The Good Things of 2020

[AnalBumCover]

Most if not all of us can agree that 2020 was Worst. Year. Evah.

So many negative things happened this year, ranging from personal loss to events that affected people globally. Even events not related to COVID shook the world in 2020: Losing Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman, the explosion in Beirut.

"FU 2020" will be a common theme in upcoming new years eve parties around the world, no doubt.

Instead, let's use this platform to list and remember the GOOD things that happened to us in 2020.

[Edward64]

Good things that happened to us (or at least not bad things happened to us) ...

• No family member (or extended family member) caught Covid that we are aware of.
• Biden won so I am grateful there will be a sense of normalcy again.
• S&P YTD return is about 16%. Our 401k deductions continued all year. We rode it all the way down and back up.
• There was a time when I was a little concerned for my job. My wife is a teacher so in the early days we were wondering WTF would happen. Both of us still have our jobs.
• Got a Peloton bike and am halfway consistently riding it. Took a short break for a couple weeks

[BYU 14]

I will post some individual things later, but one thing that I encountered Christmas eve struck a chord with me. Our family has a yearly tradition ordering Chinese takeout from a local family owned place that is really good for whoever in the family can make it over, we then play games to win/trade small presents like a White Elephant type thing.

Well, I ordered at about 2 for a 6pm pickup (Which is all this place has done since the pandemic started) and when I got there the line was 30-35 people deep waiting. This place is popular and always busy Christmas eve, but this was crazy. I was in line just over 30 minutes to get my food and struck up conversations with people around me.

As we talked about the line and 2020 in general, one theme we all agreed on is how much more patient we had become throughout the pandemic and how much easier it was to let a minor inconvenience like this go, as it was not that serious in the grand scheme of things. Then I started to scan the line, which in normal times would see/hear a lot of folks grumbling, or looking angry. But this time I saw people smiling, laughing and and showing basically good spirits, despite the long wait. It really struck me, that despite how stressful this year has been for many, how much easier it seemed for people to place things like this in proper perspective. I am a chronic believer in the hope that all people are capable of good and it just made me smile to see most everyone in that line being so patient and showing no more angst than if it had been a 5 minute wait. Just thought it was cool and I hope it is a lasting after effect when we get back to normal.

[NobodyHere]

The Cleveland Browns 2020 season thus far.

[Radii]

Job Stability - My company offers some stuff that helps patients check in for their doctor's visit without filling out 100 forms sitting in an office, we were able to operate just fine without any fear of layoffs. I'm extremely grateful for that.

No one I know directly has died from COVID. The number of family/friend of friends has grown far too high far too rapidly, but at least I haven't had to attend a zoom funeral or anything.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I've enjoyed the ability to work from home the last nine months. The best part of that has been the ability to be home and present with my 16 month old daughter for the better part of this years. I get up super early with her, I'm around all day when her nanny is taking care of her, and I'm always home to help put her to bed with my wife. I'll be very bummed when I have to go back to work and won't be able to see her and be with her as much. She's truly benefited from all of this and has been living her best quarantine life.

Also, so has my dog. She's super clingy to me and has loved having me home all of the time and not having to go to daycare.

[miami_fan]

I struggled with this one. I am going to say the good thing about this year has been how much closer my circle of family and friends have become. I have never understood the idea that tragedy really put things in perspective. For me, my family and friends have always been super important to me. That being said, I have to acknowledge how the COVID crisis has allowed the family to slow down and rally around those that have been in need.

I guess the other thing would be the money we have been able to save by not going a damn place and the other financial requirements associated with traveling.

[Scoobz0202]

I proposed to my now fiance in August. I'm leaving in a couple hours to become vaccinated. Trump lost.


That's about all I got at this time.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

I proposed to my now fiance in August. I'm leaving in a couple hours to become vaccinated. Trump lost.

That's about all I got at this time.

Congrats on the fiancé.

Have you done the fitting for the "ball & chain" yet?

[AnalBumCover]

My 4th grader got her grades for the first time ever. She got straight A's and first honors for the first trimester. Despite the distance learning and many distractions at home, turns out she'd been paying attention all along.

[NobodyHere]

Samuel Little, Serial Killer Who Confessed to 93 Murders, Dies at 80

[GrantDawg]

I got fat enough that things are starting to orbit around me.

[Kodos]

It's almost over.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Will found a great place to live in Miami and his first semester seems to have been successful (grades aren't back yet but we're pretty optimistic about them)

That's gonna be about it, but at least it's something.

[Brian Swartz]

Got out of debt, got the best job I've had in a long time, hit my next big goal on my YouTube side-hustle. Health was going well also until a really bad poison ivy reaction in the summer, and I need to get back to where I was in terms of that discipline like yesterday, but overall for me personally it was actually a banner year.

Which just makes me feel guilty really, given how much it sucked for so very many.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Which just makes me feel guilty really, given how much it sucked for so very many.

Fuck that.

No one else's misery relieves anybody else's misery. If anything, evidence of good things happening to ANYBODY are at least a thread of hope to hold onto.

edit to add: And please don't misunderstand me, I get where you're coming from. I'm just trying to say don't be there about it.
Hell, there's at least one 30 year friend I'd like to bring into the loop on what's going on in my world but they've have good stuff going on and I don't want to be a drag on that. So I totally get where you're coming from.