By: Alora E. Peters, Arts and Culture Editor
If, a year ago, someone had told me that my school would be closed down, that I would be unable to attend church on Easter Sunday, that many of my family and friends would be out of work, that the entire world would be trapped in fear by the threat of a virulent illness, I would have thought that that someone had a very poor sense of humor.
And yet, these and a good deal of other unexpected, unfortunate events did take place during the year of 2020. Now, in the first month of a new annum, a large number of people just want to forget that last year—with all of its sorrows and terrors—ever even happened.
When I look back on the past year, I can quickly recall plenty of times when I was frustrated, scared, lonely, and confused. However, looking back on 2020, I can recall some happy memories as well.
Part of that is thanks to a New Year’s Resolution that I made in the year of 2020: I resolved to try new things and be open to possibilities.
At the beginning of 2020, I was accepted at my very first job—a contributing writer with The Lions’ Pride Media Group. At first, I was not sure that I would be any good at conducting interviews, working with other student staff members, or writing articles under the pressure of short time constraints. I certainly was not convinced that I could ever possibly like being a journalist and consider journalism as a future career.
A few months into the job, I found that I was enthusiastic about my work and that being a writer and editor was actually rather exciting. Later, I realized that if I had been closed off to this opportunity and refused to venture into unknown territory, I never would have known how much I would, in fact, enjoy journalism.
This is not, of course, to say that every new adventure I embarked upon in 2020 was a success. There were many times when I had doors abruptly shut in my face and things did not go according to my grandiose plans. Even so, I learned a valuable lesson: that risks are worth taking.
Now, reflecting on my experiences of the past year, I have come to the conclusion that trying to forget about 2020 would be a sad mistake.
“Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient,” reads the Book of Sirach. “For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.” This popular biblical passage references the process of refining gold, in which the precious metal is heated to extreme temperatures in order to remove any impurities.
Many other writers have also commented on the metaphor of the refining process and the importance of this process for personal development and excellence. Times of trial and testing are times when we can learn a lot about ourselves. A period of crisis allows us to reflect on what is truly important in life, on what our end goals are, on the persons we would like to become.
Emergencies, disasters, or complex situations reveal a person’s inner character. Sometimes this revelation unearths hidden virtues and strengths we never knew we had. On the other hand, sometimes it unveils the ugly faults and shortcomings that we do not want to confront. Either way, difficulties allow for self-reflection and self-evaluation, which can, in turn, lead to personal growth, progress, maturation, and success.
It is crucial for us to recognize that many of the most tumultuous events that happened last year will not simply “go away” in 2021. Only a few weeks into January, the COVID-19 pandemic, election-based division, legislative drama, and political and social unrest are already just as prevalent in the new year as they were in the previous one.
What will be important for surviving 2021, then, will not be learning to avoid and ignore everything that happened in 2020. To make 2021 a great year, we must be resolved to learn from—rather than forget—what happened in 2020.
Here, as we enter into the Spring 2021 semester here at Saint Leo University, when we are carefully crafting our New Year’s Resolutions, we would do well to consider adopting and keeping resolutions that would help us improve upon ourselves and make this new year better than the last one.
