IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT & I FEEL FI

2020. Where does one even begin? What with a global pandemic that’s left nearly 2 million people (and counting) dead; schizophrenic financial markets; rioting in the streets across the U.S.; a polarized citizenry; and a perpetual, excruciating showcase of our collective idiocy, 2020 is, for the imaginable future, the manifest definition of what a shitty year can truly be.

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

And yet, amid this atrocious, appalling train wreck I, quite paradoxically, ended up having one of the best years of my life. Which feels like a very bizarre and outlandish thing to say, particularly as the toxic chaos continues to swirl about us in unbridled abandon. Can this actually be true, or is this some deranged strain of Pollyannaism born of my overly optimistic disposition? Let’s take a closer look.

Assuredly, on a personal level, one reason why I didn’t perceive 2020 as such colossal nightmare is because 2019 actually was. I won’t belabor the details as they’ve been exhaustively documented in a prior article, but suffice it to say that 2019, my first full year in retirement was oddly, though unequivocally, the worst year of my life. So, the bar coming into 2020 was set extraordinarily low.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, YOU END UP WITH A LOT THAT YOU DON’T

Coming off the putrescence of 2019, I was determined to personally have a far better year, I committed to 5 broad goals: Move, Create, Relax, Adventure & Serve. Let’s examine 2020 in the context of these to garner some understanding of my assessment.

MOVE – This goal was pretty straightforward – to finally relocate out of Southern California to the new place in the Washington countryside. Despite over a year of BS with builders, buyers, county departments, and lawyers, I finally hit escape velocity and on February 24^th officially made it to my new home.

About 21 days later, the COVID situation hit its stride and began its campaign of decimation with lock-downs and attendant panic occurring concurrently. We, literally, had escaped just in time! We left an area that, as of this writing, has become the U.S. COVID epicenter with over 2.5 million cases. For perspective, my current county has had a total of 172 cases this year.

Furthermore, having the luxury of acreage means that isolation does not feel particularly isolating. I can still hike, work on the place, and recreate with no problems whatsoever. Overall, the impact of a year of lockdown has been, on a day-to-day basis, negligible. And for that, I am deeply, deeply grateful.

CREATE – In January, I declared that “Creativity” would be the theme for my year. I finally had some dedicated space in the new studio for my music and writing endeavors. If only I had known. As it turns out, quarantine-engendered solitude can be a wondrous catalyst for creative productivity. Also, my Working Muse Project was a massive way for me to get a focused jump-start. As a result, 2020 has been, hand’s down, the most creatively rewarding of my life.

After some fear-related ass-dragging, my new music project gained some degree of traction and then transformed itself into a real multi-member band (article forthcoming). While I hope there are still music venues to perform at after things settle down, it’s been incredibly invigorating to make original music with others, even if it’s being done virtually at the moment. Furthermore, my former band released retrospective recordings and we hope to record one last song together next year.

Outside of music, my writing here at Fates continued. On the fiction front, I enrolled in a fantastic writing class that enhanced my abilities and became the impetus to write a few short stories. Last, and most exciting of all, was the return of “King Ink”, with my writing published in print in the UK’s Big Issue magazine and the official interest in publishing an actual book! Overall, 2020 was a stellar year for all things creative.

RELAX – This goal began with a rocky start, but was, ultimately, achieved. Since retiring in 2018, I’ve been insanely busy and incredibly distracted as I have shared previously and never really felt “retired” until about 3 months ago. The balance of this year was consumed by moving and then settling. Getting nested, acquiring furnishings, yard work, house painting and all the other related activity was pretty much non-stop. I always had some massive project or domestic concern looming large which prevented me from truly relaxing. On October 15^th, I declared myself “officially retired” as defined by the fact that all big “one & done” projects were completed. After 2 years of constant work, it was nice to finally be able to relax and enjoy.

ADVENTURE – Given a global pandemic, I did not have many of the adventures I had envisioned like traveling internationally and locally exploring the geography of our new and beautiful environs. That being the case, I still tried to get out there as much as I possibly could. I was able to do a bunch of killer hikes within a 60 mile radius as well as kayak and fish at some of the over 70 lakes in the area. It would have been preferable to enjoy these experiences with others, but needs must as they say. I also had a few adventures with new friends at weekly board game sessions as well as a camping trip & some river sailing. It really was nice to forge new bonds with great people locally.

I did take one “vacation” in 2020, the first in over 2 years – affectionately referred to as “My Holiday in Hell.” Nevertheless, it was great to see friends and have an adventure worth writing about even if I’d prefer not to experience it again. Also, I began planning some upcoming travel adventures to Japan, New Zealand and a kayak fishing trip to Baja, Mexico. While these may or may not be deferred to 2022 depending on how things progress, it’s still been fun planning, getting excited, and having something to look forward to.

SERVE – I had grand designs to volunteer at the local cat sanctuary, but that was scuttled by the quarantines. In fact, I was unable to find any local volunteer opportunities, but hopefully I’ll have the chance in the not too distant future. The pandemic also prevented me from getting my social enterprise back up and running. That said, I did find opportunities closer to home. Be that in the form of helping aging parents with shopping and chores, or simply being a kick-ass cat butler, it still was nice to serve others in some capacity.

So, in considering all the above, it was, despite all the trauma, uncertainty, and shit in the world, a pretty spectacular year on the personal front. In addition, like it was for many other investors, 2020 was a record year financially and provided a massive lead in my goal to grow, not deplete, wealth during retirement.

THERE’S A WORLD OUTSIDE

While things, on the whole, were pretty great, there certainly were some less than stellar moments. Isolation is, indeed, the poison you cannot taste and, in all candor, I had many days characterized by existential malaise or outright depression. The world outside could be a very dismal and exceedingly bleak place. It was disheartening, tragic and agonizing to observe some of the worst actions and behavior that Homo sapiens has to offer, thereby unnecessarily worsening an already monstrous situation.

However, when these dark and odious moments colluded to suffocate my optimism, I looked to the beacons of hope: front-line healthcare and other essential workers who labor tirelessly and selflessly to help others; scientists and researchers hell-bent on producing a vaccine in a legitimately miraculous timeframe; people openly defending the rights of all citizens; and the active repudiation of ignorance, ideological malignancy, and aggrandizement to bring me solace and renew my hope.

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW!

I think we’re all pretty exhausted by 2020, even those of us who personally had a banner year. With the exception of moving, I’ve decided to keep precisely the same goals in 2021 as they remain relevant and worthy areas of focus. Hopefully, I can capitalize on the momentum and grow from strength-to-strength.

For all of us, I am also hopeful for and excited by the prospect of healing – physically, psychically and socially. I am bolstered by visions of a return to a semblance of normalcy. I don’t expect it will be a short or necessarily easy road back, but we will certainly get there. So with that – let’s cast our gaze to the glorious phoenix rising from the ashes of this 2020 dumpster fire and allow ourselves a smile.

Happy New Year and here’s to a spectacular 2021!

HOW ABOUT YOU?

How was your 2020? Were you able to accomplish any of your goals? Did you substitute any new ones along the way? What did you learn? What are you most grateful for? As always, I’d love to hear from you.