It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it? My year began with the best intentions. My husband and I were looking forward to a year of travel with two big trips and seven weddings to attend. In between, I planned to continue experiencing and writing about perception for a possible future publication. My phrase for the year was to “love everything.” Little did I know how that would be put to the test. Another unusual plan was that I had decided that I wouldn’t buy any new books. Instead, I would re-read some of my favourites, and discover unread treasures on my physical and digital shelves.
January turned out to be fairly quiet and brutally cold so I got right into my reading and writing. We had a trip planned in February to visit with friends in Florida and then our daughter in Tucson. But I became ill in late January. We had to juggle our plans, cancelling Florida but managing a later departure to California and Arizona. It was a wonderful trip and I’m so glad we were able to see our daughter, who hadn’t been home for Christmas. We flew home March 1st, right before all hell broke loose. By March 15th, we were locked down.
You know what happened next, from the spread of COVID-19 across the globe to the death of George Floyd in the U.S., the rise of conspiracy thinking, and the American election. I decided to offer 30 Days of Perception in April – lockdown version. I gave up on my decision not to buy any new books since there was so much going on that I wanted to learn more about. We stayed home and discovered new spots to hike where we live. Two of my three grown children lost their jobs and are living with us. Our daughter in Tucson won’t be joining us for Christmas but we’ll connect on Zoom. And, we’re going into lockdown again.
Through it all, we’ve managed to stay healthy and in touch with family and friends. My worst moments were in not being able to attend special weddings and visit with people. I never thought that I would ever see the border closed between Canada and the U.S. My best moments were in exploring the beautiful terrain right where I live and being with the three others in my household. Visiting with our daughter in February just before lockdown was another lucky event. I’ve learned that I have quite enough and that I can stay home and be quite content. I know I have it way easier than most but this was and continues to be hard for so many. I try to always keep that in mind when evaluating information and making decisions with my family. It’s not all about us. We try through our actions to minimize harm for our community.
I’m thankful that I did get to read some great books this past year and listen to podcasts on my walks. Below you’ll find a few of my favourites.
Favourite Books of 2020
Books that I Learned the Most From – Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (about the migration of African-Americans from south to North in the 20th century) , The New Jim Crow by Michele Alexander (about the rise of mass incarceration), and Spillover by David Quammen (about zoonotic infectious diseases, ones that spill over from animals to humans).
Most Enlightening – When they Call you a Terrorist by Patrisse Cullors (a memoir by one of the founders of Black Lives Matter) and Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (about the wonderful world of fungi).
Best How To Book – How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi. This book lays out in detail the systemic nature of racism and how to help bring change.
Favourite Novel – An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. When life hands you a chance traumatic event, can a marriage last?
Most Fun – The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker. Walker has such a zest for life and the world around him and he culls some great stories and ideas about noticing what’s right in front of you.
Best Writing – Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy. Gorgeous essays about how history is embedded into a place, whether it’s talked about or not.
Best Memoirs – Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty and The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J Drew Lanham.
Most Hopeful – What Unites Us by Dan Rather. Powerful essays from someone who’s seen a lot.
One that Will Make my Too 10 of All Time – Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Hard to describe this prescient science fiction novel. Published in 1999, it takes place after 2025 and speculates on what life might be like based on current lifestyles. The protagonist, Lauren Olamina, is an exceptional teenager, who goes through many horrific crises, all the while developing her Earthseed philosophy, books for the living.
** You can find all of these books on Amazon through this link (affiliate).
Favourite Podcasts
Conspirituality with Matthew Remski, Julian Walker, and Derek Beres – explores the rise of conspiracy thinking in health and wellness spaces.
Octavia’s Parables with Toshi Reagon and adrienne maree brown – a chapter by chapter discussion of Parable of the Sower, including wonderful music from Toshi.
What was your favourite book from this year?
P.S. This year I also observed the dangers of having misinformation widely available on the Internet and how it can spread as quickly as a virus. It’s an important skill to be able to evaluate information sources and to not be so quick to share. My new project, Seeing Clearly 2021, grew out of my reflections on this topic. It starts on January 3rd. Click on the image below to learn more or subscribe through the button. Click none to subscribe for free.
