Remember looking forward to 2021?
Remember nearing the end of 2020, that terrible year, that pandemic? Boy, were we looking forward to all that mess being over! We were saying “Yay, a new year! 2021, new beginnings!”
Yeah, right.
The virus. It’s still here, and actually worse in a way. They say it’s easier to catch than last year’s version, and although it’s weaker it’s still potent enough to be crowding the hospitals again. It’s hard not to give in to the feeling of futility, isn’t it? I still have hope, though, that we will prevail. I believed at the outset that if we worked together we would make it go away. 1
That may still turn out to be so in 2022, but it sure didn’t happen in 2021. If the elusive “herd immunity” is to be reached it will be by the combination of those who got the shot and those who refused but will contribute the hard way, by getting sick and recovering. The pandemic will soon turn endemic, something we live with like colds and the flu. Like with colds and the flu, we will be less likely to catch it if we wash our hands and keep them off our faces, cover our sneezes, and (close your eyes to read this if you can’t stand the thought) wear a mask in crowded places. Another thing contributes to my feeling of hopefulness, though:
I see good people.
I see them everywhere. I have a family of good people. I live in a neighborhood of good people. I work with good people. Some of the good people I know don’t believe the same things I do, about all kinds of topics including that pandemic. They’re still good people.
Good people. They’re everywhere.
The best thing about being human
Is not the great things we can do
We might think we’re pretty terrific
But living alone makes us blue.
It’s living and working together
That makes a community work
With kindness and love for each other
(Except the occasional jerk.)
It’s not just the way we pursue things
In search of success and for gold
Or wanting more money than others,
An empty pursuit so I’m told.
It’s caring and kindness that does it
Together we will make it through
With generous care and good laughter
And loving is part of it too.
Wherever we look there is goodness
As long as we’re open to see
The good that often lies hidden
In people just like you and me.
_________________________
- All This Trouble, for Nothing! March 2020
Wonderful, I agree will all you have shared my friend. We move into the new year embracing change, on step at a time. Thank you!
So true, dear Bruce. Happy New Year to you and Stormy, and may it truly BE a happy new year!
Thoughtful and inspiring as always, Bruce. Thank you. Peace and blessings to you and Stormy and all the good (and not so good) people in your world.
Thank you, Bruce, once again for your helpful and positive take on our world.
Thanks all for your kind words and wishes. It’s funny though, that I posted a link to the article on the neighborhood website, “Nextdoor.” It immediately attracted an indignant comment by someone who does not believe in the efficacy of vaccines or masking. It was then taken down for being too political. Not funny ha-ha, but kind of funny sad.
That’s the reason I don’t post on Nextdoor. Burned once, no more! Funny sad, yes.
Actually I should have mentioned it wasn’t in connection with this blog, but I also run a neighborhood blog and link to it from Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I used the same article this week on both this blog and that one, which isn’t usual. The neighborhood blog is more typically things like this: Pulling Together. It’s just sad that for the ND moderators and so many other people, the pandemic is “political.”
Funny -sad indeed. Peace and blessings to them anyway.
Pathetic.
Hello,
I hope someone can help me here. I/we have a somewhat of a dilemma. My fiance who lives in Russia is planning to come to Australia. Our dilemma is the Australian Gov does not recognise the Russian vaccine and therefore she cant come until she has one of the accepted vaccines. She wants to come to Bulgaria and get her Johnson and Johnson (one shot), stay for the required time for the vaccine to take affect then come to Australia. Her concern is that as a tourist she may not be able to acquire a vaccine in Bulgaria…Does anyone know anything about this?
TIA
Eugene
I do hope you find the help you need. I googled a bit and found that Bulgaria is taking steps to allow “migrants” to be vaccinated, so that might be a hopeful sign. A tourist should be able to find the same help. I expect you have posted your plea in lots of places so I hope someone will respond with useful information.
Thank you Bruce for your reply. I am grateful for the effort you’d gone to find something out for me. No I haven’t posted anywhere else this is the first port of call. If there are other blog sites where others could throw some light that would be wonderful. I only stumbled across this one.
I asked a Bulgarian friend who is an MD and she told me the official answer is no, that it’s for citizens only, with ID and ЕГН (SSN).