As a runner, I have a great appreciation for the straightaway—a long, flat road stretching straight into a fixed vanishing point along the faraway horizon. A visibly long, straight path invokes feelings of calm, and even relief, inviting me to proceed with clarity and the confidence that comes with knowing exactly where I’m heading and what I’m striving for. Here I am safe from any surprises that may be lurking, as they do, on roads that bend and curve.
Last year was, for the most part, a highly technical uphill climb, rife with switchbacks, gnarly roots that made me trip, and unavoidable muddy patches to slog through. Most of the time I did feel grateful for the chance to be on the trail at all, moving forward, breathing deeply, but there was never a point, at least not that I recognized, that my path felt certain and safe; for all my best trying, and for all the many silver linings and joyful, lucky moments, I never did find the true horizon. I felt, more than anything, disoriented.
My word for 2021 is perspective. This means keeping my eyes open and focused on where I'm headed. It means having a point of view, but understanding that everyone else does too, and that each of these are as unique as are our fingerprints and our individual, human stories. It means being open to a shift in focus and/or a recalibration of what rings true. It means, as per Merriam Webster: "the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance." It means letting the experiences I've had inform my thinking and being, but also means panning out or zooming in as necessary, to make better sense of what I don't quite understand.
This year already feels different. It feels, with an election behind us and a vaccine a reality, like we have some forward momentum and some sound strategy. The Christmas decorations are put away, the calendar has turned, and my kids are due to sit in actual classrooms in actual school buildings come February. The Seahawks clinched their division last weekend. I can start to sense an order, a rhythm, a new horizon. It feels--dare I say it?--a little like a straightaway.
Happy New Year!
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