The Positives of 2020 and Hope for the New Year

I think most readers will join me in asking 2020 not to let the door hit us on the ass on the way out.

This past year has been exhausting.

Personally, this year has brought me some serious focus and introspection on what really matters in my life. The important relationships in my life are stronger than ever. The “friends” I only ever saw at the bar or at parties are no longer around. Honestly, I feel better for it. My life feels more authentic and meaningful. There are far fewer social expectations and it really puts into perspective what friends would be there if I ever needed them.

Learning those truths is gift enough, but there are even more silver linings according to my count.

I shared with my best friend the fact that I was behaving differently since Covid-19 began. I was dressing however I wanted, speaking more openly, and overall felt more comfortable all the time. The reason being it was the first time since I was 16 years old that I did not receive unsolicited propositions or comments from strangers while I was out. If you are never in a bar or otherwise out, then there is no one to hit on you. And damn is that a glorious feeling.

There’s also been less traffic and crowding when you do need to venture out. Not even counting the environmental impact of something like that it has just made travel and errands an absolute delight in comparison to the near constant traffic there usually is.

Another positive of 2020 is many companies that may have never considered it before adopted work-from-home policies. It seems like this may stick a lot of places which is great for working people everywhere. The same goes for education. Classes are now available online a lot of places. There are a few possible benefits of education moving online. Institutions of learning will be able to save on infrastructure costs which could potentially save the schools and students money. Also, parents will have a better idea of what their children are learning. With education all the way up to university level becoming available online it stands to reason that there will be an increase in accessibility of education.

Another benefit of the crazy COVID-19-ridden year is people are spending more time with their family and more time exploring hobbies they may otherwise have neglected. For every person I know who has been eating and drinking their way through the pandemic, I can name three who have studied a new subject or learned a new skill. These lockdowns may have led to boredom, but many of us have used the time in positive ways.

I stumbled upon this quote while I was looking for something to express how hopeful and excited I am about saying farewell to 2020 and to greeting the new year: “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

So… 2020, you may have taught us a lot but here is hoping that 2021 will be filled with just as many lessons and far fewer challenges.

–Heather Kays, Content Creator