It’s the end, al fin. Not of a movie, a song, or of time, although for some it may seem asi (as though). It is the end of yet another year. 2020 has been like no other. Different, uncommon, particular, distinctive and peculiar or you can just say plain old raro (strange/rare)! As unique as 2020 may have been, I look back and see that I have discovered or rediscovered many new and exciting things that will most likely affect me for a long time to come, if not forever.
Whether you wanted to “Make America Great again” or are looking for a “Time to Heal,” unlike other times, politics most certainly got my attention this year. I had voted in previous elections but I can not say I was the most informed voter, actually I wasn’t informed at all. I basically voted for the person that “sounded” good. Hay que pena! How embarrassing, I know. But not anymore! Toy al dia! I am up to date, on most major issues that is. Am I an expert? Certainly not. But I am an informed citizen who listens more closely to the words our elected officials speak about policies that affect our daily lives.
Woke and Enlightened are two words that have been used to describe me this past year. The unjustifiable murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor along with the Black Lives Matter movement most definitely caught my attention. White privilege became a topic of interest. Why is it incorrect or insensitive to say all lives matter? Why do we call attention to “the first black” anything? and are black citizens or people of color really treated differently than white citizens by the police? What is racism, prejudice and discrimination? Needless to say, I became a student of this topic and other topics and issues related to people of color. Ojo! I am considered a minority, but by just looking at me and talking to me, you would never know. I have benefited from this white privilege that exists and didn’t even know it. Now I do. I have changed.
Politics and white privilege are the two most recent topics of interest but food is where my enlightenment really began. I got on the topic of food because I had decided I wanted to eat healthier as I discovered that the true magic of getting thin was not exercise but food. Yes, exercise helps, but it is what you eat that matters most. As a result, I began investing in how to eat and what to eat. I took a free online course at Coursera on the topic of nutrition and Ayyy Papa! that got me going! I bought and listened to books, watched documentaries, I could not get enough. I investigated food, where and how it was made. The information is worrisome and the things the food industry hides from us is scary. If you have not looked into this topic, I highly recommend that you do. It could save you a lot of health issues in the future.
My rediscovery of books has brought me joy. Prior to this pandemic, I read books only related to my profession. There just was no time for material that was classified as reading for pleasure. Time after time, I would walk into a bookstore, buy a book, go home, read the first few pages, put it down and pick it up months or years later. But 2020 has changed this bad habit. To date, I have read 18 books. Everything from politics to romance, from biographies to humor, even works from notable foreign authors. At the beginning of 2020, Goodreads asked me how many books I would like to read this year, as a goal. I posted 3 books. At the time I thought, ta duro eso (that’s a hard one), but my goal got met!
Over the course of the year, I continued to do things I typically did but I did it for longer periods. I continued to exercise. When the gyms closed, I brought the barbell and plates home. Netflix continued to be a staple activity, Hulu and Prime were added on. Did you know, there are 22 seasons to Law and Order SVU? When the pandemic hit, I made a goal to watch all 22 seasons by the end of this year, but I found other things to do. I did get through 10 though. My cooking, let’s just say is at otro nievel (at another level)! And of course, family time, that increased and will be a topic of a future blog. Stayed tuned.
For all these things written here and many, more I am thankful.
But before we part ways, what about you? Que has hecho (what have you done) with your time this year? What have you discovered or rediscovered in this peculiar year?
Thanks for reading.
Everything and Nothing ...you decide. 