What can be said about the year 2020 that hasn’t already been covered, righteously bemoaned and suffered through a billion times over? Let’s just say nobody will ever forget this long hard trip around the sun.
While we all look to a better year in 2021 there’s a long road to hoe with avoiding that bastard virus, treating those stricken by it and awaiting the mass distribution of the vaccines. Plus, there’s the hope of many more businesses re—opening and jobs recovered. Everyone still needs to be vigilant & patient; that’s a tough to do combination.
For me, as much as missing the 2020 swim season at East End Pool really hurt, I knew it was for the best. Ditto with the lack of movies in theaters and just being out with friends in ‘normal’ ways. I’ve always been a very patient person (a trait inherited from my father) but this year dipped deep into that well of putting up with things. I got even stronger in my will to ‘calmly hang in there.’
There are other positives gleaned from 2020. The remote teaching of students was a major adjustment but I grew from it, developing technical skills I used to resist. In my end of school year employee evaluation, I got high marks for joining the 21st century with Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Meets, Google Classroom and other platforms that make me a better teacher.
In October when our class assignments were changed, I had to say a temporary ‘goodbye’ to several students in exchange for other pupils. On our last day together one of my more distant and harder to teach kids asked in a hopeful tone, “Mr. Mick, will you be my teacher again someday?” That got me.
FOR A SONG- Just before the Pandemic kicked in, me and my parody partner Al Flash came up with a music video focused on south side girls. The WGN Morning News show liked it so much they asked us to sing it live at their annual St. Patrick’s Day remote broadcast. A few days later that event got scotched thanks to the virus.
The COVID virus greased up the creative juices in me and Al. We had several Pandemic related music videos aired on the WGN Morning News. And late in the year we added Al’s lovely and much more talented daughter Michelle to our production of parodies. She makes Al & I look like the ham & egg singers we are.
Writing wise I worked to be shorter with my blog lengths, keeping most posts under a thousand words. Offering my ideas and thoughts at mickkahler.com is something I do for myself but some others seem to like what I have to say. I appreciate all the kind words and the constructive criticisms too.
I’m going to take a few weeks writing break and get back to posting new blogs in mid-January. Until then, I hope you all have as good a holiday season as you can, given the current state of our world. Make good choices, stay strong & safe and a year from now we’ll hopefully have a better year to reflect on.
I doubt anyone captured the mood and winsome hopes of us all in the Pandemic era better than Luke Combs in this song.
Finally, I’ll close off with timely dialog from Tom Hanks.
