This year has taught me many lessons. I'll admit that I was one of those people in clear denial when the pandemic hit. Closing restaurants? Wearing masks everywhere? Eh, give it a couple of weeks, everything will be fine. Well it wasn't and it still isn't. There are a few countries that have a grasp on Covid and are starting to adjust to the new normal. But here in the US, we're not doing so great, and that's just another reason why we have to stick together. (Social distanced of course...wink) Reach out to someone you love or care for. Smile under your mask and share a compliment, we could all use a friendly gesture these days.
I could sit back and look at this year and say, screw you buddy. You threw a wrench in my master plan, you dirty scoundrel. But instead, I have to look at the opportunities that have presented themselves instead. I finished writing a book. I published that book, sold a few copies and started working on another. I started a little business selling friendship bracelets and hydro dipped art. I made some friends, lost some friends. I worked hard and hardly worked at all. I traveled to California which both lit my heart with a longing and also deflated it with sadness by a firsthand encounter with what this pandemic has done to my city.
So my plans have been rearranged. Big Deal. That's no surprise when it comes to my life. When you think about it, there isn't much you can control. You can try your best to keep things in check, but what happens when you lose your job? You get a new one. It might not be ideal, but you do it because you have to. You might lose your housing. So what? You live out of your car, you stay with a friend, you hold up in a shelter. YOU DO IT because you have to. And you know what, you survive and from the experience, you learn. And if you are asking, yes, I have experienced some of these things. I have lost my job and I have lived out of a car. All humbling, personal experiences, but lessons nonetheless.
2020, you haven't been easy. But I'm still here. All I can do as the New Year approaches is continue to feed the hope which bores home deep in my soul. A hope that the vaccine works. A hope that my jobs return. A hope that I can continue to keep a roof over my head and a hope that I can continue to write. I might not be able to contribute much to society, but if I reach one person with words that inspire, then when my time comes, I'll be content.
So thank you for reading this post. I don't know who you are, but you are here and that says more than you can understand. I wish you the best recovery from 2020 in the New Year. May the heat stay on without worry, may your roof be thatched, your health in excellent condition and the shoes on your feet comfortable. Of course I wish you success, love, laughter and happiness. But let's be real because 2020 has made us get to this point, let's focus on the right here and the right now. Once we have those cards in order, we can get to the gooey goodness in the middle of this sh** biscuit named Covid19.
Yours,
Blondesheep