I take a look back at my life, and our collective lives, at year’s end. The photo is of me literally shaking my fist at 2020! That’s Wednesday’s column, the last of 2020. Coming Friday, New Year’s Day: a sequel of sorts, in which I look ahead to 2021, but with help from you readers.

Candidly, essay columns like today’s are a challenge to write, and they’re not quite my metier. Usually I’m left thinking that I wish I were smarter and more clever, because the results don’t match up with my hopes, or with similar-type essays in other publications. In other words, I have trouble focusing what I want to say, or finding one great point that I can hone in on. But I try to write a column like this now and then regardless, especially during the virus, hoping some element of them will connect.

Thanks for reading me, now and throughout the year, and stay safe.