
  28. Face shields create a cool Darth Vader voice
  29. Fully discovering local parks
  30. Seven-step commute to work
  31. Exposing the downsides of remote learning
  32. Doctors can, in fact, see you at your scheduled time if they want you out of the office quickly
  33. Running
  34. Getting back to nature
  35. Living in a historical moment to be studied for centuries
  36. Exposing the real sides of humanity:  the good, bad, and sometimes very ugly
  37. The coming post-COVID renaissance in culture, business, and technology
  38. Realizing what’s important and appreciating what we’ve missed

Additionally, here’s a wish list for 2021:

  1. Attending sporting events
  2. Karaoke
  3. A classroom full of 30 boisterous students
  4. Rational government
  5. Movies at theaters
  6. Olympics
  7. Hugs
  8. Rutgers bowl game
  9. Plentiful jobs
  10. Handshakes
  11. Rational people
  12. Forgotten issues re-enter national discourse
  13. Shopping without worry
  14. Stores without lines
  15. Time with family and friends
  16. Group photos
  17. Crowded theme parks
  18. Rational social media
  19. Consistency
  20. Optimism
  21. Travel
  22. Good health
  23. Happier happy hours
  24. The little shop you love survived the shutdown
  25. Celebrating together

Lastly I will leave off with a bit of wisdom.  I may be paraphrasing something I’ve heard before so I can’t take full credit:

  • If we look for the worst in people, that’s all we’ll ever see.

Let’s hope for a better 2021.  Happy New Year everyone!