2020-2021

 

I just watched the ball drop in Times Square... from the safety of my living room, 2800 miles away.  There were a LOT more people in the square than I expected, considering the Covid Lockdown.  

I will likely be asleep before 2021 rolls in here on the west coast.  First off, because I'm OLD, and staying up late just isn't in my wheelhouse anymore.  But mostly because there is no magic for me at midnight.

I do not see this as a major turning point.  There is no miracle coming with the new calendar.  Tomorrow is just like any other tomorrow has been in the past... maybe a little worse. 

I think a lot of people think things will instantly change.  That the pandemic is over... despite the still rising cases, the presence of a new variant that is even more contagious being found in this country, despite the lack of available hospital beds and the beginning of rationing of care.

I think a lot of people also think that everything will be fine once Biden is sworn in as president.  Well, we have a few more weeks before that happens, and Washington is bracing for riots on the 6th when congress will be certifying the results of the election, and face a challenge from a couple Trump faithfuls. 

We may be halfway out of the dark, but it's a very, very long night. We aren't in the clear yet, and even when the virus count starts to drop, and Biden is safely in the oval office, we're going to have a lot on our plates, because the nation will still have issues of white supremacy, and this virus isn't going to go away...ever... and while we may be able to live with those things, it's better to continue to work toward eradication.  

The idea of a "new year"... a starting point on a wheel of time... is purely a construct of convenience, and something that has no meaning  outside of human recordkeeping.  So I am seriously considering making the new year, or at lease celebrating it, when I see the renewal I hope for in the new year... and I'm guessing right now that'll be sometime in May.  

And what difference does it make, really?  I just watched the ball drop in NYC, but here near Los Angeles, the new year won't arrive for another few hours.  

I'd considered posting New Year wishes on my Facebook page every hour on the hour while the new year crawled westward through the time zones, but decided I'd much rather be sleeping... just like any other night.