31 Dec 2020

So – here it is. December 31st in a year that most of us will be quite happy to see the back of.

As difficult as this year as been for a lot of people, I wonder why we have any expectation that next year will be so very different?

Obviously the problem with 2020 was that much of the problems we had to contend with were totally unexpected – pandemics and so forth. It was, as we were incessantly told, unprecedented.

In that respect, 2021 may not be such a surprise. There’s a precedent, if you will.

But other things that have happened – unexpected deaths, job losses, sicknesses and so forth – those things have not been restricted to 2020 alone. It just seems like everything that could go wrong this year, has.

Not everyone has had a terrible 2020 – some people have got married, some have had babies, some got new jobs, some bought houses. Like every year, some people have a bad year, and other people not so much. The difference this year is that we have all been affected in some way by a common concern.

I’ve got two quotes I’d been saving for a bit of diarrhoea just like this one. The first one is: “Don’t look back – The past isn’t here any more”. No matter how tough the year has been, we all need to look forward with enthusiasm and purpose for whatever the next year may bring. Let’s not dwell on the happenings of 2020, lest we all turn into the cast of “The Four Yorkshiremen” comedy routine where we compete to see who had a tougher year.

My second quote was found in an article about phrases and acronyms that came from armies and wars – I do read some fascinating things, I agree. The acronym I made a note of because I just really really like it is from the Vietnam War, and is BOHICA – Bend Over Here It Comes Again 🙂

Let’s hope that 2021 is not completely BOHICA, although we should possibly not discount it.

One of the big things we have experienced throughout 2020 that we absolutely must take forward into the new year, is Hope. Hope for health and stability for ourselves personally, hope for our family, hope for our state and for our country, and hope for the world.

I hope your New Year celebrations are physically distanced and involve hand sanitiser.

Maybe a glass or two of red as well.