penandpatience

WRITERS WORDS: “Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.” – Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Prize Winner

JANUARY 2020 MONTHLY MUSING

LOOKING BACK -2019!   GOING FORWARD-2020!

It’s a frigid winter day in upstate New York, a good day to look back and reflect on the past year and upcoming New Year with a hot toddy in hand. I muse about the good, bad and ugly happenings that permeated our minds in 2019. Every year has its highs and lows, but, in my view, it seems the year 2019 had more lows than highs. How can anyone not be affected by innocent people losing their lives to unforeseen violence or ignore the use of lands and oceans across the globe as dumping grounds for non-biodegradable waste. Most technological advances in 2019 have been beneficial to society, but it’s a common scene to see cell-phones pasted to passersby’s ears anywhere and everywhere, an addiction I call “telephone-itis.”   Whether it’s for work or play and not necessarily a bad thing, most folks spend too much time looking at computer, I-Pads, video games, Televisions, etc. not knowing if future health ramifications may surface as a result.

However, there have been many medical advances and professionals that have improved and extended lives. A recent issue of National Geographic Magazine hails an accomplishment by Dr. Jim Allison, Cancer Researcher & Nobel Laureate. “Dr Jim Allison’s breakthrough in immunotherapy transformed cancer care…giving more hope to patients and families.” Many creative and entrepreneurial individuals, businesses and organizations have taken it upon themselves to “Make A Difference” in their communities in past years and, hopefully will continue these endeavors in 2020.

Going forward, I hope 2020 will be a year of new and renewed potential. I share this quote by the late Stephen Hawking, “we are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very large star. But we can understand the universe. That makes us very special.” Historically, our focus has always been Planet Earth, our human home with Earth considered the big fish in a small pond. I muse in 2020 and beyond, Planet Earth might be perceived as a smaller fish in a much bigger pond – the huge and still unexplored universe.

We’ve been to the Moon and back. Astronauts from many countries share and work in a space station and we’ve sent numerous satellite probes into space. What new explorations and data will scientists discover in this coming year?

Mind boggling, isn’t it!!!!

Back to Earth and the smaller pond…. Will science discover new breakthroughs and treatments for Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease?  Will technology design new “brooms”  to sweep away instead of hide harmful waste under the rug?

Author’s Note:  Pen and Patience, my writer site, had a good year in 2019. Although most Pen and Patience viewers were within the United States, I was excited the site, over the past twelve months, recorded views from thirty-three countries. A few other statistics:  The Home Page/Archives was the most viewed Page with “Writing Likes – Dislikes,” a post from an earlier year, the most viewed Monthly Musing in 2019. My heartfelt thanks to all readers who made this happen😊

To Readers: Comments sent to Pen and Patience are not broadcast but read only by me.  I hope to hear your thoughts in 2020.

Cheers! For a Safe and Healthy New Year!