It’s about that time again. This year actually reminds me of the Y2K issue when nobody knew what to expect after the calendar flipped. Would any of the airlines be affected? Would computers still work? Could we still withdraw money from the ATM? Well I guess the geniuses hard at work figured that one out and we were all ok. Whew!
This year is a bit different. COVID has been an incredibly scary time. There was no information, then misinformation, and lots of frightening news. Travel was halted. Shutdowns were widespread. The election and aftermath threw everyone into a tailspin. And home became both sanctuary and prison depending on the day. After the vaccine was available and eligibility spread, I think a lot of us breathed a collective sigh of temporary relief. We felt safer, but were we really? And then the next wave came. And the next variant spread.
Fast forward the better part of a year and airlines are more overcrowded than ever, labor shortages persist, containers are bobbing in the Long Beach harbor with much needed goods, and fires, hurricanes, mudslides, and power outages continue to plague our return to everyday life! It seems sometimes that there is just no safe refuge, even with our masks firmly back in place to ward off the newest evil surge that seems to be spreading like crazy. Lockdowns loom and cancellations have begun again.
So this year, I’m celebrating the calendar flip in the comfort of my own home. Not that I’m typically such a partier, but I’m particularly happy this year to be warm and cozy and not traveling for this one. And as I think about turning the page to 2022, I always do my own little year-end review first. Parts of this year seemed to drag, like the Spring, but then the time between Memorial Day and now seemed to just fly by!
In 2021 I created my own website and started a blog. (Best decision ever!) I accepted a new job, published my first novel (yay), flew thousands of miles, celebrated my one-year anniversary with my beau, and saw my son graduate from college and secure employment in the industry of his choice. I also herniated a disc, didn’t win the lottery, donated 100 clothing items to the less fortunate, decided to permanently boot turkey from the Thanksgiving table in favor of a juicier protein, welcomed an unexpected apology from a past feud, rekindled a few friendships from decades ago, and sidelined someone I once trusted. Yeah, I’m a little tired!
For 2022, I don’t just want to continue to be busy. I want to make more of a difference. I used to donate my time at a crisis center preparing and serving food and I haven’t been back there in two years. That’s on my ‘22 list. I was tapped to co-chair an industry conference in February, so that’s a great use of my volunteer time as well! I know my travel schedule will be even more hectic in the upcoming months, so I’m prepping my calendar to maximize my time and give special attention to building more relationships. And I’d like to dig deeper into my blog posts and touch on some emotional topics.
No matter how your 2021 went or what you’re planning for next year, it’s a clean slate! So it’s never too late to start over. Celebrate your wins. Learn from your missteps. And get ready to flip the page into 2022! And to all of you loyal followers, casual readers or first timers, thank you for all of your comments, likes and eyeballs on my posts. Writing continues to inspire, enrich, and delight me and I’m thrilled to share my blog with you. There’s much more to come in 2022 so stay tuned.
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