Happy New Year! See ya later 2020 good riddance is the sentiment many are feeling this year around the world. While many stayed home this year, something I have always done many did go out, partied like it was 1899. 2020 will truly be unforgettable not only for the pandemic but for personal reason such as the job changes, having my wife and daughter home 24/7 but also a year of politics as we will soon have a new president, president elect Joe Biden and Vice President elect Kamala Harris.
Yes 2021 hopefully should be better but many will continue to be the same nasty self’s not really looking to grow to change but just be more sinister then previously. Some of you may say hey that is a crazy comment and let me had some context if anything I have learned in 2020 with the pandemic is how truly evil people can be and just the amount of hate that current resides in our country, which is scary because it’s not like the evil just appeared it was already there festering into a new bred of hate and evil.
Can’t we just get along
Quite sad really that we as a society can not just get along and have peace and just do what is right in society. I guess you can say that evilness is nothing new and it is not but as society you would think we would learn by now, but I guess not. I get there is a lot of injustice in the world and many feel well since people are getting away with murder I might as well try to break the rules too and I know it can be attempting but I urge all of us to think again. Even myself I have thought yeah look over here they get away with this maybe I can too, who is going to stop me, who will care but ultimately, I will care as if I can live with myself.
When I look back at 2020, 2019, shoot I will go as far as 1998, the year I turned 18 from a point when many of us realize what it means to grow and be better people do we honestly make the effort to do that or just continue being the same. I know we all grow older and we naturally change some change for the worse. I am certainty not the same man I was at 18, actually even from the time I met my wife in 2008, she was tell you I have changed drastically I am not as sweet or kind as I once was, but may sound mean but the truth is she is right. Struggle and fighting life has changed my character, made me tougher.
Now don’t get the wrong impression I don’t go home or stay home and beat my wife and child or emotionally abuse them or any kind of abuse, but my words are not as soft as once before and that is because I really innocent prior to meeting my wife, I was softer because in a sense my family mom held me and protected me. Part of my softness for most of my young life and into adulthood was that was verbally beaten down each day since I was about five until I left home by my grandfather who never loved me but treated me as an inconvenience which had great psychological affects in my life and even today affects my self-esteem, but I have gotten a lot better seeing the errors of my ways.
Remembering Past Year Failures
For the last few years, I feel I have had a combination of success and failures which I guess I quite normal, but the last few years with jobs has been rough starting in 2015 so over the last five years. Not to dwell on the past but in 2015 I left a full-time job to try to go to school to be an electrical lineman, which I failed because it was a lot more difficult than I could physically take. Came back home with no job at the time, go hired back at my old employer part time, got another part time job to fill the gap but the hardest time was living in my fathers’ home which I grew up in.
My family suffered for years until we moved out and although I am thankful, we could live there rent free but we did take care of my father, but a house that has also caused a great deal of pain in my life, but I was struggling to stay afloat and did what we had to do to survive in south Los Angeles (AKA The Hood). Eventually one of the PT positions turned full time but was there until January 2018 when I was let go, luckily had a position by February which again got let go November 2019, got another position in January 2020, left that position for a better position which is where I am happily today.
What I have seen professionally is that I am in a much better place then I was five years ago, but I equate to divine intervention and I give the credit to GOD, because deep down I don’t see myself as that spectacular but as a family man I have worked to be a good father and husband, but there is always room for improvement.
The other important changes in my life have also been my other career, which was teaching, which the biggest jolt happened in June 2019 when the school I taught at for close to nine years closed unexpectedly but I was able to find another teaching position in December 2019, again thank God.
This year I hope to save more money, even go back to school even though I already have a bachelors and master’s degree in business but again anything I can do to improve me. Many of you today may not be thinking about being a better you but just surviving to get to the point where you can refocus on improving you and making your life better. We are certainly in a time where millions are on the verge of losing everything, their homes, jobs trying to get back to a way of life they once knew and its my hope that you will get there soon, not to give up.
It is my belief it will get tougher before it gets better especially with COVID, loss of jobs and life but we as society will prevail and hopefully stronger than ever. As a man of faith in GOD, I know times will get harder, society will grow colder, meaner, and harsher but that does not mean we have to turn this way, lets continue to work towards being kinder, gentler towards each other and focusing on making ourselves better we can all work towards that.
A Year to Self Reflect
This new year is a time of self-reflection, a time you can make those resolutions but know that if you fail those resolutions that does not make you a failure, but human just showing you the importance of choosing goals that will stick whatever those goals may be focus, dedicate yourself to achieving your goals and remember the hardest part is getting started but once you do its gravy from there. Lets all work in 2021 to be better. Honestly, I’d like to think I have faith in society to be better, but I don’t let’s hope I am wrong.
I pray for the new year, pray for those in the world that are hurting, pray for my family to have prosperity and good health and that ultimately that my faith grows stronger and bigger and try to lay off the politics and social media which in my opinion has affected my mental health this year and I’m probably not alone there.
Please to all of you, GOD bless you in the new year, here is to a great 2021.
Joseph’s Adventures in Writing 