Well folks,
After what seemed like an eternity of staying indoors, self-quarantining, and Zoom meetings, the year 2020 is – FINALLY! – coming to an end.
I can’t even begin to tell you all how excited I am to see this crappy year leave and watch the door smack it on its tuchus on the way out.
Of course, I know the hardships and strife won’t magically end once the clock strikes midnight. Not even the fairy godmother from Cinderella can do that.
What’ll most likely happen (worst-case scenario) is we’ll still see Covid cases rise again because people are failing to adhere to CDC guidelines, people protesting having to wear a mask at all times, and people arguing whether or not the new vaccines will even work. In fact, I just recently read a news blurb about a hospital worker who purposefully left out over 50 doses of the virus vaccine, thus rendering them utterly useless. Why this person did it, I’ll never understand.
But then again, I feel a sense of hope growing deep down in my gut. 2021 isn’t going to be an exact repeat of 2020. There’s going to be some changes coming. Good changes.
And I know for a fact that my gut is rarely wrong.
So here’s what I also believe will happen: People will be more mindful of their actions, as well as the actions of others. More and more jobs capable of working from home will pop up, as well as jobs in the office. We’ll all gain skills we didn’t have before, which in turn will make us better human beings. We’ll be more kind and considerate to one another. And, We’re going to become more creative in our problem-solving and thought processes.
That being said, I will say the year 2020 has taught me some hard lessons. Looking back, I believe I needed to learn them, especially if I wanted to grow better in this world.
I learned that plans don’t always work out the way I wanted them to. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t adapt and improvise. I learned that yes, my emotions (even the negative ones) are very much valid, but if I keep wading and floating in them, nothing will ever get done. On top of those, I learned I am only as strong as I believe myself to be. The only thing holding me where I am today is me. No one else has that power over me. Not future companies I will work for, not my parents, not even past co-workers who didn’t want me around.
If I want to achieve the dreams I’ve had in my head of how my life should be, then I need to get up, reach out, and make my mark on this world. It won’t be easy, of that I am most certain. And most likely, it won’t be something that will happen over night. But I will be damned if I won’t give it as many tries as possible!
So here’s to you all! I raise my glass and give this toast: I thank 2020 for teaching us the hard lessons we needed to learn, and I wish 2021 to bring all the hope and new beginnings she has in store for us.
L.J. LaBree 