Is this ever going to end? Yes, I dare say my dear readers that it will. I’m just not quite sure when. It won’t however be anytime soon. But then again, you knew this, didn’t you? For most of us there is a weary resignation in acknowledgement of the tough slogging still to come and a grim determination to see it through. 2020 has been a slow motion train wreck and the carnage continues unabated – COVID-19, police shootings, demonstrations, neo Nazism, Antifa, Proud Boys, BLM, wokeism and cancel culture, Super Covid, Circuit breaker Lockdowns – holy shit eh? You can be excused for just wanting to check out, pack it in and hope that somehow, some way, it gets better.
Looking back on the year 2020 it is hard to find the beauty; collectively, on a global scale, our actions in many instances have not reflected favourably on us as human beings. Fate never really helped us either, did it? Even when we acted with the most noble of intentions, something always seemed to gut punch us right at the critical moment when we were about to get ahead. Maybe it just feels as though everything is against us but when the shit just keeps piling on and on, at some point perception indeed becomes reality. I have been on this Earth for quite some time and can unequivocally state that never have I seen or experienced anything like the last 12 months. Can you feel the darkness settling in around you?
No fucking way man! I cannot, will not deny that in many ways this past year has sucked! You have to be a complete moron to think otherwise. But has there not been something in your life that has gone good? Come on, be serious now. Of course there has.
Into each life some rain must fall. But too much is falling in mine. Into each heart some tears must fall. But some day the sun will shine. – Ella Fitzgerald
For me, 2020 is the year I started to blog. A little voice inside continually pestered me, telling me to write something. After great consideration, I took the leap, set up a blog and got down to writing. I feel better when I write, and if even one person gets some benefit from my words, then I consider this whole endeavor a success. I am no closer now to finding out where I am going with this blog enterprise than when I started and I am okay with that. Sunshine for me on that one! Then there is golf – I got in almost 50 rounds this year after not golfing much in the previous few years. I golfed with some great people and had wonderful times. Max got into golf more and so the two of us had great fun going to different courses and exploring other places throughout the area. Hey, that’s more sunshine coming my way! No more smoking and chewing snuff – I have gained 17 lbs so far but I don’t even care – it’s all good kids! That’s right, more sunshine! And hey, the Dodgers finally won the World Series, first time since 1988. Now I might have popped off about getting ink done if they won but can’t really do that, can I? Covid right? No ink for me yet, and yet again more sunshine!!! That’s a lot of sun people!
It is New Year’s Eve, big plans tonight? Heading out to “light up the night”, ring in the new year in style? Oh wait, you can’t, can you? No intermixing of households, no dinner parties, no dancing, no fireworks, no fuck all!!! Welcome to LOCKDOWN! Never ends, does it? But hey, no worries. The World Juniors are on, we have hockey, life is good! Who’s kidding who, I wouldn’t be going out anyway. I can’t even remember the last time Max and I made it to midnight on December 31st. We have fish cakes and fries, good coffee, warm blankets, hockey and Netflix. If the wind ever calms down (yes I talk about the wind a lot because it really pisses me off) we may even hot tub it. Yeah, I am not exactly suffering out here. Did 2020 suck? It certainly had it’s moments but there were some positives as well. Will 2021 be hard? Undoubtably it will. There is no easy way out. But keep in mind, it won’t rain forever. Be ready for when the sun comes out because I have a feeling that 2021 is going to get hot.
God Bless and Happy New Year!!!