Published 31 December 2020
Thank fuck for that.
I managed to get through 2020 reasonably unscathed. As far as I know, I did not get Covid, which feels like an achievement in itself.
Karta completed his first year of home education. I think he is where he needs to be, and he is progressing nicely. It has not always been easy, but then nothing about 2020 was easy.
We also got our first full year in our new home under our belts.
Village living suits me. I think it always will. After years of noise, pressure and feeling boxed in, having a garden, a garage, and a quieter rhythm to life has made a real difference.
My father died back in the summer.
I am still working out how I feel about that, especially as I had not seen him since the early 1990s. He was, and remains, an aloof figure in my life. The contact that followed with his side of the family was interesting, but I do not know whether any lasting relationship will come from it.
Probably not.
This blog has become my main outlet as I move away from mainstream social media for good.
That feels right.
This place is mine. I take care of it. I own it. I can write what I want here without needing approval from a platform or an audience that never asked to be there in the first place.
If people want to read it, lovely.
If not, that is fine too.
There is also the newsletter. I will try to write it at least once a week during 2021, but only when I have something worth saying. I do not want to add to the noise just for the sake of it.
One good thing about 2020 was finding time to reconnect with friends I should never have lost touch with.
They are among the most important people in my life, and having them back in it feels good. In 2021, pandemic permitting, I want to do more to nurture those friendships properly.
I am still deciding whether to continue with a couple of projects that have become huge time sinks. They take hours from me, but give little back to my family or me.
Writing that down probably answers the question.
So there it is.
A quick round-up of a strange, frightening, frustrating year.
I am happy to see the back of 2020.
I am cautiously optimistic about 2021, the arrival of Covid vaccines, and the possibility of a few adventures on the horizon.
Until next year,
adieu.