Editor's note: There is a lot to say about 2020, but I can't really write what I want to and stay within the guidelines of journalistic ethics, so this watered down version will have to do. Suffice to say, “sayonara, 2020.”
Even when he was alive, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve has never been must-see TV for me. In fact, it has been a long time since I've made it a point to celebrate New Year's. Turning another year older has never been all that appealing, so, in sort of a silent protest, I've been asleep by midnight more often than not during the past two decades.
Historically, I have approached New Year's resolutions with the same lack of enthusiasm.
Exercise more, lose weight, find a new hobby, learn to play a musical instrument all have had their moments on the New Year's resolution list with mostly disappointing results. Other than fishing, I have never had much interest in any other hobbies, and I continue to struggle with weight as I sit and stare at the dusty piano in my living room. But this is 2020, and if this year has taught us anything, it is that everything is different now.
A lot more people than usual probably will stay up - albeit at home and alone - to ring in the New Year. I don't really care about Jennifer Lopez or Miley Cyrus, or anyone else scheduled to perform on Rockin' Eve. I am more interested in staying awake so I can tell 2020 to kiss it - even if there is little evidence to suggest 2021 will be much better.
For nine months we have been told to stay home for the safety of ourselves as well as one another. We have been assured by elected officials that “we are in this together” despite an unemployment rate that skyrocketed to 14.7 percent in April.
We have far less control over the details of our daily lives than we knew, elected officials (in both parties) are, more often than not, incompetent as leaders and the collective state of our mental health is extremely fragile as is our society's ability to confront it and meet the needs of those most at risk.
The virus has exposed every crack in every institution and every business in every country. Literally, nothing, other than big-box stores and delivery services, has been immune to the effects of the virus. Small businesses and large, schools, places of worship, sporting events, family gatherings, restaurants all are feeling the effects of the virus. As vaccines slowly trickle out, questions remain about their efficacy and side effects, and it is unclear if and when all aspects of the economy will fully reopen in every state.
A few things, however, are crystal clear: We have far less control over the details of our daily lives than we knew, elected officials (in both parties) are, more often than not, incompetent as leaders and the collective state of our mental health is extremely fragile as is our society's ability to confront it and meet the needs of those most at risk.
If ever there was a time for a New Year's resolution, this is it. As a matter of fact, there are easy-to-implement lifestyle changes that many of us have been practicing since spring.
If anything good has come from the pandemic, it is that we have enjoyed more time with family and we have had a chance to take a long, hard look in the mirror to think about how we treat others. Perhaps it is because many feel so fragile and on edge with the unknowns that accompany a global pandemic, but most of the people in my circle have become much more kind and thoughtful in how they treat others - and it is appreciated. This does not include the anonymous and passive-aggressive world of social media, but the folks we talk to on the phone, communicate with via email, meet on Zoom or, on the rare occasion, see in person.
Being kind, being happy and being hopeful are far easier and more effective than the alternatives, and they are lifestyle changes that I hope outlast the pandemic. Goodness knows we all need it.
Sure, promises to eat better and exercise more will return again - tomorrow. Not to mention, I still have that piano in the living room. I just hope I don't break the stool before learning to play it.
