What Will You Do... in Twenty-Twenty-Two?

I am no Nostrodamus, God knows I sometimes can’t see what is staring me straight in the eye, but mankind, let alone you, me, our families, and friends, need this to be a better year don’t we? Just to keep our sanity, to keep a meaningful smile close, and to ensure that joy and laughter are something more than memories. Maybe 2022 will be special if... ... the global population, governments and societies, continues down the pathway of vaccinations and boosters, neither ridiculed nor inconvenienced by the impertinent and protuberant anti-vax lobby. Most people have experienced a mixture of concern, inconvenience, distress, fear, and the entire gamut of emotions, and what is needed now is for their leaders to maintain their course.

... the governments of the world will hold their nerve in the face of what are sure to be further variants of Covid-19, with accelerated reproduction rates like Omicron demonstrated, but according to science, with increasingly effete consequences as the global vaccination protocols achieve their objective. I agree that it’s not particularly palatable that vaccinations for all are needed, but what other answer is there? ... the aforementioned ‘anti-vaxxers’ will respect the thoughts, opinions and beliefs of others in the communities and societies in which they live. The question is surely, not whether the anti-vaxxers are right or wrong, but that they are so vehement in seeking to impose their opinions and beliefs on others. Anarchy, you see, has more than one face.

... our governments can exercise a smidgen of compassion, and not demand too much of their constituents in the aftermath of the pandemic. Having spent so much on Covid-19 measures, vaccines, and in supporting businesses and commerce throughout the pandemic to survive, governments will be in a torrid fiscal deficit situation, and the temptation will be to reduce some of that deficit quickly to restore some sanity to their budgets quickly. However, to tread softly may be wiser.

... you can share your life and your wisdom. For a start, articulating yourself, is empowering and transformative, and it will help you rise, phoenix-like, from this two year ‘funk’ that has been the pandemic. So many, particularly those in positions of leadership and management, shun openness, and cache their insights for fear of relinquishing their insights. Don’t you know? Sharing your wisdom doesn’t diminish your eminence in the eyes of others, but augments it.

... you offer more to your work than it asks of you. It has been such a tumultuous couple of years you can be forgiven perhaps for returning to work and just wanting to ‘settle-in,’ and ‘take things quietly for a while,’ letting ‘things’ return to ‘normal,’ and I can have some empathy for that approach. However, the truth is that many businesses and organizations, private and governmental, will be ‘running on fumes’ for a couple of years as they seek to recover. Don’t leave yourself vulnerable... ... we can have some blessed relief from hackers. It’s almost as if the financial institutions and social media platforms have an acceptance of hackers and hacking built into their ‘bottom line.’ Well, that may be fine for them, but what about for the poor schmuck in the street who has their credit card, bank account, or emails hacked. Society didn’t ask for a cashless society, it has been foisted upon us, and the consequences imperil us day by day, its up to you guys to fix it! ... there are some more good movies and television series around to distract us from this loathsome pandemic reality. I have recently watched a new movie called “Just Look Up,” and it is amazing, as a somewhat clunky and obvious satirical parody of America. Particularly its response to such issues as former President Donald Trump (the send-up of nepotism is worth the admission alone), the pandemic, global warming, the abuse of executive power, media sycophancy, political indifference, obscene wealth, and ‘idiocrasy.’ It’s awesome! And where is the next Game of Thrones coming from?