A Hopeful Holiday

Saying goodbye to 2020 has become an unofficial national, if not an international, pastime. As Eric Herman points out in his year-end homily, that’s especially true now as the holidays approach and a new year unfolds with the prospect of better, hopefully virus-free days ahead.

Eric Herman

There’s not much to say about 2020 that hasn’t been said before. One can quickly exhaust the list of adjectives used to describe the overall lethal weirdness of this year and, frankly, if I never hear the words “unprecedented” or “pandemic” again, it will be too soon.

Of course, there’s been the huge silver lining for the residential pool-construction segment of the watershaping industry with the white-hot demand from consumers looking to improve their at-home environments. As I’ve written before in this space, for many people, pools and spas have gone from a luxury to something approaching a necessity.

Our industry’s good fortune doesn’t change the fact that we are all burned out by the current circumstances. It’s hard to imagine anyone not wanting the world to return to some semblance of normal as soon as possible. The good news is, of course, that as vaccines come on line throughout the coming year, there is hope that far more familiar paces are waiting just up the road.We shall see.

For now, as we celebrate the holidays under the current trying circumstances, I keep having the same hopeful thought, the same daydream, of a potentially wonderful silver lining.

The day will come when we resume activities from which we have been painfully deprived over the past nine months. We all know the list, stuff like going to the movies, packing sports stadiums, eating indoors at restaurants, haunting bars, going to church, and attending trade shows.

We’ve all missed those things terribly and maybe, just maybe, that longing will mean that we all will be much more appreciative of the people and activities we once more or less took for granted. Something as ordinary as attending a convention will be such a treat it’s hard not to become impatient. I think of all the interaction I’ve missed, all the impromptu conversations, and all the possibilities we’ve had to set aside for the time being. I miss my friends in the industry and know that, for my part, it’s going to be truly joyful to be among you again.

We are all champing at the proverbial bit to rejoin our circles, to live as the pack animals we are.

As for these upcoming holidays, it’s going to continue to be tricky as we balance our burning desire to be with family and friends, and the need to stay safe. For now, as long as this damnable virus is out there running amok, there is no good answer. We all just have to exercise the best judgment in the moment as we move forward.

I know, in my case, keeping an eye on the clearer skies ahead is a big help when contending with the gnawing isolation and compromises that have defined our lives since March. There’s much to hope for, even if we’re not quite there yet.

Simply knowing that better days are on the way is the best holiday gift of all.

From all of us at WaterShapes and Watershape University, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a most hopeful and healthy New Year!