Raymi and I were walking Amstel yesterday on a sunny and unseasonably warm afternoon and I couldn’t help but think about how different next Spring will be. March 2021 will mark nearly a year of intermittent lockdowns, death, uncertainty, and fear. The new infection rates will likely have peaked but something far different will be emerging.
As I look down the main street of our quaint little Victorian neighborhood of Cathedral Hill I’m beginning to notice small businesses throwing in the towel and closing permanently. Some of these shops have been an important part of the fabric of our community since it was rebuilt in the 1970’s by young visionaries. These were people who saw the value in stepping outside their comfort zones to save crumbling and vacant buildings in one of the most downtrodden neighborhood of the city.
By next spring these failed businesses will dot Selby Avenue like missing teeth. If you live long enough and you're paying attention you will start to notice patterns everywhere. Life is cyclical and this is why the knowledge of our history is so valuable. No matter how horrific, our history should never be erased, it should be left intact for future generations to learn from and to draw their own conclusions.
On an even more important note, many of our elderly relatives will also be missing from our lives forever. Many of you know I lost my Father to COVID-19 almost a month ago so I feel the gravity of this first-hand. A sizable portion of an entire generation of children have been robbed of one or more grandparents and the wisdom and memories they could have inherited from them.
Politics aside, there is no undoing most of what 2020 has inflicted. Unless you’re working in the hospitality or service industries you’ve probably yet to even fully feel the financial fallout from how poorly this crisis was handled.
I'm not sure but one thing is for sure, next year something very different than what we've known before. It won’t be all bad. I envision less excess, dwindling popularity of social media “influencers”, more pragmatism, frugality, and focus on the family. Many of us will carry the scars of 2020 for the rest of our lives.
Save for a very few exceptions, our governments have failed us greatly in their ineptitude. Remember this whenever you vote from this point forward.
Aside from that our personal decisions can make a huge impact on how we shape our society going forward. Frequent small businesses whenever you can, be more kind to yourself and to others, definitely call your elderly relatives more often, and make your own health and well-being a priority.
Most importantly don’t let the tragedy and negativity of this horrific year turn you bitter and diminish your hope for the future. Wake up every day and do the best you can. We are all on this rock, hurtling through space together, making things up as we go along.
With Gratitude,
Eric Vance Walton
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