I know, I know, this is always how things go here now, I post a couple at the start of the year, then nothing, then a post or two at the end of the year. But this year was different.
I don’t even need to explain how 2020 was for most people. From fires, to floods, to *that* virus pandemic there’s no point in me even naming, it’s just been too much all year. Politics has been insane, culture has largely been frozen in place with movies almost non-existent and everything else slowing right down.
But it wasn’t all bad. I have to admit I’m fairly tolerant to lockdown conditions — at home, with the family, doing various creative things at home, watching streaming services… and that’s about it. Work is close by, don’t need much else. It can eventually be trying when you know you can’t possibly do anything else, but this year I found lockdown times less annoying that the weird in-between times (like right now as it happens) where things are going wrong but no one really wants to change anything and the world is just in this weird netherworld.
And staying home a lot, with no movies to go and see did lead to a lot of home viewing. I will have to post more about that as I worked out a future theme to go with that, but Saturday night is movie night at our house, and this year I’ve watched some obvious classics (Butch and Sundance, Die Hard) and some surprising and somewhat obscure movies (Le Mans, The Last American Hero). If you see a theme there you know my family. I have to put a shout out to “The Old Guard” on Netflix, which was my favourite “would have seen it at the movies if they were open” blockbuster of the year, and a late mention (I watched it two days ago) to “Mank”, which was an outstanding look at classic Hollywood and is sure to net a few Oscars next year. Movie theatres will be back, but streaming has kept us happy in many ways (I have missed my Marvel movies though!)
My music tastes ended up looking a lot like last year — listening to The New Pornographers constantly, and listening to a lot of The Hold Steady, but being bitterly disappointed that they still haven’t been able to come to Australia yet (I have my tickets). While they are scheduled for next May again, I can’t see that happening. Maybe November 2021? But I did enjoy their livestream concert weekend at the beginning of December, and hope they release it in some permanent form.
Work drags, as it does for all, but we get by, sometimes with joy, sometimes with monotony, but never really with anything truly negative. It was good it was there, if nothing else.
So we all hope for a better year in 2021, even though some of us got by happily enough this year. Even if we did we all know how hard it was most of the time and how much better the world needs to be for most. Who knows, I might even post more here. See you on the other side.