• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, December 28, 2020

One year ends as another one begins.  2020 was supposed to be the year of “vision,” but in reality it was the year of looking backward.  After all, hindsight is 2020, so to speak.

This past year forced us to revisit all the mistakes and bad decisions that influenced how things ended up.  Pandemic plans were tossed aside, and divisive rhetoric owned the airwaves.  Looking backward, you can connect the dots and better understand what actions had repercussions and what those repercussions did to each of us. 

All that being said, I am not going to write about politics or media today.  It’s my last column of the year and I want to write about the good in people and the positive things I saw in the last 12 months.

First off, I remember actor John Kraskinski and his “Some Good News” specials. Kraskinski caught a lot of flack for selling the series, but we cannot overlook the feelings of positivity he created exactly when people needed to see it.  He spread some cheer, which went a long way toward making the first half of the lockdown semi-tolerable.

I also want to remember the team I worked with until October, and the way they all banded together at the beginning of the pandemic, working on a product to help people stay connected when they were forced to be at home.  I was on calls every morning at 6 a.m. with people around the globe trying to get things up and running efficiently.  I was having virtual breakfast with these people every day, and in many cases virtual dinner with them, too.  We were on video calls straight through, but no one ever complained.  They rose to the challenge and accomplished more than was expected.  That was a positive experience for me, and hopefully for them as well. 

I want to thank the evening newscasters.  Many of us started watching the TV news again this year because, well, what else did we have to do?  In the ‘60s and ‘70s, the evening news was a source of information, but also featured personalities who could bring a sense of calm to the events of the day.  They did that again this year..  They were able to help calm down the masses, which was no small feat given the absolute crazy that was being shared.  The newscasters were there to help us understand we were not in this alone, that were in the middle of a global situation. It didn’t always come through, but they did their best and I think it helped.

Lastly, I want to thank each one of you.  You were there, doing what needs to be done.  Hopefully you overcame adversity and were able to succeed in many ways this past year.  Cheers to you as you look forward to 2021 and the things that a new year will bring.  See you in 2021!