Deborah Rogers –
Many of the articles in this month’s issue start with the same sentiment: things are going to be different this year, but … . How many of the conversations you have these days start the same way? I sense that everyone is putting a positive spin on the festive season and end of year, making the best that we can of a situation that’s far from ideal.
Seaside Magazine isn’t generally a place for politics. But I have to tell you that I, personally, felt some profound relief when the results of the U.S. election finally became clear. At the end of a year that has been filled with illness, bereavement, (at times crippling) anxiety, this piece of news was a sweet relief. It’s true, there might be murder hornets massing at the U.S. border, but there also might be a vaccine for COVID-19 in the near future. Carbon levels are certainly rising at a record rate, but at least Joe Biden is committed to getting the U.S. back on board with the Paris Climate Agreement. There will not be an election in 2021, neither to our south or within our province – that’s got to be a consoling thought!
My family What’sApp group, so active during the early stages of a U.K. lockdown in March, has dwindled to a very occasional message. Lockdown two is proving itself to be less Blitz-spirit and more interminable boredom. No one likes the new status quo, but they want to keep each other safe, so they’re respecting the rules and staying apart. It’s likely that B.C. will tighten its rules again too, reducing chances for transmission, and our opportunities to live a life that feels normal.
So nothing much has changed, certainly nothing is better right now, but I still feel a little glimmer of hope as we shut the door on this dire year and turn our thoughts and hopes to 2021. Will I be able to see my mum and dad? I’m going to err on the side of positivity and say yes, probably, before next year is out.
To you, our loyal readers, who have stuck with us through a desperate year, and cheered us with so many positive comments and and messages, I wish you all the best tidings of the season. And here’s to 2021 – I’ll see you on the other side!
