Compared to the rest of the world, I’ve got nothing to complain about in terms of 2020 and its impact on our lives. But since I’ve been clinically classified as an ‘asshole,’ a new classification coming in the DSM (Diagnostic Statistic Manual) 6, I feel entitled, nay, compelled to complain mightily. And to share these complaints with you, dear reader.
If there’s anyone who’s a poster child for getting through a social and medical pandemic, it would be a recently-retired introverted writer. You hunker down and write, you edit, you send your work out, and you wait. No social congress required. Email and Zoom are your new best friends.
I do miss my monthly poker game (One of the members, our token nerd, said as he bowed out of our March game: ‘I’ve been practicing social distancing all my life, not by choice. It’s great to finally be a trend-setter.’) and the live music in Austin that I would partake of at least once a week. But otherwise the world increasingly is coming to us (food, entertainment, new ways to visit), rather than our venturing out into it.
I am curious to see what survives from our post-pandemic habits. My sister’s been in Hong Kong for over 40 years, and mask-wearing there is standard in certain seasons. Will we go back to hugging—or even shaking hands? Or has our break with them reinforced ideas on both cleanliness and appropriate behavior? And which businesses/institutions will have a hard time regaining their traction. If I were a betting man, I’d be shorting commercial real estate, (the virtual office is here to stay); 2) movie theatres; and 3) escort services. Bottom line: invest in the things that will come to you in the future, divest of the things you need to go out to enjoy. Without knowing it, we may have restructured our consuming and recreational behaviors in new ways that we won’t undo, even after the pandemic is in our rear-view mirrors.
So here’s to a 2021 filled with vaccines, live music, book publications (mine and yours) and new things for me to complain about.
Good Luck and Good Riddance (a salute to 2020)
