During the 80s, I listened to Prince’s 1999 album. It was an anthem to many of us. When I first heard the song, 1999 seemed so far away. The year was 1982 and through my teenage eyes, it was hard to imagine it would ever come. It did however show up as advertised. Then comes the turn of the century, the year 2000. A brand-new millennium. It arrived with a bang amid fears of Y2K, which thankfully did not. The next year to pay attention to was 2012. Billed as the end of the world as we know it. It was so specific. The date was December 21, 2012. The end of the Mayan calendar. Thank goodness for December 22, 2012, all good, more life to live. Check.
For some reason, I had high hopes for 2020. Even Justin Timberlake Prince’d it by releasing an album entitled, “The 20/20 Experience. The year 2020 has a certain ring and charm to it. You could have clever wordplay. There was hope for additional enlightenment, hindsight and all that. 2020 was even an election year. How could it not be one of the best years on record? What could possibly go wrong?
Well, I’ll let you fill in the blank. To turn a phrase from the Masters Golf Tournament, it’s been a year like no other. One example is the actual Masters Tournament is being played in November. Due to COVID-19 the date was moved from its usual April date. Along came a pandemic, a downturn in the economy, and all the things that go with it.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard people badmouth 2020. They’re saying they can’t wait for “this year” to end.
When the calendar reaches January 1, 2021 everything isn’t magically going to be back to normal. We have to continue to do the work. We have to work together and focus on the many tasks at hand. Our country has sacrificed so much since March. No matter who you are, we all have endured and adjusted. That’s what we do and will always do. As we look ahead, we must pause and think of those we have lost. Our hearts go out to those who have endured pain and suffering. Just last week I attended a funeral for a former classmate. He left far too soon. It was his life and the way he lived it that brought many of his classmates together. It was a sad occasion but the silver lining was seeing so many dear friends. My letter is always filled with hope. Hope is a by-product of oxygen. As long as we have life, we are designed to produce and act upon hope.
What will you take away from 2020? Acknowledge the pain, the loss, the discomfort, but think of what you learned and the good things you experienced. Think of the people with whom you shared your time. You can define what 2020 meant to you. Make it a good thing.
Now to the issue. It’s the Holiday Issue. Michelle Keller tells us about the hot new gifts, we head over to Bluejack National where the course gets better every day, and Katie Soltas takes us to wine country. Cheers. Did I mention the new convertible Jaguar? Check it out.
There’s an adventure on every page.
I’m looking forward to the holidays. It’s going to creatively be filled with great memories that will create more wonderful stories for years to come.
Stay safe so we can see each other in 2021.