By Dirk Webb
Can you believe it? Just a year ago, we were so relieved that 2020 was in the rear-view mirror — nothing could be as bad as the year we just completed. We were equally convinced that 2021 held a much brighter promise for us.
I think most of us would agree that 2021 was a mixed bag. There was some good, some bad, some encouraging and some disappointing.
I would compare it to my years of driving snowslicked streets during long northern winters: I would proceed at a conservative speed with both hands carefully placed at 10 and 2. After a few minutes, I would relax and start to think about the day only to encounter a particularly slick spot. My heartbeat would quicken as I tried to regain control of the car. It was that same terrible cycle for miles on end: pressure on the steering wheel, relax and flex my fingers, split seconds of concern bordering on alarm while pressure on the steering wheel increased again.
This year, we saw variants of the virus, controversies over masks and fluctuating travel requirements, but we saw people in the stands again at sporting events. Very few sounds can replace the full-throated approval of thousands of fans at a game.
Locally, we welcomed our Chamber family back to events that had struggled previously. Our recent Christmas Parade was a prime example. Over 110 entries moved gracefully through the streets of Downtown St. Cloud and so many of you came to experience the joy of community yet again.
So what about 2022? What lies ahead? Do we know anything for certain?
We will face uncertainty. We always do. However, how we face it will have much to do with our outcomes. I believe we will choose to face uncertainty with the hope that we will together overcome any obstacles we encounter.
We will face change. Again, we always do. I’ve noticed the older I get, the less I appreciate change. There is something to be said for the comfort of the familiar. However, we’re all wise enough to realize that nothing stays the same and being an agent of change can help lessen the impact.
We will struggle. Can you name one year in your life devoid of struggle? Let’s brace ourselves with the understanding that some measure of struggle keeps us fit mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If the struggle gets too much though, help is all around us.
We will succeed. While sometimes success seems very difficult to attain, know that as a community we offer so many organizations and groups that can provide resources for us. We each define success differently. Don’t make the mistake of comparing your success to another’s.
We will celebrate. As individuals or as groups we will mark our successes with moments of joy, exhilaration and even thankfulness. Taking a moment to be grateful reminds us that even in the most difficult times, we have much to celebrate.
My New Year’s Challenge for you: Each New Year’s Eve, I take a few moments to text members of my immediate family to let them each know how much I love them all. I also let them know what my wish for the coming year is for each of them.
Please accept my challenge to send a private note, text or email to the people you embrace. Remind them that there may be uncertainty, changes, struggles and successes in the coming year and you will be with them through it all. Mostly, remind them of how much you love them, pray for them and hold them so very close in your heart.
In a world of uncertainty, I am certain of this: they c an never hear it from you enough.
Happy New Year!
Dirk Webb is the President/CEO of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce.
