The 2020s
Arrested Development in 2023
Happy New Year and all the rest of it for 2023! Yes, it’s a new year, and while we celebrate seeing this milestone arrive, we also face the not-so-daunting task of setting resolutions for ourselves. Some are easy to make, lose weight, eat healthier, become more involved in various projects, etcetera. But understanding how our lives would have been if 2020 had not brought with it what it did is a headscratcher. Trying to reclaim “who we were when” - is daunting.
2020 was a terrible year that lasted until 2023.
It brought a whole host of issues that have plagued us since,
and life has never been the same. The health crisis that led to shutdowns of
our economy, many deaths, racial strife, school closures, a political drama of
epic proportions; one regarding the royal family, a presidential race whose
results were questionable at best, and a vaccine that some placed a side-eye glance
to, and others willingly accepted. The following years saw some improvement
but let us not forget the tragedy of the Ukrainian/Russian war.
But improve it did.
However, I think our momentum forward had been stunted. I’ve heard some say we’re now suffering a phase of “arrested development.” Well, I can’t say this for sure, but in my opinion, there might be something to this. Can we reclaim some of what we lost? Reclaim the ease of friendly visits from friends we haven’t seen in a while. Reclaim the cleanliness of our homes to a level of presentability because people haven’t visited for so long. Because we’re weaning away from wearing masks, reclaim the smile with crinkled eyes and a lifted mouth (Duchenne smile) instead of a smile with your eyes (smize). Reclaim our fearlessness of hugs, handshakes, and catching a common cold. Reclaim our lives to a level of normalcy so that we understand what we’ve gone through and mark each year since as a milestone of triumph. Pick up where we left off, so to speak, never forgetting the horror of the previous years, but understanding that it has taught us a great lesson in perseverance, patience, coping skills, and strength.
Many would like a “do-over,” and I am no exception. However,
that notion is something we can only dream about and is subject to a lot of speculative
outcomes. Who would we be today if it weren’t for what we’ve already gone
through and survived? For better or worse, we can’t change the past. The lessons
that our history teaches us are invaluable.
Where would we be, or better yet, whom would we be without those
lessons?
A lot better off, maybe. Less bitter, but better prepared for the next catastrophe(?). I hope so. Let’s reclaim the “who we were when” philosophy and readjust our metaphorical wardrobe. Shake off the sweatpants and put on a suit for structure. Embrace the world with a new set of eyes and a feeling of yes it’s been tough, but it’s time to move forward.
We survived. Welcome, 2023!
~DaMarie
Photo Courtesy of Luis Villasmil
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Like the perspective
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ReplyDeleteIt's been a bit over 20 years since 9/11and a couple since the avalanche of Covid. And we do need to change our perspectives and areas of arrested development. To keep our focus forward toward others, to give of ourselves wherever we can, to love. Not for a few months or weeks, but engrained in our daily life as air is engrained in our breathing. We can't stop. There is always someone who needs to know they are thought of, a part of, loved. Any of these days it may be or you. So when a person's name pops up in your mind, stop. Go pick up the phone and let them know. You have no idea how tis can change a person's life,
Well said. Thank you.
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