January 2021
How shall we reflect upon this past year?
Wow…it was a year that promised hope and prosperity. Within the first couple of months of the year, our event company had already lined up more than a dozen festivals and productions with more on the way. It was going to be the biggest year of our company ever…and then it wasn’t. We were sure that this would only last a few months. Surely by the fall everything would be back to normal… We watched despondently as one event after another cancelled…until there were none.
We soon realized that it would be at least a full year before we would be able to do anything…we were given a gap year, but not of our choosing. This gap year came with conditions…stay home, stay away from other people, wear masks…don’t travel, and don’t spend time with friends or relatives.
We became trapped with a quarantine family or we were trapped alone. How we handled our isolation not only taught us a lot about ourselves, but it taught us an enormous amount about other people. We saw a lot of stupidity. (I.e. hoarding toilet paper comes to mind.) The kindest stories were quiet and small. Institutional flaws became huge and glaring. (The Nevada Unemployment office immediately pops into my brain…there are still tens of thousands of claimants that have still received nothing.) We were completely unprepared. We had no idea that the world could change so dramatically. Adversity did not build our character, but it certainly revealed it. We had to shift our focus from what we were going to get, to reflect on what we already had.
I have watched some people thrive during this time…redefining themselves for a bigger and brighter future, and I have watched some people run out of things to watch with nine streaming services and cable television. What did you do in your gap year?
One year ago, I wrote this in my January 2020 newsletter about 2019:
“It seemed like this was the year that everyone chose a side and dug in while standing on a foundation of mud…divisiveness, hate, lies, natural disasters, constant chaos, and violence. We’ve been given permission to disrespect others and not care about anyone except ourselves. 2020 is an election year, and I dare say that that we’ve only scratched the surface of the hate we will witness in the coming year.”
If I can prognosticate so accurately about the coming year, let me say this about 2021. We will get through this…not immediately, but soon. We will emerge like the phoenix and burst forth into a bright and beautiful future. Our prosperity will not only return, but exceed our expectations. In the words of Timbuk 3: “The future’s so bright, [we] gotta wear shades.”
So what should our New Year bring us? As we create our resolutions, we look at ourselves and try to figure out what we should (or shouldn’t) do to make our lives better. For the most part, we already know what our shortcomings are, and we already know how to fix them (i.e. weight and exercise.) Sadly, the average time before a resolution is broken…is seventeen days.
And yet…here we go again. What would I like to resolve to do? Quite frankly, I’d like to do what I didn’t get to do this past year…all the festivals and productions, but I’d also like to diversify financial streams and not have to rely on singular sources for income. I want to go to dinner with friends. I want to go to a show. I want to be considered essential. …and I want a new computer.
So what’s been happening in Vegas?
…not a damn thing.
Last summer, we couldn’t get a covid test unless we were sick or dying. Now we have great testing facilities. Can we just turn these testing facilities into vaccine facilities?
January is:
National Bath Safety Month, National Blood Donor Month, National Braille Literacy Month, National Hobby Month, Hot Tea Month, National Oatmeal Month, and National Soup Month
1 New Year's Day and National Hangover Day.
2 Run up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes Day
3 Festival of Sleep Day, Fruitcake Toss Day, and Humiliation Day
4 National Spaghetti Day and Trivia Day
5 National Bird Day
6 Bean Day and Cuddle Up Day
7 Old Rock Day
8 Bubble Bath Day and Male Watcher's Day
11 Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend's Day
12 Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day and National Pharmacist Day
14 Dress Up Your Pet Day
16 Appreciate a Dragon Day and National Nothing Day
17 Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day
18 Thesaurus Day and Winnie the Pooh Day -The Birthday of Winnie's author A.A. Milne
19 National Popcorn Day
20 National Buttercrunch Day, National Cheese Lover Day, and Penguin Awareness Day
21 National Hugging Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day
22 National Blonde Brownie Day
23 National Pie Day, National Handwriting Day, Measure Your Feet Day- we only ask...."Why!?!"
24 Beer Can Appreciation Day, Compliment Day
25 Opposite Day
26 Spouse's Day
27 Chocolate Cake Day and Punch the Clock Day
28 Data Privacy Day, Fun at Work Day, National Kazoo Day
29 National Puzzle Day and National Corn chip Day
30 National Inane Answering Message Day
31 Backward Day and Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
Remember, too, Elvis' was born on January 8, 1935. He will be 86!
We will come back this year.
For dates and times, be sure to log onto the Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide: lvol.com.
Igoshows.com is, of course, the place to read the reviews of all of the shows that are in town so that you can be better informed as to what you should expect from a certain production. The reviews are updated as needed to give you the knowledge you need to spend your entertainment dollars better.
