2020 certainly asked a lot of us.聽 Wow, there鈥檚 the understatement of the New Year, right?
Maybe that鈥檚 not quite the right wording.聽 2020 more or less snatched a lot from us without asking sort of permission.聽 It鈥檚 safe to say it wouldn鈥檛 have received any permission from any of us if we knew what the road looked like ahead of time.
I鈥檓 not going to go on a whole thing about the COVID-19 pandemic because it鈥檚 been talked about to death and you鈥檝e heard every kind of perspective from every kind of talking head.聽 All I know is I鈥檝e washed and sanitized my hands so much that I鈥檓 starting to see crib notes on exams I took back in Grade 11.
We know what COVID did, we know the impact it had, and we know that our Canadian economy will be picking up the pieces for quite a long time.
But with the old year behind us, I鈥檓 of the belief that there鈥檚 a lot to look forward to in 2021 if we want to take a peek into the crystal ball.
I see vaccinations being carried out in a swift and efficient manner, hopefully by March or April at the latest, ensuring that those attractive late-spring and summer months are much more restriction-free than they were last year.
I see a whole new appreciation for smaller, local businesses and mom-and-pop shops in the communities where people call home.聽 These brick-and-mortar stores went above and beyond the call of duty when things were at their worst and I hope that the public doubles down on darkening their doorsteps moving forward.聽 Walmart, Costco, Amazon, and the rest of the faceless, big box giants will always be there, but getting 鈥渧ocal about local鈥� will never be as important as it is now and in the coming years.
I see that amazing Winter Wonderland event in the Outlook Regional Park from last month getting some kind of public kudos.聽 I mean, people, that was some GOOD STUFF that we sorely needed at the time and just a great way to cap the year on a positive, uplifting note.聽 Community Group or Event of the Year at the next Community Appreciation Awards?聽 I certainly think so.
Also, I see that event being a yearly thing from now on.聽 How can it not, right?聽 I only see bigger and bolder displays next year, and maybe even a little friendly competition among participants.
I see a light of hope as we all begin to pick up the pieces and try to move on from the pandemic.聽 How big that light gets is going to be up to us.
I see people once again coming together under one roof, shaking hands, and embracing.
But I also see a need for so many of us to do and be better in the new year.
There鈥檚 a photo of the river during a sunset that I took some time ago.聽 I don鈥檛 know when I took it, but I do know that when I look at it, all those annoying things about daily life that take up too much space in my head just seem to melt away.聽 In the grand scheme of things, that kind of stuff just doesn鈥檛 matter.聽 This photo takes me to one of my happy places: down by the riverbank in the Outlook Regional Park.聽 The lion鈥檚 share of my day could be crap, but as long as I spend an hour or two on a warm summer evening down in the park, I鈥檓 feeling good for the rest of it.
That鈥檚 what we need in 2021.聽 Block away all the negativity and the annoying daily crap that we worry too much about and find that 鈥榟appy place鈥� that puts us all in a better mood.聽 There鈥檚 no denying that the pandemic changed us in 2020 and left an indelible impact, but I would argue that as far as Outlook and the surrounding area is concerned, COVID was no match for character traits such as resiliency, creativity, and sheer human will.聽 Instead of cancelling some events, we actually made them better.聽 Instead of cowering away in our homes, some of us actually LIVED more and got more involved in the community.聽 Instead of worrying so much about the future, we slowed down and started to appreciate so much more of the little things that make life worth living.
In short, we鈥檙e on the right track.聽 This train just needs to keep moving in the same direction.
I don鈥檛 know when I鈥檒l see a lot of you in-person again, and I don鈥檛 know when I鈥檒l ever be able to shake your hand or give you a hug, but I do know that the light at the end of this tunnel is getting bigger.
If we want it to be, 2021 can be one of the best years we鈥檒l ever have in a very long time.聽 Things will get better if WE get better.
Winston Churchill said, 鈥淪uccess is not final. Failure is not fatal. It鈥檚 the courage to continue that counts,鈥� and while I think that this quote can apply to every new year鈥檚 beginnings, it means so much more in our world right now as we begin 2021.
It鈥檚 your future, and it鈥檒l be shaped by the decisions you may make today.
I wish all of you the very best in the new year and beyond.
Le sl谩inte mhaith.
(鈥楾o good health鈥� in Irish Gaelic)
For this week, that鈥檚 been the Ruttle Report.
