March 13, 2020. the day the year went on ‘pause,’ indefinitely. For me, it began the evening before, with a mad dash to collect any essentials from my office in preparation to work from home ‘for the next two weeks,’ merely as a precaution, with the promise to reconvene at the start of April.
'Tis February.
‘Tis February. Time for another column? While one small contribution a month may not seem like a lofty goal, it’s precisely one more per month than I attempted throughout the entirety of last year so ... progress, I suppose.
Hello, 2021.
It’s been quite some time since I penned a proper ‘column,’ at least one that wasn’t resurrected from the archives of days gone by. I suppose that 2020, while it may have provided a wealth of material to draw from, didn’t seem like a suitable year to be adding to the avalanche of thoughts and emotions—at least, not without allowing space to develop a bit of perspective.
The One Where Nothing Goes According to Plan
In the immortal words of Ross Geller, we all would do well to learn to pivot.
In life. In direction. In expectations.
If nothing else, 2020 has taught us that the best laid plans are merely a rough sketch of the reality we’re likely to face.
Time Out
I came across an article the other day that attempted to explore the concept of time, its seemingly abstract nature, and the components that cause us to question the speed at which it appears to be flying—or, alternately, crawling—by.
Press Pause
It’s one thing to adapt to new ‘norms’ and acclimate to the evolving times we live in. It’s quite another to truly own that reality and be even remotely okay with it.
In Place
Two things I enjoy, writing and photography. One thing I claim to never have enough of. Time.
And yet, as we collectively prepare to begin yet another week of whatever this life has become—number three, if memory serves me—how many of us have taken advantage of these idle hours?
Divided We Stand
For all the talk of social distancing, the wide range of opinions regarding the state of the nation, the planet—pick something—I am continuously struck by the societal divide into two very distinct camps: those who rise to the occasion, and those who remain blissfully ignorant of their role in the bigger picture.
Pieces of Me
New year, new me? Not quite. (And, for the record, I detest that expression.)
Much as we might strive to improve in all facets of life, I can assure you, there is seldom a magical transformation which occurs on any single given day of the year.
We are each respective works in progress, making countless adjustments along the way, learning from our mistakes and taking steps to improve upon the past.
Ten Years Gone
Much as I’m a lover of photographic recaps, I tend to shy away from those online trends which nudge each person to produce a photo from a decade ago, as if this alone provides some deep perspective into the life he or she has led over the course of the last 10 years.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but there is always far more to the story.
Beauty in the Blur
They say the long view is the one which lends itself to the appropriate perspective. Something about hindsight.
Much as we (I) might hate the cliché, the fact is there’s simply no substitute for time and the objectivity it brings to situations that at one point seemed so utterly black and white.