Here’s to a new year!

Well, here we go.
The new year always seems to present a new start. Between the global COVID-19 pandemic, a changing of the guard in the White House, a drought, and an economic downturn, for the last couple of years January 1st has held an optimistic hope that the coming year will be better than the previous one.
Looking at social media, the reviews for 2021 have been mixed regarding whether or not it was a good or a bad experience. 
I know that many were not at all sad to bid adieu to last year, and for me there are definitely moments of 2021 which I am quite happy to put behind me, however for the most part it was a good year.
I was able to spend unrestricted time with friends and family, I got to teach my students face to face, I got to travel and spend time on a beach, I got to watch, write about and broadcast sports again, and my children both made positive life transitions.
In 2020, all of these things that I used to take for granted were denied everyone, and I truly felt the loss. 
Teaching strictly online was far less than satisfying. There were no sports — none. Though I did travel a bit in 2020, there were so many restrictions and closures that I didn’t get the full experience I would have at another time. 
My weekly friend get-together took place on the House Party app as we each sat in our own homes. I didn’t see family as much as I would have liked for fear of potentially exposing my loved ones.
And, we had to wear masks a majority of the time. While I am remembering that I didn’t mind wearing them so much last winter because, frankly, it kept my face warm, they certainly weren’t fun for the most part.
While 2021 still had its limitations and restrictions, it felt much more “normal” than the prior year had been. 
With that said, I am looking forward to 2022 being even better and more of a return to the status quo, even though we are now facing one new variant after another of COVID. While each new variant may disrupt some things, it is now the world we are living in and I believe that we are adjusting and learning to function despite the virus.
We’ve found work-arounds for when
obstacles are thrown in our paths, we’ve
hopefully grown more flexible and adaptive and because of that I believe that we will be better going forward.
For me, 2022 holds the promise of many exciting and wonderful happenings, and I can’t wait to enjoy each and every one of them. 
And just as an update: If you read and remember my rant about Fantasy Football not being all that it is supposed to be earlier in
the fall, I must report that things turned around for me after writing that article —and I won the league!
Cheers to 2022! Let’s make it great!