The Long Year Closes...

End of another year.  You know, last December, with the general election result and all, I didn't think that things could get much worse.  Which just goes to show how poor my powers of prediction are - almost as poor as those of Nostradamus and all those other phonies the cranks like to cite.  That said, despite all the disruption to normal life, 2020 hasn't been all bad - we've gotten rid of Trump, after all.  Not only that, but I actually enjoyed a lot of lockdown.  I enjoy my own company and being safe in my own home.  It offered me a vision of life away from my lousy job - a vision I've subsequently turned into reality.  If nothing else, I'll always be grateful for the lockdown experience having given me the strength to walk away from that situation - the transformation in both my physical and mental health has been remarkable.  Not having to deal with the stress of poor management combined with a depressing day-to-day routine has been truly transformative.  Best of all, as so one who has always been deemed somewhat 'weird' because of my desire to avoid most of the human race and keep myself to myself, it has been deeply satisfying to see my lifestyle become the 'norm' this last year.  Who's 'weird' now, eh?

So, here we are at New Year's Eve, with pretty much the entire country facing celebrating the way I usually do - quietly, at home.  Actually, for many years, I used to go out on New Year's Eve, usually to my local and meet up with friends for a drink.  I must admit that I did it because it was what you 'did' on New Year's Eve - staying at home carried some kind of social stigma with it.  But as the years went by, not only did I find my local pub less and less enthusiastic about staying open for the New Year, but I just started being more honest with myself - I really wasn't enjoying the experience.  Not bothering came as a relief.  In truth I've never been much of one for New Year celebrations overall - I leave that to the Scots, it's their gig, after all.   Interestingly, in the face of this pandemic New Year, the media has been talking to various people who are usually revellers, with them admitting that it is actually a relief to have this year off.  So much of the New Year's Eve thing, it seems, is down to expectations - we all feel that we're expected to go out and celebrate, so we do, regardless of whether we enjoy it or not.  Anyway, all that remains is to wish everyone a happy New Year.