The year nobody enjoyed

Well. 

Here we are. 

Are you ok? 

It's alright to be *not* ok. In fact, I can't think of a single soul who hasn't been negatively impacted by the nightmare of last year.

By any reasonable standard, the year 2020 CE was a huge bucket of suck. We all have our stories and personal miseries. No need to rehash the gory details.

I've got some questions. How do we all, on a go-forward basis, cope with/move away from what shall forever be known as "The Great American Shit Show"?

Now, full disclosure; my family have been extraordinarily lucky. Our livelihood was not in jeopardy, we  were never in danger of losing a roof over our heads, the teenagers had plenty to eat and the grown-ups had plenty to drink. The close kinfolk continue to be healthy and are now mostly vaccinated. We hoarded TP and canned beans early on, so we were good on the prepping front. Still, there were hardships. So many friends and extended family members had COVID. There were scary close calls, and I lost a distant cousin. Grandparents were not hugged for over 13 months. Thing 1 and Thing 2 haven't been inside a classroom since a year ago this Thursday; the true cost of which has yet to be calculated.  Mutt, our puppy, has not been properly socialized. He is 8 months old, 60lbs of manic energy. He digs, he chews, and screams with uncontrollable excitement when he sees other dogs. As for me, personally, stress and antidepressant drug levels were at an all-time high. Still, damn lucky. I know that. 

I tried not to entertain unrealistic expectations; like, the minute 2020 was over, the sun would come out, the birds would fly over the rainbow and a champagne brunch would be served on the veranda! (ahem) Yah, nope. But, damn! Did life *have* to get worst?!

In the month of January:

• Our neighbor, whom we didn't know well, and who lived his life by vastly different principle than we, told us he had months to live.  
• There was a violent insurrection in Washington DC on the 6th. So much for Dry January. 
• Big COVID-19 surge in January.

Joe Biden got inaugurated on schedule, (and in safety) on January 20th.  Things calmed down from there, but then...wait a moment. I'm getting side-tracked with details. That happens. What was I saying?

Here we are. 

Are you ok?

I am not. I am far from ok. I'm on maximum doses of 3 different meds for depression and anxiety. I have nightmares, talk in my sleep and thrash in the bed. Leaving the house would be very helpful, but the Great Plague limits most of my usual activities. The house is trashed due to four people living in it for 364 days straight. My entire nervous system has been at DEFCON 1 since, oh... last September.  Yet, it feels so, I dunno, stupid, or overly privileged to complain. 

And that's the entire point. 

We all have our own problems, handicaps, limitations. I am a huge proponent of the "you do you, boo!" philosophy of life. No one has the right to judge your situation. No one. Your loved ones will try to help, (and you. should. let. them.) but they don't really understand. Only you know what you can handle.

Hold on. Take care of yourself. There are better times ahead.