Hindsight is 2020
December 31st, 2019. The last day anyone could make the joke, “I don’t know what I’ll do next year. I don’t have 2020 vision!” We had just gotten through a shaky year, and we looked forward to starting fresh.
I think we can all agree that, even with 2020 vision, nobody saw this year coming.
Heading into January, we already heard about Covid-19 making its rounds across the continents. By March, we were issued stay-at-home orders and essentially laid off en masse. Medical staff and first responders were given major overtime and academy teachers had to switch from in-person to distance learning with little to no warning. Masks grew in demand and people started hoarding toilet paper for…some reason…
I do appreciate how, in the first month or so of quarantine, actor John Krasinski started a web series called Some Good News. Every week, he’d compile and share heartwarming stories of people doing good and taking care of each other during the rough season. From Zoom weddings to food provisions to husbands serenading their wives through the window because quarantine kept them apart, these stories kept our faith in humanity strong.
That is why I noticed the grim irony when, hardly a week after Some Good News had its final sign-off, George Floyd’s death went viral.
The summer months were defined by fear and social unrest. I don’t know if it’s the most we’ve had since Martin Luther King Jr’s time, but it’s certainly the most I’ve witnessed to date. Police brutality and racism, which most people tried to turn a blind eye to, were shoved in their faces, and they could not look away.
Despite officials claiming that changes would be made, multiple cases, like Breonna Taylor’s, followed in quick succession. They fueled protests and cries for justice. Even people in other countries rallied behind the cause.
However, things quickly grew out of hand. Despite the organized, peaceful protests, anarchists and looters snuck in and sowed chaos amongst the ranks. Some police officers, who were supposed to keep the peace, used too much force and critically injured civilians.
There were no clear sides to take. Both groups had unsavory individuals, but neither lacked in upstanding people. Officers broke rank and stood with protesters, and peaceful protesters tackled riot instigators and dragged them to the cops before any damage could be done.
Next, the West Coast caught on fire (I’m sure there were natural disasters in the Midwest and East Coast, but I’m less informed on those). Now, we had fires in NorCal that made the Bay Area extra smokey before. However, this year’s fires were different. They were so intense and so widespread, the sky turned crimson everywhere, even the areas that weren’t on fire.
I remember one day was so bad, the sky got dark and red. You could stare at the sun without hurting your eyes. We played a movie for our daycare students at noon, and, when we turned off the lights, it felt like it was 7pm through the window. It looked exactly how I pictured the sky over Somnusburg in Fable’s Folklore (shameless plug, sure, but it’s almost Christmas; I have to advertise somehow).
As a side note, one of the fires started because a couple decided to use fireworks for their baby’s gender reveal. The odd part about the incident was that, instead of criticizing an over-the-top choice that ended badly, some people used this as a reason to “end gender norms.” It amuses me how people grab for the weakest of straws to push their agenda. This was not an issue of gender. It was an issue of poor pyrotechnics planning and lack of common sense. I get wanting to make something special, but using explosives just to announce whether you’re having a boy or a girl? I’ve seen enough OSHA safety training videos to know that’s a recipe for disaster.
And if we hadn’t been feeling divisive enough, fall rolled in with a controversial and convoluted election. From general dissatisfaction with Trump’s term to concern over Biden’s health and plans, people got into more arguments than a game of Settlers of Catan. I tried watching the debates to see how the candidates would conduct themselves. As a teacher, I’ve seen disagreements handled better by grade schoolers. Even after the results were announced, tensions are still high due to the current transition state we’re in.
Nobody saw this year coming. Nobody was ready for what this year had in store for us.
Despite all that we’ve struggled through this year, I am actually quite calm.
We’ve heard the slogan “Choose Joy” thrown around, and for good reason. Feelings are unstable, but if your mind is in the right place, your feelings will follow suit in time. By tempering my mind toward patience, perseverance, and a general come-what-may attitude, I’ve been able to keep my eye on the positive parts of this year and not let the chaotic parts shake me.
I wasn’t ready for this year, but that doesn’t mean it was all bad.
I got to work on a feature film before the shutdown. That film, Heaven, premiered in select theaters this last October.
Despite being sent home without pay over the summer, my school job kept me updated and brought me back as soon as in-person learning was available again.
I started DMing my first Pathfinder campaign, and, as you’ve read in the session summaries, my players have really enjoyed what I’ve had to offer.
I get to see my students in person again, and I get to make them groan at all my puns.
I PUBLISHED MY FIRST BOOK THIS YEAR.
I’m thankful for this handful of victories. There were hardships, sure, but my victories still shine through.
I hope that you’ll be able to look back and still find some positives from this year and draw hope for the year to come. I know I’ll be writing quite a bit. With the mild yet successful start to my author career, I’m motivated to keep this going into next year. And yes, I’ll keep you all posted every step of the way.
We may not have been ready, but we’ve made it through. We’ve gone “in one year and out the other.”
Best regards,