Don Canney

It is once again that time of year when we all create our New Year’s resolutions, that list of things we resolve to do next year to make our lives better.

This season often causes me to reminisce back to simpler times, when New Year’s Eve was owned by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, gas was under 50 cents per gallon and the word pandemic was uncommon in daily news. When masks were worn by bank robbers and hand sanitizer was just a bar of Ivory soap. Social distancing only happened when you left work and got in your car for the drive home or you purposely avoided those with whom you chose not to associate.

When the Elks, Canadian, Moose, Loomfixers, Social and Polish clubs were all preparing their New Year’s Eve galas, complete with set-ups, hats, noisemakers et al.

Life often throws us a curve ball and when that happens, we just need to learn to get back up to the plate and prepare to take another swing (to use a baseball analogy). But 2020 threw us a curve ball, slider, fast ball, submarine and change up all in one. Who could have ever predicted on New Year’s Day last year what would transpire in just a few months?

The resolutions we made on New Year’s Day 2020, like the many we do annually, probably involved some type of weight loss effort. We all yearn to be slim and trim and in the best possible shape. And for many of us, that involves joining a gym or workout center. But in 2020, if you joined one, sorry, those businesses were closed due to threat of community spread.

But, on the plus side, many of us opted to workout at home, walk more, use a treadmill, weights or dig those dusty old bicycles out from storage. Or maybe buy a new bike? Voila! A boon to bike shops nationwide, who experienced one of the biggest sales boons in history. There was a plus side after all!

Another popular resolution might have involved some type of self-pampering. So, let’s spoil ourselves at a spa! There is nothing like a good massage to reduce stress and make us feel so much better. Woops, sorry, spas closed too.

Some of us may have resolved to apply ourselves more in our jobs by being more visible at work and pushing for that next level promotion. Or attend religious services more often, spend more time with extended family or friends, or volunteer our time to charities or hospitals in need. Eehh! (insert that buzzer sound heard in a game show when a contestant gives a wrong answer). This year saw many folks working from home, churches closing, and any time spent with friends or family external to the home, socially distanced at best. And many volunteer agencies closed at least temporarily. The plus side? We did indeed spend more time with immediate family at home, although some may argue whether that was a plus or not.

We all learned to make do with what we have, perhaps stop and smell the roses a bit more or just to enjoy Mother Nature. Bird feeders and seed were in short supply for a while, proving that there was some benefit for our critter friends. Sales of board games and jig saw puzzles skyrocketed, suggesting that families were indeed spending more time together. Internet shopping increased tremendously. The downside is that many local small businesses suffered, and we hope for a quick turnaround to help them get back on their feet. (Please support local businesses whenever possible!)

OK, so maybe a resolution or two is still a good idea. It never hurts to plan to make our lives better or apply ourselves more. Perhaps a good resolution is to simply appreciate what we have, perform acts of kindness now and then and learn to respect one another.

I do know one thing, I will probably stay up this New Year’s Eve, not so much to see 2021 come in, but to make certain that 2020 leaves!

A happy, healthy, and safe New Year to all and many thanks for reading along this year!

Don Canney is a freelance writer and professional voice artist. He was born and raised in downtown Nashua with great interest in Nashua history circa 1950-1970. He now resides in Litchfield.

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