So… 2021, huh? Not exactly how I imagined it going. The vaccine seemed like a sign of good things to come… and then we had an insurrection and a bunch of militant never-vaxxers. Surges and setbacks on the healthcare front meant we never hit the percentages we needed to break the pandemic definitively. And so we find ourselves once again facing a rising curve of hospitalizations (albeit, fingers crossed, with a lower mortality rate). Overwhelmed and exhausted is the “new normal.” It’s a bummer to be sure.
I did return to organized, in person racing… albeit at the time and even now looking back I wonder if that was the wrong thing for me to be doing. And yet, I carry on, registering for races, booking travel and accommodations, and masking up. Yes, I continue to wear the masks, to wash my hands, to minimize social interactions and maximize social distancing whenever possible. I get lazy sometimes, like we all do, and yet that’s why we’re in a trough of trouble at the moment.
Given the warning signs, the doom and gloom, and the looming political nastiness that never seems to end… almost exclusively courtesy of the right… you’d think I’d be woefully pessimistic about the coming year.
And yet… 2022 is all about trying to find the silver lining. I’m resolving, as one does in the new year, to a more positive outlook. I’m going to try and look for things that raise spirits and battle back against the darkness that pervades far too much of our lives. Will it last? Probably as long as any other New Years Resolution… but that doesn’t make it any less worthy of the effort.
So here’s my small, personal goal. I can’t change the world, but maybe I can change my little piece of it here and there. I’ve often been blunt about the struggles in running 26.2 miles, trying to keep it real and not sugar coat the experience mainly to reassure folks who assay their own race/contest, that it’s not easy. We all struggle and sometimes we fall down. But it’s in that struggle, in overcoming the frustrations and setbacks, that we find the joy. I haven’t always been good about covering the post-run euphoria/triumph… indeed, I’ve had more than a few folks tell me they find my blog a little depressing and dark to read. To which I always have said, “life is a bit depressing and dark sometimes.”
HOWEVER, life is also a bit upbeat and shiny sometimes. Hence, ergo, so, and all kinds of other introductory adverbs, I’m going to try and balance the darkness with some light.
What kind of year has it been in 2021? Some terrible things… but some truly wonderful ones too. My brother got to see my Mom for the first time in 2 years. I got to see some beloved friends I hadn’t seen in ages. I ran a little. We endured. We only truly lose when we give up… in 2022, I’m determined to give up a little less and get back up a little more.
To the future, an undiscovered country that holds dangers… and promise.