Out With the Old, In With the New! The New Year's Thread

[cjd874]

Some of my cons & pros of 2020:

CONS:

• COVID-19 basically shut the world down for nine months. Small businesses closed, live entertainment was halted, and people took measures to wear masks and isolate for their safety.
• Race riots/BLM made headlines after George Floyd's death. This incident, in addition to the wrongful deaths of Brionna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, made me realize just how fundamentally flawed the American justice system is.
• My school district's band & orchestra program was suspended from September through November, and I spent time doing an art class monitoring job that I was not qualified for.
• The deteriorating health of my grandparents on my father's side, not to mention my father's own health problems.
• I feel a bit more distant from my immediate family, perhaps because we were at home together for so long and we were getting on each other's nerves. I do have a desire to move out within a couple of years to start my own life.
• Many celebrity deaths - Kobe Bryant, Kenny Rogers, Chadwick Boseman, Naya Rivera...and the passings of the iconic John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

PROS:

• I improved my musicianship and decided to post my videos on my social media accounts. Many people have reached out to say how inspiring it is, and I am glad to have brought joy to them during these hard times.
• I virtually met some of the members of my favorite band Snarky Puppy, through their online music classes. Then in September, I began taking online lessons with Keita Ogawa who plays percussion for that band!
• I learned how to be a better cook. Now I can make burgers, eggs, chicken, and other foods.
• I educated myself about race issues by reading Dr. Beverly Tatum's book "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?"
• I reached out to friends whom I hadn't contacted in years, and I got pleasant responses from them.
• I joined Muppet Central Discord and found another great way to meet other Muppet fans.
• I learned a lot about myself, became a better self-advocate, and realized that my number one priority in life is to be a good person that creates art and serves the community. However, in order to take care of others, I need to put my own sanity and health first. 2021 will be dedicated to finding that balance.

Have a happy, healthy, and wonderful 2021, friends!

 

[fuzzygobo]

I know a lot of celebrities died this year, but every year celebrities die. Unfortunately you can’t change when your time is up. I’m not trying to be the Grim Reaper, but that moment will come for all of us. Probably me first
But I’m not living in fear of that day, because death is not the end. It is for our time on this earthly plane, but this isn’t the last stop.

 

[MikaelaMuppet]

I went to a BBQ place for dinner and now I'm watching The Twilight Zone marathon on Syfy.

 

[LittleJerry92]

I know a lot of celebrities died this year, but every year celebrities die. Unfortunately you can’t change when your time is up. I’m not trying to be the Grim Reaper, but that moment will come for all of us. Probably me first
But I’m not living in fear of that day, because death is not the end. It is for our time on this earthly plane, but this isn’t the last stop.

As I said before, celebrity deaths don’t mean much to me unless I feel like they were a big inspiration on me and/or I had the chance to meet in person. That’s why instances like Caroll hit the worst for me.

 

[fuzzygobo]

If you live close to New York, two marathons they’ll run tomorrow are The Honeymooners and The Odd Couple.

 

[MikaelaMuppet]

My dad likes The Odd Couple, but we don’t live close to New York sadly.

 

[D'Snowth]

Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment . . . yes, collectively, 2020 was a terrible year for pretty much the entire world . . . not to sound privileged or anything, but we've all had years from the past that were a lot worse for us personally than 2020 has been. For me, 2004, 2006, and 2010 were definitely those years.

 

[LittleJerry92]

The one that ties the most for me is 2008.

 

[fuzzygobo]

It’s 9 pm here on the East Coast. It’s already 2021 in Europe, so very soon this year will be history.
Right now my wife and I have shrimp cocktail, mozzarella sticks, little snacky things until midnight comes.
Since my drinking days are behind me, I have a bottle of sparkling cider to ring in the new year.

 

[D'Snowth]

The one that ties the most for me is 2008.

Conversely, 2008 may have been one of the best years of my life, if not the best.