Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to 2022! The future is now, the world is healing, and I’ve run out of things to help welcome you into this post and this year. So, let’s get cracking with what is happening and what has come before. We shall cross our fingers and pray to our various gods that 2022 will not be the dumpster fire that the previous years have been so far.
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What happened in 2021?
I, like a lot of other people, found myself struggling with the continuing pandemic and the effect it was having on the world. As we entered 2021, I didn’t have any plans because we were not sure how things would play out. Lockdowns were still looming, the vaccines hadn’t been rolled out, and there was a general feeling of depression hanging over the world. 2020 had been such a bitch, it was hard to imagine that 2021 would be any better. Let’s face it, it was not much better. The world chugged along with the enthusiasm of a lame horse, it wanted to be better but the shotgun in the stables was only moments away.
Throughout the year, small glimmers of hope appeared as we adapted but it was clear, the world would never be the same again. The lack of trust in world governments massively hindered the efforts to keep the virus under control. “Do your own research” became a battle cry from the uneducated who got their information from a YouTube video while they were taking a dump. There was many a time I had to bite my tongue and stop myself from pointing out the obvious. The same people who were filling my newsfeed with conspiracy propaganda were the same people who used to snort cocaine that was probably mixed with baking soda and limescale that had been chipped from the inside of a urinal. Suddenly, they were concerned about the poisons they were putting in their bodies. 2021 was clearly the year of the conspiracy.
The highs
The highs of the year were not exceptional but I am very grateful for them. We started off the year by raising money for the ABF Soldiers Charity by taking part in one of their virtual walks. Cold weather and cross-stitching was the name of the game, and even as the weather warmed up, I continued to cross-stitch. When the weather was favourable, we got outside as much as possible. Although we stayed in the garden a lot, we enjoyed seeing the ducks at the nature reserves. The introduction of “bubbles” in schools allowed the kids to go back and stay there. These were small victories in the face of a much larger issue.
The New Year always brings the opportunity for new challenges, and I love a new challenge. But, I couldn’t find the strength or the joy in laying down the gauntlet for myself. Instead, I made a promise that I would hold on as best I could during the continuing uncertainly of the Covid crisis. My goals were not defined by numbers or targets, the aim of the game was to get us through the year in one piece.
The lows
The lows were some of the hardest that I have ever had to deal with. The first major blow that we were dealt was the eviction notice that was handed to us at the beginning of the summer. Yep, my landlord was that asshole and evicted a family of six from his property during a pandemic. His reason? He didn’t want to fix the roof that had been leaking for years and wanted to rid himself of the “millstone around his neck”. At the time of writing this, the house has a “sale agreed” sign outside and I have to stop myself from wishing every possible misfortune on the miserable bastard.
In September, I lost two of my grandparents, my mother’s father and my father’s mother. Having one grandparent die is hard enough, but two within a day of each other was soul-destroying. This makes many of the other issues that we dealt with seem small in comparison. Around a month later, during the Manchester Marathon, I broke my middle toes. Thanks to Covid, I was not allowed to be seen in a hospital because “if you can manage the pain at home and they are a normal colour, you will be fine”. To this day my foot still aches.
In comparison, we were lucky compared to a lot of other people but this does not make our misfortunes any less relevant and painful for us to endure.
Moving forward into 2022
After the last year, it is hard to look at this year and not be wary. But screw it! For the last few years, we have been holding our breathes while we wait for the world to return to some sort of normal. I think we have this craziness down to a fine art by now.
- Get fitter – this is on everyone’s list but I can feel my fitness starting to slip away from me. Although I have no plans to take on a huge challenge, I honestly believe that I need to be a bit more active, even for 30 minutes every day. For the last month, my husband has made time to lift some weights every day and he is feeling the benefits already.
- Finish my degree – ok, this one might be cheating because I started the final bit of my degree in October, but I still have to finish it. What will I do with it? Well, if it is a decent enough grade, I will be applying for my teaching certificate in order to help shape the young minds of the world. Honestly, I would love to get a job at my old high school, not because I have fond memories but there is something rather funny about going back there to teach when you are the reason that they had to fit security cameras.
- Blog – This blog has been running for around 8 years or so (I think) and it has been a wonderful part-time job. But this year, I want to make it profitable. Real profitable. Sickening amounts of money profitable. You get the idea. I have some figures in mind of what I would like to hit every month but I’m not sure I am ready to share. I have fallen off the wagon with it a little bit so I have set myself the challenge to write a blog post every day. My main reason for doing this is that I have fallen out of love with copywriting. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing and I am grateful that I am able to do what I love from the comfort of my home. However, I worked a lot during 2021, burnt myself out badly, and was left with nothing to show for it.
- Drink more water – Is this one on your list too? For me, this is about more than being hydrated. I made the discovery that my IBS is easier when I drink plenty of water. It is nice being able to leave the house and not worry about soiling myself.
- 1,000 words a day – this has nothing to do with the blog, this is about the long list of story ideas and novels that I have sitting on the back burner. Every day, I will write 1,000 words and make a little dent. This might not sound like much but by the end of the year, this could be a full book written. Of course, there will be days when the words flow like water and I might write 10,000 words, but I still have to stick my butt in the seat the following day and get another 1,000 words out.
- Be kinder – One of my toxic traits is my temper, it always has been. As I know this about myself, I try very hard to keep it in check. I don’t want to hurt or scare anyone, but I also need to find a balance so that people do not walk all over me. Trust me, it has happened a lot of the years by people who know that this is a sticky subject. This year, I will focus on finding that balance.
The last few years have been tough on a lot of people and I do not take the blessings that I have lightly. Every day, I am grateful that my family are healthy and happy. And, as the vaccines continue to roll out and the new variants of the virus appear to get weaker, the light at the end of the tunnel is more daylight rather than an oncoming train. Whatever your goals and plans for 2022 are, do them with love in your heart, passion in your belly, and a middle finger to those who would put you down. Happy New Year bitches.
