I think I, like many of us, started 2020 out with a certain amount of optimism. The start of a new decade, the feeling of a clean slate and the hope of good things to come. At least that's how it started for me, 2020 was going to be my year. I was going to focus hard on my job, save back some money and finally start doing more of the things I enjoyed.
In true 2020 fashion it didn't take long for that script to come undone. January started with unsettling rumors that the company I'd been with for 6 years was being bought and in February those fears were realized when I received the news that my position was being eliminated as a direct result of that sale. Two weeks later COVID-19 became the focus of the news, and in several more weeks we were in lockdown. That was followed by a derecho that laid waste to my town and the communities around it. Combine all of that with the constant negative news that seems to come from the tv almost daily it's a wonder most of us aren't lined up around the block for around the clock therapy.
Yet, even with everything 2020 dealt out, I have to say that it was one of the happiest years of my life. I was involuntarily removed from a job that was crippling my mental health and I ended up gaining much needed mental clarity as a result. I was able to focus on my physical health again by having time to exercise and eat a healthier diet which allowed me to lose a tremendous amount of weight. I was able to take time for friends and family that I had constantly been finding excuses to put off. I spent more 1 one 1 time with my wife than I probably had in the entire 5 years of our marriage. We made time to get out and explore together several times a week, and even vacation in the midst of a pandemic. I felt creative and inspired again for the first time in years, started sketching again and it directly led to the creation of this site.
For the first time in my life I feel that I have truly figured out who I am and what I want out of life, and ironically I have 2020 to thank for that.