I know we can all agree that 2020 is a bit of a dumpster fire. And by a bit, I mean a full-fledged, raging five alarm trash fire but despite the impending end of the world, it hasn’t been all terrible, right?
If you ask Reese, she might say that 2020 has been her best year ever. I mean, she got a dog and got to start doing cheerleading. Both lifelong goals for my six-year-old. She’s pretty much dominated her bucket list this year.
Personally, I can’t say I’ve tackled any lifelong goals but there’s certainly some things I’ll take out of this Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride of a year thankful for. And that’s not to say it’s been easy to keep a positive outlook. Mostly because I can be a real stick-in-the-mud, glass half empty pessimist. So this year has been a real challenge in looking on the sunny side. But since I’m trying to be better about that kind of thing, I thought I’d share what I’m taking with me out of the Q.
Oh, and I’m well aware that we still have 2+ months of this shit show left, so keeping my fingers crossed that we all make it to 2021 in one piece.
Realizing that we don’t need to watch people open presents at baby and/or wedding showers.
I feel like this has been the one thing we all need to take note of moving forward. I love an excuse to get together and celebrate someone, really I do, but is there really a need to watch someone awkwardly open gifts? I say no. Seriously, it’s not fun for anyone. The recipient always feels uncomfortable, trying to avoid upsetting anyone with a weird reaction to the gifts. The guests usually just want to keep drinking or eating or doing anything other than ooohhing and ahhing at another air fryer or Dockatot.
I’m all for having celebrations and showers again but can we all agree that we survived this long without the gift opening part and never need to return to that weird show-and-tell ritual?
Believing people when they say they’re sick.
Okay, so this one will definitely return to normal after about six-months but I’m hopeful that we can make it last a little longer if we all work together. The problem is that someone will ruin it for everyone and soon enough we’ll all be skeptical again.
My hope is that we can all band together and agree that a sick day can be just that, a day to be sick. A day to lay on your couch and watch garbage TV, sleep and eat soup without 8 million email pings and a barrage of questions.
I hate getting sick but almost worse than being sick is trying to keep up with emails while you’re coughing up a lung. So can we be done with that?
Sweatpants
Sweatpants have won 2020. Yes, banana bread, yeast starter kits and zoom workouts have had their moments but I feel like sweatpants have been the clear winner.
I’m here for this increase in selection, styles, fabrics, etc. My sweatpant collection has really flourished this year and I’m not mad about it, especially since we’re heading back to cozy on the couch season.
Leaving the middle seat open on airplanes
I haven’t flown yet (planning to next month) but I already know the #1 thing we need to keep rolling is simple: leave the middle seat open.
The miseries of airline travel are many without having to fight someone for the armrest. The collective ‘we’ have been complaining for years about airlines cramming people onto planes and yes, I know they need to make money but I don’t need someone using my shoulder as their pillow.
This seems like the bipartisan issue that could really unite our country right now.
More personal space at the gym, in line, at the doctor’s office, the train, the bowling alley, the bus… you get the point.
This obviously goes hand in hand with leaving the middle seat open but this introvert is here for the increase in personal space just about everywhere.
I loathe just about every aspect of small talk. A little piece of me dies every time I have to catch up with someone because we both know that neither of us cares about what grade our kids are in or whether you’ve seen so-and-so from college lately.
But stranger small talk is the ultimate ‘no thank you’ for me. I appreciate friendliness and general pleasantries but being too close to people leads to awkward convos and I’m out on those. Having a six-foot perimeter just about everywhere I go has been a game changer. I love the space at the gym, I love it at the mall, I LOVE it at a bowling alley. No longer does another family or group of friends come up and get all up in your lane, crowding your space and totally throwing off your rhythm (okay, maybe that last one is just me but you get the point).
Reclaiming personal space has been a huge victory for me in 2020 and one I am going to cling to from here on out.
Quick outfit note: Last week I shared a post on my favorite denim, tees and sneakers. Welp, this is basically another version of that post. This is the same Daily Ritual tee I mentioned (it’s the long sleeve version) and these are the A.Golde Toni Mid-Rise Straight denim in black. I linked to the lighter wash pair then but this black pair are my favorite. So soft.
So basically walking the walk when I tell you they are all I wear.
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