2020 – Finding Our Way Through Challenges

July 2020. I don’t know about you, but to me it feels like this year is just sliding right past us. For many of us, our normal routines halted in March. March melted into April, blew into May, sprung into June, and now we’ve rushed right into summer heat. I cannot say we’ve rushed into summer activities. For many of us, activities came to a grinding halt in March and are only now starting to crawl back to some attempts at normalcy, although we’re such a long way off from “normal” we may not return to that state for months to come.

Some have been able to work from home, and have found that can be much harder than we realized. Physically, mentally and emotionally, adapting to a work from home environment has been a roller coaster of ups and downs which most of us have learned to master.

Some have been furloughed, and have faced the many challenges of navigating the unemployment system. Others have had their jobs terminated. In both cases, the associated fears and uncertainty of their financial well being and ability to return to work or find a new place of employment have eroded bank accounts and a sense of security or confidence.

Most of us have had to cancel travel and vacation plans. In a year of immense disappointments and let downs, some of the hardest hit have been performing musicians and actors who have had their entire livelihoods placed on hold. Trips I had looked forward to have been replaced with accomplishing tasks around my house and phone calls with friends I cannot meet with this year.

You would think, with all that time at home I would have made great progress in my writing projects. I cannot say that’s the case, although I have not been completely stagnant. The coronavirus pandemic has slowed artistic creativity, not just for me but for many of the artists I’ve spoken with as well. The worries and stresses the pandemic has filled so many of our minds with has stifled much of artistic creative energy, and progress has been slow.

That being said, I can report I’ve written approximately 20 poems over the last few months, some random scenes for a future project, and the opening 5 chapters of book 3 of.my Macready’s.Bridge series. My hope is to have book 3 fully drafted by the end of this year, with a release date sometime in 2021.

As the pandemic has started to ease a little across our country, many of you are returning to some form of the lifestyle you’ve enjoyed in the past. Please do so carefully; the virus risks are not fully dissipated.

And for any of you who have dreams you long to pursue, in the creativity realm or otherwise, go for them! Our lives fly by so fast, we never know what’s just around the next bend in the road. Dreams take courage and dedication, but they are always worth pursuing!