2020 Rewind: Look for the Silver Lining

Twenty-twenty, what can I say in hindsight other than it was like we were all thrown into the cast of the wildest and most suspenseful live action film in all of human history. Sometimes it even seems like the last few centuries replayed, only within the span of a single year.

And I thought the 2020 live action Mulan was going to be the talk of the year...

It turns out that China had something else to offer the media circus in 2020.

But if I had to write a tagline for 2020, I’d write

“the return back to essentials”

and I’m not just talking about toilet paper... or,

"the year face masks, Zoom, and work from home blew up social hashtags."

I mean even my non-computer-savvy dad learned how to use Zoom for the first time!

Before face masks became the new normal and the world rationed toilet paper, my year started with a January of heart-break on the home front at the passing of a loved one after a battle with cancer. In hindsight, he was lucky to go before the devastation of 2020 ravaged through all corners of Earth. But I still miss him dearly.

There's always a silver lining. Look for it.

I feel like his spirit is with me though everytime I pick up the guitar that we both shared a love with. This brings me to a song that is in my top 3 for personal anthems of 2020... No, it's not the BeeGee's "Stayin' Alive" either but, Leonard Cohen’s classic, Hallelujah. A song that just strikes you deep with the chord progression.

Thanks to the new normal of "#stayhome," quarantine," and a few helpful connections from YouTube the Jeff Buckley version became the first song that I felt able to play and sing (as best I could having only ever sung karaoke).

It’s one of those songs that is timeless and mesmerizing to the point it gets etched inside of you so you can enjoy it and gain a helpful familiarity for learning to play it without any backing track. Plus, after the constant bombardment of main media news projecting different perspectives of the year's events it is much welcomed on the 2020 playlist that moved my spirit over the giant cracks that emerged this year.

On a side note regarding guitar practice, I started picking it back up regularly again in the second half of the year after feeling mentally drained and burnt out of anything digital and computer related. Even though it felt like the first time strumming and fretting the notes again, it was amazing to make something more than fingers striking the keyboard.

Similarly I started to return back to the roots of another passion, photography. I experienced a deep passion for its pre-digital means over a decade ago bringing me to the next song that brought life back to my digitally burnt out spirit. The 1973 song, Kodachrome by Paul Simon as I looked back into my photo notebook of silver gelatin and chromogenic prints helped me reimagine and climb closer out of a sort of creative photographic rut that I managed to find myself in. It felt like everything had been done before and in the digital realm, less connected to the work.

I don’t know if I’m an old soul or not but sometimes I imagine what it must’ve been like to work in photography in the decades leading up to Simon’s release where you actually had to work the mind-body connection to produce a print (not just press buttons), they were durable with a special quality that I’ve been hard pressed to find in digital prints, and lastly - peace of mind over what happened with the raw photos!

Lastly, there’s something about film grain that digital doesn’t do as well. Digital has its perks but if you aren’t careful it can get noisy real quick. Which is similar to all the digital noise we see in the media today. I will leave it at that for now but before moving to the next song I want to share a special video moment of my year BEFORE things spun wild...

This short video is one of my highlights of the year. It reveals what actually goes on anytime you press the shutter on a film or an iPhone camera. It always amazes my mind and uplifts my spirit, everytime.

"And we're back to the music. "

The remaining top 2 personal anthems of 2020 for me are Reflection, the 2020 remake for the new live action Mulan film which was hugely downplayed in the grand scheme of the real life live action picture that has no human director... And then, Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield as I am constantly learning and improving on myself from yesterday and well, sometimes the best plans aren’t written for you by the outside world… But found written within.

But, for my top, most played artist and album, that goes to Eddie Bush for his 2020 record (which happens to be his 20th all around) “The Next Right Thing!" So, that’s why my real life playlist has been heavily stacked this way.

Because when you're confused, down and don't know what to do, ask within and do the next right thing from a place of love and as Branden and James say in their song, I belong,

"if it comes from love, it'll never ever be wrong."

If this year taught me one thing, it’s to not get too comfortable with anything because it could be swept from under you anytime but to enjoy, love, and learn what is, right now. Remember, there's always a silver lining. Look for it.

The songs on this playlist have been etched in my mind after endless loops played over and over throughout this heart breaking, crazy year. Often I don't even have to press play and I will recount the chord progression or melody, lyric which uplifts and inspires me to keep the faith in something bigger than any situation I will ever face here on Earth.

Thank you to Vocal for putting this writing challenge together so we can all share great music. I hope that you can enjoy this playlist with a friend or over your morning, or afternoon coffee/tea and that it inspires you to get moving in a positive direction with the head up and the shoulders back.

If you liked what you read or heard, please heart this story below and share with a friend. Thank you and may 2021 bring blessings and health to us.

Now stand up for a few minutes and enjoy the latest remix of Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten. I dare you not to dance, or tap you feet!