Thanks for the offer Ned.
Oddly, this year seems to have blended seamlessly into last year, feeling like one continuous 2 year long period of uncertainty - not knowing whether we're beating this virus, whether life will will return to normal with the freedoms to travel and socialise as we took for granted before.
Once again, we count our blessings as a family. Yes, we've all been affected by the pandemic, sometimes directly and other times indirectly, but we've not lost anyone close so that must count near the top of the 'good things' list.
It seems all the pandemic 'goodwill' - help your neighbour spirit - from last year has gone, and the world seems to have returned to being an even more aggressive place once again as everyone seems to fight for their cause, their space. Nowhere is this more apparent then on the roads, where increasingly people drive just to suit themselves, without any consideration or hint that they realise there are laws and rules to be followed, such as keeping to your side of the road, and 'give way' when it is not your right of way.
Now there is the additional worry of financial problems looming, possibly collapse of some areas even, as markets adjust to the new normal. Inflation is soaring, markets teeter at the top of a bubble, and all the 'just in time' planning shows how poorly that philosophy can cope with even the slightest disturbances from 'normal'. In Europe, the UK especially, we have rather silly crises of our own making, petrol shortages, lorry driver shortages, goods shortages, gas costs spiraling upwards and threats of possible power / energy shortages. Record numbers of jobs needing to be filled but without the skilled workforce able to fulfill the need. And those who are working are having to support an unsustainable burden of social costs, including those out of work but un-skilled enough (or unwilling) to fill those jobs.
Probably this next year will see us switch our worries away from the pandemic to financial issues, which can be just as hard to cope with for those directly affected. I hope we all get through it OK, and that those hit the hardest are able to deal with the consequences and get through it somehow.