What a year!! I’m not even sure how to wrap things up. I’ve decided that I’ve spent enough brain cells this year talking about politics and the state of the pandemic-ravaged world so I’m not going to go down that road. I think Heather Cox Richardson’s most recent post pretty well sums up the year so I will leave the politics and commentary to her. The link to her blog is included below. I decided to take a look back at the year through a more positive lens.
In spite of all of the challenges that I and everyone else faced this year, looking back, I have a lot to be thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful that my daughter, her mom, and my sister and her family made it through the year successfully dodging [so far, knock on wood!] the virus that has wreaked havoc on the world. We are much more fortunate than those families who lost loved ones to this deadly virus. I know that we are not out of the woods yet, but with the development of the vaccines, there is at least hope for 2021.
I am thankful for all of the healthcare workers who tirelessly, and sometimes thanklessly, manned the front lines of this war to save the lives of others. And, I’m thankful for all of the other essential workers who manned the grocery stores, delivered mail and packages, worked in warehouses, and kept the country running even in the face of daunting challenges and risks.
I am thankful for all of the staff, teachers and students who rose to the challenge of switching to remote learning when we had one week to make that change during spring break at MSU last March when I was teaching there. Kudos to educators and students across the nation.
I am thankful during that same time period when NYU switched to remote learning and the virus was hitting New York very hard, that my daughter and her mom were able to come to my place in Montana for a few months to find refuge.
Once my teaching gig at MSU ended and my frustration level with the state of what was going on in the country reached a certain level I resurrected my blog and began writing a bit. The silver lining of all that is that I rediscovered that I enjoy writing and intend to continue to do so – as long as it’s fun! No novels on the horizon but, then again, I’ve had much crazier ideas!
During the summer, since I didn’t have anywhere to go, I was able to log hundreds of miles on my bicycle riding around the beautiful country-side outside of Bozeman. I am thankful for the orthopedic surgeon who fixed my knee a year ago to allow me to be able to do that. And I’m thankful that I’m healthy enough to be able to plan another bicycle excursion in 2021 [details to follow as they get solidified]
When Jordan and Francine headed back to New York in mid-July and since I didn’t have any big adventures planned, I threw myself into some serious work on the house. I remodeled two bathrooms and my kitchen. Had it not been for the pandemic, I probably wouldn’t have had so much ‘home time’ to work, so I’m thankful I got all of that done.
I’m thankful I got in to see the ophthalmologist quickly when the vision in my right eye went to hell and he was able to schedule the surgery two days later to repair a vitreous hemorrhage and partially detached retina. He told me if he didn’t do it right away, I’d go blind in that eye. I’m thankful I still have my vision.
Jordan and Francine returned to Montana towards the end of her fall semester at NYU. We had a very nice Thanksgiving dinner, made chocolates and other goodies, whipped up a delicious Beef Wellington for Christmas dinner, have had a lot of good conversation, and many drives around Bozeman at ‘deer o’clock to look at the wildlife during the time they have been here. I am certainly thankful for all of that. It has been great to have all of this quality time with my daughter before she heads back to NY for her final semester at NYU in a few days.
I am thankful that I have a very tolerant and patient piano teacher who is willing to put up with an old geezer like me who has 10 fingers that don’t know how to behave themselves when faced with 88 piano keys. And I am thankful there are no neighbors near by to hear all of the dissonant notes!
And I am certainly thankful that I am able to live in such a beautiful place where I can wake up every day, look at the mountains and hope that some of the local deer population decides to stroll through the backyard.
Yes, it was a challenging year. However, when viewed in context, any challenges or irritations I faced during this year pale in comparison to those faced by millions of other Americans who lost family members and/or jobs and continue to struggle. I sincerely hope that the lives of all Americans will improve in 2021 and it will be the beginning of better times ahead. For me, I feel truly fortunate and humble for the life I have and thankful as we look forward to 2021.
I think that’s a wrap for 2020. I’m going to take a break for a couple of days.
Wishing everyone a Very Happy and Healthy New Year!
Letters from an American (Heather Cox Richardson’s blog)
Thanks for that post Mike, you’re absolutely right – we do have plenty to be thankful for despite the ravages of the pandemic and the anti-democratic (lying sacks of shit) forces around us. I see a lot more homeless people around LA and OC, no doubt suffering with the unbalanced and stuttering economy and unable to keep a roof over their heads without some form of assistance. So we can even be thankful for something so basic as a roof over our heads.