2020: A Year in Review

I feel that I cannot adequately add anything meaningful to the volumes that others better suited than I have written about 2020. But since ‘A Year in Review’ is a tradition at this point, I might as well give it a try.

Professionally, the year was good. Broderick Writer LLC launched successfully, and my business grew by 8.3% compared to 2019. I’m happy about that. On the other hand, there wasn’t much to do this year besides staying inside and working.

No one to see. Nowhere to go. Nothing to buy. I honestly wish I had less money and more memories.

There were a few peaceful, even tranquil moments this year. Yet COVID-19 was an omnipresent Sword of Damocles. It was there when we woke up in the morning. It was there every time we moved farther away from someone at the grocery store or on a nature trail. It was there on the news. It was there in politicians’ inaction and empty promises.

It was there in our dreams.

We have two vaccines now, and the news of their approval made me relieved. We will win the war but will surely lose the battle that will play out over the next 60 or so days. Pyrrhus of Epirus has nothing on the United States of America. However, I am looking forward to standing in line (perhaps waiting in a line of cars) for a long time to receive what I assume will be the first of two injections.

2020 was also the first year of my entire life that I couldn’t be with family for the holidays. The circumstances created a dull, heavy kind of sadness, one I share with millions of others right now. There is some camaraderie to be found in this temporary loneliness, I think. I wish I could tell everyone who made the right decision that I’m glad they did. Right now, even seemingly insignificant actions have the potential to save lives.

I will conclude with some good news. I made plans for a trip next fall. It’s fully refundable/transferable, just in case, but I don’t think it’ll come to that. And by this time next year, we will all be together again.

It’ll happen. I know it.