Winter Solstice 2020 - Annus Horribilis

 Solstice Dawn 

(Geez, seems like it shows up in same spot every year!)

Annus Horribilis. (No, it doesn't mean horrible pain in the ass - although this year might qualify.) It means "Horrible year" and that's what Queen Elizabeth thought of her 1992. Kinda makes you wonder what she thinks of this year. Anyway, it's been a stinker alright but hold fast, the greatest day of the year is at hand! 

For the past many years I have done my best with various solstice stories to help my fellow Northern Hemispherians get through this longest of nights. I had hoped that I could retire or at least slack off a bit but no, this horribilis year requires that I man up and see you through this vale of tears once again. This has been a terrible year, no doubt about it, a horrible year and some say the worst ever. But is it? Let's see:

1347AD, Black Death, 200 million dead. 1520, Hernan Cortez invades Mexico, kills of 9 of 10 Aztecs through war and disease. 1943, WWII rages, millions of Jews murdered, millions of soldiers and civilians dead, food/fuel rationing. 1968, height of Viet Nam war, 16,592 GIs killed in single year, thousands of civilians dead, My Lai Massacre, two tragic assassinations. 2001, 2977 civilians killed on 9/11, 20 years of non-stop wars started with thousands more GI's and civilians killed. 2020 sucked but it has a way to go on the all-time hit parade.

Where was I? Oh yeah, on these cold December nights it can be hard to remember that dawn and spring always come. Well, okay, have always come in the past. Right, okay, that doesn’t mean that it’s guaranteed but it is really likely. Besides, there’s a lot to be thankful for this year. No, really, there are many positive lessons the pandemic has taught us about ourselves (well, mostly positive.)

First, let’s get the political stuff out of the way. There’s been 59 presidential elections in this country and in only one has the outgoing president tried to throw out the Constitution and overturn the legal outcome so in one sense that's not too bad in 232 years. Also, despite massive fraud - it’s pretty clear that Biden won by a lot more than seven million votes – we will have a new president on Jan. 20^th so our system, while a bit shaky, still seems to work. I think it is important now that we all move on, let our national wounds heal and again become the great nation that we once were. (Remind me, when was that again?)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Oops, Wrong Great America!   

Healthcare Providers   

Our first responders and care givers have been magnificent – but at a high cost. Over 1700 healthcare workers have died of the virus and countless more sickened. (And for about 14 bucks an hour for nursing homes caregivers.) How can we possibly thank them enough?  

                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                        The Greatest Generation 

We learned that, as usual, we could count on our parents’ and grandparents’ generations to make the real sacrifices for us. Sure, we did lose a few grandma’s and grandpa’s but as the Lt. Gov. of Texas said, “There are more important things than living and that’s saving the country.” Gee, thanks Nana and Bumpa. (I can think of someone I'd like to sacrifice for the economy.)

                                                                                                                                  Service Industry Workers   

 While 2020 might not be the worst year ever, it's all in the eye of the beholder. It’s not too bad for all the folks that can work from home – and those in the stock market – but it’s been awful for the millions of service workers who paid for the pandemic with their jobs. Yet many managed to keep things going at grocery stores and food delivery even while about 20% of grocery workers caught the virus and many died. Look up unsung heroes in the dictionary and you should see their pictures should be there.

                            Mr Covid 19

 

We also learned that the rotten little bug doesn’t discriminate by race, gender or religion. You might say that, unlike us, it doesn’t bend a knee for (or on) anyone. (So take the damn vaccine when you can!)

Finally, there’s this. From the mouth of babes come some of the simplest and most honest observations in life. A neighbor, who occasionally (okay, often) forces me to have an adult beverage with him, shared something with me that his young son recently told him. “Dad, I know lots of people are sick and have died and that’s terrible but there’s some good things too. Since you’ve been home, we’ve had so much time together, all of us. You know, walking and biking and watching TV. It’s been great!”

 

If nothing else, hopefully a lot of families have come out of this mess with this same realization.

                                                                                      Parting Solstice Gift?

Just a Coincidence?

Anyway, I come not to curse the darkness but to proclaim the light at the end of the tunnel that is the solstice night. (And, no, it is not the headlight of another expensive, underused light rail train.) It will be the dawn of a new day that will be longer than the last one and shorter than the next. 

But wait, there's more! 

Unless you have retreated to your safe space without any sort of news (probably not a bad idea these days) you know that we are receiving a sort of astronomical bonus this year.  On the solstice the two biggest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, are so close together that it will look like one, huge star in the western sky. As far as we know, the last time it happened around the winter solstice was about 2000 years ago (2000 yrs ago, solstice, big bright thing in the sky, hmmm, sounds familiar.) Everyone knows that the most recent that these two were this close together was in March 1226AD but did you know that King Louis VIII of France died later that same year? No? Well, then you probably didn't know that he was married at 12, had 13 kids and was dead at 39 and no wonder, that's a lot of playing catch, kids baths and school conferences! Oh yeah, and his wife outlived him by 26 years (Reports of her later marriage to the harpsicord player were never confirmed.) The point is that, like us, old Louis had a bad year but at least he too enjoyed a special celestial event. (I know, that's just me, Mr. Positive, making lemonade out of lemons.)

Back to OUR planetary bonus. Yup, it's been a grim year but what a way to say good bye to it, huh? Do you think it's a coincidence that after this terrible year we see a a big star-like vision on the solstice? That's got to be a good sign, right? You bet it is! So stay “Negative” my friends and it will be 70 and sunny before you can say “Windchill Alert” - and everything is going to be alright. (Well, until June 20th anyway.)

A little music to help you make it through the long solstice night . . . There's Got to be a Morning After 

You're welcome.

(As an interesting aside, the video clip for the song was actually filmed during an early Pederson family New Years Eve party. Understandably, that was the last one that Liz let me plan.)

Solstice Evening