A global pandemic, an overactive hurricane season, nationwide protests over racial injustice and a contentious presidential election have dominated the news this year. No wonder Time magazine has dubbed 2020 “The Worst Year Ever.”
Maybe the bright side of 2020, is it will be over in a matter of a couple of days, a few hours from now. I don’t mean that turning to 2021 will change everything miraculously, but you know the saying: “Hope is the last thing to die.”
And at this point, I want to believe it, or I am spoiled? After a life of ups, and downs, and I should say personally my affairs are no worse than in any other year, granted I have not caught Covid-19 yet, even if two close members of my family have, this year seems like if you watch the news a nightmare with no end in sight!
And a good reason not to watch the news, you may add, but other than going to an isolated place where no people or the internet can reach you, it will be hard to do, not talking about abandoning work, giving up your electronic devices, and living like a hermit. Hardly any of us can afford to do so.
SO THE SHOW MUST GO ON, AND THEREFORE THE BUSINESS OF LIVING.
As usual, we will wake up, head to the bathroom, go prepare your favorite wake up drink, take a bath, or a shower, dress up, and go and face the new day, doing whatever you have to do, and you have made personally your business of living.
Please do not forget your mask!
Personally I hate so much using the mask, but I thanks the mask for making me more efficient, on doing my shores outside the house, its not only the difficulty in breathing, but even how difficult it makes to see what is below your eyes, and a simple task like pulling your wallet to pay for something it becomes a burden, I have also more respect for the blind, and people with respiratory problems.
Oh well, why bitch?
If there is life, there is Hope, and the sun rays will warm up our body, and we will go on smiling, and try to be better, and do the right thing, at each step of the way, that’s the real business of living, to face the insurmountable odds, and pay attention to why is better to smile, than to cry, or be mad, to do the utmost of be an example of bravery, compassion, love, and a beacon of wisdom. Following the way of those, on whom the Almighty have bestowed His Grace, not the way of those who earned His anger, nor of those who went astray.
Look well therefore to this day; Such is the salutation to the ever new dawn!
Happy New Year to All of You!
Kone, Krusos, Kronos 
La verdad que este año sño está terminando de la peor manera. A nivel mundial , las cifras de contagiados y muertos, pasan de lo imaginable.
Y como no podía faltar un desastre natural, de los muchos que ocurrieron en el año, ayer hubo un terremoto en Croacia de fuerte intensidad. Y aún faltan días psra terminar el año. Y como allí no queda la cosa, vsmos a empezar el año con uns nueva cepa del virus que es más contagioso.
Ahora estamos esperanzados en la vacuna que los antivacunas siguen cuestionando y hacen dudar a la gente. En fin Dios no agarre confesados este nuevo año.
Para ti, un abrazo sincero deseándote lo mejor en este nuevo año.
Feliz Año Nuevo.
Manuel Angel
Asi es, Manuel Angel un año terrible, y espero que pronto sera Historia vieja, apachurrada por un presente mejor, que nos queda. sino mantener la esperanza viva como una llama dentro de nuestros corazones, esperemos en fe y en valor, mejores dias, con este Nuevo Año.
Felicidades a ti y a tus seres queridos. 🙂
Igualmente para ti.
Yes, after that we really need a happy New Year.
You bet James!
Thank you for your comment, and happy New Year! 🙂
I love the first image of wanting to get away 💫 we will thrive 🕊🤍 sending joy hedy
Thank you for your positive comment, and the Joy you send us, Hedy.
Blessings to you. 🙂
Yes. 2020 will soon end. We must continue to put one foot in the front of the other. March into 2021 wearing our masks and believe that science will once again save us and the political divide will unite to serve all the people, not just the ‘rich elite’.
May your words come true, specially those about politicians taking care of serving all the people, not just the rich, and yes we sluggishly are walking our way back to better days, we hope!
My best wishes to you Don, and your dear ones, for the New Year! 🙂
I thought of you these days, Mr. Brogido, hoping very much that you were well!:) It’s now very good to hear that you have hope for the coming year and let’s try to smile:) All the very best Martina
It’s always a pleasure to hear from you Martina, hope everything is well with you, and glad you are enjoying the novel Shantaram.
Here today is a beautiful day after a couple of rainy days, and getting ready for a New Year, we hope will be better, love, and best wishes to you. 🙂
It’s really good to hear from you and I suppose , due to the fact that you are such a good cook, that you will prepare some nice food for your guests on New Years Eve!😀In any case I wish you many peaceful hours and much health in 2021. Very best regards Martina
Actually the only person to share with me New Year’s will be my son who lives in town, in all honesty I got no idea what should I cook, but something simpler probably, will be the choice, as an old man living by myself I rarely cook for a large crowd, except when a few of my children are in town, but not this year because the pandemic, except for the one I mentioned the rest live not even on driving distance, but thousands of Km away, in different directions, I just will give them a phone call tomorrow and wish them a good year, that will be easier than cook for all of them, even if not as pleasant as to see them together, but such is love in the time of Covivid-19. 😒
I’m very sorry that your children are so far away, but I hope that together with your son you will have some precious hours🌺🥂My husband and I are also old but we had a pleasant afternoon with our daughter and our son in law! I keep my fingers crossed for you two👍👍
Do not worry Martina, I just was on the phone with my eldest daughter a few minutes ago, we keep in touch even if far, she lives 2,636Km away and she was telling me she cooked, a creamy mushroom pasta, and salad for her husband, and son for diner, maybe I will do the same for my son, tomorrow. I will check first the market near me to see what I find of interest in about an hour.
Great you have a good time with your daughter and son in-law! 🙂
These positive words show me that there are happy moments with you, too!:)
I just have to mention you 3 sentences out of SHANATARAM I have just read: Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope. Sometimes we cry with everything except tears. In the end that’s all there is: love and its duty, sorrow and its truth. In the end that’s all we have-to hold on tight until the dawn.
Let’s enjoy what we have!:)
That it’s beautiful Martina!
Most of my life I have live very humble, do not need much and rather seek peace, than wealth, and the troubles that come along with it, and rather enjoy today with what I got, than an uncertain future loaded with mirages, and deceit, I hardly make any plans, and live day to day, giving thanks to the Almighty and enjoy the sunrise, and the warmth of the sun, specially now that is a little bit chilly.
Blessings to you. 🙂
Well, Mr Anaya. M@sks were used by ancient civilisations in ri tuals to bring people into a tr ance … Fresh air is good for the lungs and keeps the blood ciruclation flowing and the oxygen going 😉 That means the immune system stays good and strong. Taking the right vitamins (D especially) and some Z inc, also a good idea. And for the mind and spirit, its always good to keep the mind agile by questioning everything and checking facts for ourselves + coming to our own conclusions. I believe all those Matrix movies actually had an objective – to tell us something … And so did the Book of Revelations 🙂 Anyway … , thank you very much for the interesting discssions during 2020 and wishing you a very good 2021, in spite of everything. Life is what we make it, after all! Best wishes, Jean-Jacques
Well, life its a constant change, and struggle, only controlled by our attitude, not by what’s happening in our lives, so a positive attitude it’s the best medicine to what we cannot control, I like to leave those things to a higher power, and do whatever I can do, within my power, like taking the vitamins you advice, the rest it’s not up to me. So we try hard to live with the parable of Matthew 7:24–27. And build on the Rock of Spirit, rather than capricious, sandy fancy.
And you are right life it’s what we make out of it.
Best wishes to you, and your dear ones, for the New oncoming year, and look forward to our conversations on the subject we both are interested. 🙂
Thanks you Mr Anaya. Perhaps I can share a last though on the last day of the year: Sometimes negative power masquerades as positive power, also on the higher levels, and it can be a fine line sometimes. Discernment is always required. I would say that currently we are constantly on that fine line. In the Mayan creation story the Popol Vuh, the Lords of the Underworld continuously try to trick the Hero Twins into falling into their traps through lies. The first set of Hero Twins believe the lies and they don’t make it out of the underworld. The second set of Hero Twins are much better prepared, they don’t believe everything they are told, and they manage to make it through the dark times to participate in the rejuvenated world that comes afterwards. Timeless wisdom is to be found in some of these parables as humans and human nature do not change that much over the millenia.
All the best, Jean-Jacques
Sorry for my lateness to answer you, extremely busy in my personal life, and over here in Cyberspace, but do not worry, thank you for your anecdote, from the Hero Twins, I am familiar with, maybe, someone should put my full name on the dictionary on the definition of cynic.
Too much life experiences, and studies, to be a believer of nonsense, Human nature it’s to go stray because because we got to learn from zero, and if we do not, well, we remain ignorant, and fall into error, and learning it’s a process that never ends, Ignorance it’s the Human condition, and its an ongoing process that affect us all of us, and to each generation, on all parts of the World.
The sum of ignorant persons vs knowledgeable, and wise determine our future, the fewer the wise, and the more ignorant and unwise, the more problems we will face.
Therefore teaching a job that never ends, or grow old.
And what I mean for teaching it’s Arete, not the common idea of learning a trade to make money that pass as education, now day.
All the best to you Jean-Jacques, keep the good work. 🙂
Brígido.
The will to live can be terribly persistent. This year has made me grateful for that persistence. I definitely am more appreciative for family and friends, but also for more quiet time to reflect and gather my thoughts. Priorities change in times of crisis! Here’s to 2021! May the days and hours be kind to us all, and to you, dear Brigido.
I guess the will to live it’s an instinct of primary importance to most of us, until even that’s not enough, to avoid our demise.
I am glad you are fine, and thinking of others, yes our priorities change when we are in trouble, we can only hope the year ahead of us will be less troublesome, but a lot of us refuse to change and keep doing the wrong thing, and therefore we all pay, talking about the nature of consciousness as limited to ourselves, rather than encompassing the whole of Existence.
Hopefully a better year for you Debra, and all of us next year! 🙂
Hi. I’m pretty optimistic about 2021. I think it will be far better than 2020. The vaccines are certain to help control the virus. Happy New Year, and be well.
Yes Neil, we hope soon the pandemic to be over to go back to our normal lives, but also I am glad this election freak show, will be over soon, and as you said it will be a better 2021.
Thank you for your comment Neil! 🙂
I’m ending this year with mixed feelings. The previous winter seemed to go on forever, which is a sort of seasonal semi lock-down that I’m accustomed to enduring. But then the first pandemic lock-down arrived with spring, and what was to be a special birthday among several friends. All reaching a sort of arbitrary chronological milestone within a few weeks of each other, any life-celebrations were… postponed indefinitely it seems. But life goes on regardless, so long as we are here to experience it.
I’ve stayed in shape, and put more effort into preparing better food. So my physical health, at least, hasn’t suffered. And it’s encouraged a few new approaches and ideas, things to take with me as the pendulum finds some new center, hopefully by next summer. Not a particularly fearful person, I’ve stayed as directly active and involved as possible. In an effort not be reckless, it’s caused me to grow accustomed to breathing through an N95 for long periods. Though I sometimes find myself wanting to rip the damned thing off to free a smile. So while I wait for a vaccine, I almost wonder if I might have been better-off simply having endured the illness.
That said, the year seems to have passed in great haste, and I don’t know that I like that. 2% of my life seems to have just vanished… perhaps simply put out of my mind, or as the result of cognitive efficiency when encountering routine. But like a patient emerging from anesthesia, grasping for consciousness, I fear that much more has changed than people may know. While we turned inward, focused on our own fear and trembling, and distracted by a blathering buffoon, BLM, and barred borders, the world around us shifted unnoticed upon its axis.
This is how it has been this year my dear, possibly a reminder of how life was in the past, when the scourge of a plague struck a region, today somewhat unusual, stay away and in seclusion, for fear of contagion, idling, seeing our life passing, with as less occasions to be endangered by getting sick, but at the same time, longing to go back to our social normalcy, that we took for granted for so many years, first time I go through a pandemic, and I am old.
Hopefully in a few months we will be able to breathe without a mask, just because we are gone be mingling with people on the streets, just because we want to get our groceries, and all other social activity, a dangerous, reckless and careless activity, I also long for the days I just could go to a café and meet some friends.
Even if normally seldom indulge on other social activities, but to maybe have lunch on a Sunday with friends, it’s now since February that the only person I see every week, is a son who lives in town, he helps me with grocery shopping, and drives me here, or there on Sunday for other business.
It shall pass…before I am gone for good, I hope!
Thank you for your comment certainly we appreciate.
明けましておめでとうございます！:-)
This has been quite a year! May our hearts awaken to a New Dawn as we begin another yearly cycle ❤
Thank you, and best wishes to you Rsaliene. ❤
Written with great honesty and interest. Have a better 2021. Take care
Thank you for telling me it’s appreciated.
Best wishes also for next year.
Happy New Year and the best for all of us … “the worst is yet to come” wrote Ennio Flaiano, a caustic and ironic Italian writer of the 20th century.
Best wishes 😷🌷
Yes, this pandemic reminds me of the middle ages, maybe more safe, but quite boring.
Best wishes for yo and your loved ones for the Next Year! 🙂
Middle age? I think so, unfortunately.
Take care my friend🌷
…. è siamo ancora qui con una situazione caotica. Una brutta storia per tutti noi.
Auguri per il 2022🍾🥂
Grazie per il tuo commento, che il mondo è un caos continuo, e anche così, la vita va avanti…
Buon anno a te e ai tuoi cari, mia cara.😉💖
What a year 2020 has been – quite a difficult one for most of us. Yet, we will continue to hold on to hope and persevere for a better and awesome tomorrow. With the vaccine already introduced, the start of a new decade has never seemed more promising. Thanks for this post, Mr. Brogido. May the New Year bless you with health, wealth, and happiness. Jo
Yes, indeed, a difficult year for all of us, your words are welcome Jo, we hope at least next year to be better, and yes the vaccine may bring heath and peace of mind, no doubt.
Jo we wish you the best for the oncoming year, you guys may be already into it at this time, here a few minutes before noon of the last day of infamous 2020.
Have a happy New Year! 🙂
Thank you. Good day to you.
No doubt, life goes on. Well, a year is just something we can step up on and keep our calculations straight. Realistically, it’s an imaginative line of a new phase, new reference point, new experience. When Asia has lived for quite a while in the New Year, we in Canada and later in America get to toast to it, too. This line, relative as it is, still means a lot for many of us.
It’s good to know you’re staying virus-free and that’s the best there can be.
This year will be remembered as quite horrible by many. Some people, however, have sailed through it scot-free. It all depends, just as it always does.
I think the best part of meeting a New Year is exactly as you mention: we get a new hope, something new to look for, something better to get excited about.
We are certainly grateful also to have lived through this year and meeting the New one.
I wish you staying healthy, keeping safe distance from any troubles, and lots of inspiring reading and writing for the New Year.
I hope next year around this time, you can write how our hopes and expectations came true and everything had a good ending after all.
Happy New Year!
Honestly, maybe because my age, my personal life experiences, and a bit my cynicism, and character, Holidays, and celebration dates had become meaningless in the context of my life, have over 25 years that I do not send Christmas cards, or buy presents to anybody for Christmas, I may go to someone else celebration if invited, but today, do not feel anymore the so named Christmas Spirit, I used to feel at the approach of Christmas, or a New year, or any other day for that matter, I even forget my birthday, less alone someone else!
I rather try to live each day fully, present doing the best I can, or at least if I remember to do so, on any particular day!
Over here, few people were careful on following the precautions indicated by the pandemic, rules of behavior, consequently the more reasons, to be careful myself, knowing the general ignorance of my countrymen, and their love of large parties, and gatherings doe to their extrovert character, plus disregard for discipline, and rules, consequently we have a lot of cases, and many deaths, and is not until before last month that people start to be really cautious, when almost a year went by being careless, the reason?
Well, there is hardly any family who have not one, or two family members falling sick with covid-19, as simple as that! And finally local authority crack down, and punish people for disregarding rules of safety.
But I got to confess, now the chances of catching the virus are extremely high, simple things like going to the market to get your groceries, are a dangerous exercise on keeping yourself free from catching the virus, specially because so many people who are
asymptomatic, and there’s no free testing for the virus, the test is expensive, and generally few people can afford it, and even if you can afford it, many are afraid even to be near a Hospital, or a line where if you did not have it, you may catch it there!
And over here, you do not even have even the choice of having your meals, or groceries delivered to your house.
Thank you for your best wishes, and hope everything is well for you, and your family, as well, Inese. 🙂
Yes , let us all stay positive and walk in love and light. An old saying comes to mind which may be pertinent more than ever. “Help ever, harm never”
Great post as always..
Happy New Year Dao…!!
Thank you Dao, I will give you a call soon! 🙂
Thank you for these things 👍🙏❤
You are welcome Annamaria. 🙂
Happy new year to you! I hope things get better for us in 2021.
I really hope so, thank you for your kindness, and best wishes to you. 🙂
Thank you so much! 😊
You are welcome! 🙂
Such a good reminder:
“And we will go on smiling, and try to be better, and do the right thing, at each step of the way, that’s the real business of living, to face the insurmountable odds, and pay attention to why is better to smile, than to cry, or be mad, to do the utmost of be an example of bravery, compassion, love, and a beacon of wisdom.”
I don’t think anyone in Washington is thinking in these terms, so it’s up to you and me and the like-minded who read your blog to try to “rise above” and do better.
I think it’s an act of compassion in itself to look back on 2020, see it for the horrible year it was, and come away thinking of “smiling, bravery, love and wisdom”.
Your burning heart has warmed mine.
🙂
Thank you for your praise, I am grateful, and give me a boost, however my attitude it’s any sensible, and honest person of good character, and not a crook, should feel the way we do, not doing so it’s just a proof of lacking character, and wisdom, unfortunately too many people around the World may fit that description.
Thank you again, and we wish you the best for you, and your family. 🙂
Happy New Year and I hope 2021 is kinder to us.
Thank you, and let all of us , if only hope it will be better, but last year was so bad it will be hard to imagine! 🙂
I do agree. I pray for better days. The children need real school and activities. People must listen and be safe. You are welcome my friend.
Your optimism is inspiring. May your year ahead bring many smiles to your face and joy to your heart.🙂
Thank you Julie, I am a cynic, but I try to be positive as well, to balance my life, I will smile because it’s easier to do, than remain gloomy, thank you for your best wishes, I also want the best for you, as well. 🙂
Indeed! What’s Next. With depleting values of life, soaring hike in prices of daily consumable goods, prepare for the worst. But those who can see all the little blessings around, will make it. Stay Blessed. Amazing beachscape 🙂
Happiness in life consist as you said, to look and focus on those little blessings, every day.
The picture you liked, a beach in my birth town.
Blessings to you as well.😊💖