2021 – An Ace Odyssey

31st December 2020. The last day of the year of clearer vision. It may be the last day of the year, and the first real white frost of the season here, but it was like the height of summer at Tesco. Not quite as long as the farthest queue I joined but long enough for me to say no thanks. No doubt everyone queuing up to get in the booze for the allegedly non-existent New Year’s parties. Let’s see who behaves themselves and who at midnight turns into a dumbkin.

I would imagine that there has never been a year when so many people, all over the world, will be glad to get it over with. Yet, I also imagine that, in reality, it might be a bit like the war years. The year may have been over at the end of 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944 but there was no cause to celebrate as the war was still on. As the war is still with us – the Covid war. Nothing to celebrate then, except maybe the achievements of those who have far outreached themselves in the crisis.

What do we want from 2021 then? What would be ace in the next year? From a general point of view, obviously, we want an end to the pandemic and life to be back to normal. The vaccines are here so the prognosis is better than it was but common sense must still prevail and sadly there are too many in the country with the common sense of Baldrick after a lobotomy. Let us hope by next year that we have prevailed and Covid is reduced to at least the level of the flu bug which is always with us but in most cases endurable. I doubt it will ever be eradicated totally and it is something we might have to live with.

Personally, in 2021, I should have finished my new novel. I keep setting myself targets and missing them. Two days ago I said to myself I should be at 70,000 words by New Year. It wasn’t looking good when yesterday I was at 65,500 but today I managed to get 4,500 down to break the 70,000 barrier – 70,005 to be precise. The most I have done in one day. I think I can safely say it will be finished in 2021. What I cannot predict, and can only hope for, is that a literary agent will take notice and assist me in obtaining a traditional publishing contract this time. The last thing I need is another work lost in the Amazon jungle.

My last blog of the year. A year in which I learned that “build it and they will come” does not apply to websites. A year in which we all learned how to wash our hands, wear a face mask and social distance.

One of my masks says:

Can we uninstall 2020 and reinstall it again? This version has a virus!

I think it may be a bit too late.