2020 Year End

As we come to the end of 2020 it’s time to reflect on the year that was…. I’ll let you finish that sentence. For sure no one saw the debacle of a year that we are now gladly kissing goodbye with hope for a better year ahead.

As I look back on 2020, I feel very lucky. Yes, it’s been a shit show of a year, and so much has been postponed for the foreseeable future and beyond (like my plan to drive route 66 in its entirety), but there is a lot to be thankful for. I retired at the age of 55 from a fantastic company in early February. We got our annual “get the hell out of NJ in February” trip to the Keys in right before all hell broke loose and got to see friends from Buffalo whom we meet down there each year. I just passed 1400 miles (this year) on my bike as riding has been one of my favorite activities to keep my body moving since hockey season was cancelled, and many of those miles were with a good friend riding one of the most beautiful trails in NJ – Columbia Trail.

Since travel has been pretty much verboten, we put our trip money into re-doing our basement after 20 years, giving me a new office area and workout room, and creating a nice sitting area to provide an escape place in our small home. We’ve also done our share to support our local brewery, a happy place for us where we always meet someone to socially-distance talk to – a welcome social experience amidst the craziness.

Those are just a few of the positives in my life. Of course there are also family and friends, whom we don’t see as often as we used to, but thanks to Zoom we can “see” each other to interact at least. Still holding the monthly Zoom calls with my RU roommates! And weather-permitting, there are the socially-distanced driveway and back yard visits with a couple of people at a time. Again, not optimal, but you gotta make the best of things if you want make it through.

Many of you who know me, are probably thinking “What the hell? Since when did he become mister positive?” I’m as surprised as you are and I know retirement helped by taking a lot of pressure off. But it is really a conscious decision to not get sucked into all the negativity surrounding us. And that is the key to surviving in this new era. We each have to decide to focus on the positives – and to quote a Christmas card I just saw “Be the joy you want to see in the world”.

I’ll leave you and 2020 with that thought and a wish for a happy and healthy new year for all of us and our planet.