WELCOME TO DAY 8 OF THE #RWISA “REVOLUTION” BLOG TOUR! #RRBC @KARENSSTORIES @RRBC_ORG @RRBC_RWISA @TWEETS4RWISA #RWISAREVOLUTIONTOUR

Welcome to Day 8 of the RWISA “REVOLUTION” Blog Tour!  We’d like to introduce you to an amazingly supportive RWISA member and the 2nd graduate of RWISA University, Author, Karen Black.  Take a peek at her writing below…

THOUGHTS ON TWO THOUSAND TWENTY

Who could have imagined the changes that last year brought to us all? Like so many, I’ve read more than one book that told a tale of life during a pandemic. Scary stuff to be sure, I never expected that fiction would describe so much of that which became reality.

New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday celebration; the end of a chapter and the start of the next one. It is the time to get over mistakes, mishaps, or misfortune that might have littered the past year, and plan for a positive future, with fresh energy and new goals. On December 31, 2020, I looked forward to putting the past year behind.

Like the dealer in a poker game, the universe has a deck of cards. Life deals us each a set of circumstances different from those of everyone else. Some of us are happy with what we face, and some of us aren’t. In 2020, we were all in the game, but against the odds, everyone got cards from the same suit, the pandemic. No one was happy about those cards, but we didn’t fold. Each of us is playing the hand to the best of our ability, with all of us pursuing a different goal on the road to individual victory.

As the new year got underway, and life as we knew it became more difficult, I thought about what two generations before me endured just to get through day-to-day living. From 1914 through 1919, World War I was being fought. As if the war wasn’t enough, the Spanish Flu arrived in 1918, and added to the misery. Back then, the recommendations were much the same as today: wear a mask, avoid crowds, stay home if you exhibit any symptoms, don’t get close to others, adhere to quarantines, etc.

Can you imagine going through the past year with limited medical treatment available, and without takeout, home delivery, curbside service, internet access and twenty-four-hour video entertainment? I can’t. Last year was difficult, but the conditions in 1918 were devastating.

The quarantines and shutdowns affected each of us differently, and we are all aware of the myriad of negative effects. But some good things have resulted, too. Hiking, bird watching, fishing or feeding ducks and squirrels are a few pastimes that took the place of a social network that was substantially diminished. Away from the office and into the outdoors, people found a new appreciation for parks and game lands and the overall benefits of being closer to nature.

With people spending more time at home, often alone, the pet adoption rate has risen. Many are experiencing the companionship of a furry buddy for the first time. They not only discovered the delight of a four-legged roommate, but provided homes for thousands of animals who might otherwise have died.

For some, socializing has been limited to those living in the same household, which means there is more interaction among family members. Rather than telling each other how you spent the day, you spend the day doing something together. Relationships are being rediscovered and people are getting to know each other a little differently.

What scientists learned about COVID and ways to protect against it will help in future research against a variety of diseases that find their way into our lives. Vaccines are becoming available, and before long will be easily accessible. The pandemic will pass, but I will remember that there was some good with the bad.

 Looking forward to the new year, my goal is to dwell on the positive. I’ll keep looking for silver linings, even those that might be a bit tarnished. In the game of life, I think that’s all I’ll need for a winning hand.

***

Did you enjoy Karen’s writing?  Then please, help us support her and her work along this REVOLUTION tour! We ask that you click on the author’s RWISA Profile below and visit all of her profile pages – some offering more insight into the member and others showcasing the author’s talent.

Lastly, we ask that you support this member as well as the host of this blog, by sharing this page and the author’s profile pages across all your social media platforms.

RWISA Profile

What Karen has to say about RWISA…

Check out Karen’s book…

“TREACHEROUS LOVE”

***

Now, we’d like to give you a chance at some of this awesome promotion for yourself!

Have you written that book or short story you want the whole world to know about? Are you looking for a great way to promote your creative endeavors? Perhaps you’re seeking to add some prestige to your body of work! If this sounds like you, we invite you to come on over to RAVE WRITERS – INT’L SOCIETY OF AUTHORS, otherwise known as RWISA.

At RWISA, we invite and accept into membership only the very best writers the Indie community has to offer.

If your work is exemplary and speaks for itself, stop by the RWISA website today at RaveWriters.wordpress.com and find out how you can submit your sample of writing for consideration.

We’re an exclusive bunch but we’d love to have you join us!

NOTE:  If you’re looking to improve your writing while taking another route to membership into RWISAwhile you’re at the site, visit RWISA UNIVERSITY!

Thanks for dropping by and don’t forget to leave the author a comment below!  To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the tour’s home page!

16 Comments

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  1. This is such an uplifting piece. I’m so happy Karen shared such positive energy with us. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Great card game analogy, Karen! You’ve got me feeling grateful for the blessings in every hand. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Karen, what a refreshing take on the pandemic and the isolation we have endured. I agree that there are hidden blessings, and think “Mother Nature” and her creatures have benefited somewhat. I love that people are adopting pets and hope that will continue. Enjoyed your optimistic and positive post!!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. D.L. Finn, Author February 25, 2021 — 6:22 pm

    Great post, Karen. I enjoyed how you focused on the positive. Although simlar to the Spanish flu we were so luckily to have the medical treatments and all our online access. It was a good time to reconnect with our pets and for me some of my unused appliances.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Hi, Karen! I loved how you found positives among the negatives during the 2020 pandemic year, and your positive outlook for the future encouraged me. I reblogged with this comment: I loved reading how Karen Black handled the circumstances of 2020, and her hopeful look toward the future in this insightful blog. Read on and consider whether the positives may have outweighed the negatives for you.

    Thank you, Nonnie, for sharing Karen’s excellent piece today!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Reblogged this on PTL Perrin Writes… and commented:
    I loved reading how Karen Black handled the circumstances of 2020, and her hopeful look toward the future in this insightful blog. Read on and consider whether the positives may have outweighed the negatives for you.

    Like

  7. A lovely post, Karen. Let’s hope the second half of 2021 will be much better for us all.

    Like

  8. Reblogged this on Writing and Music and commented:
    Karen Black is sharing some deeply insightful thoughts on Day 8 of the 2021 RWISA Revolution Blog Tour! She makes an apropos comparison of life to a dealer with a deck of cards. How did you handle the hand you were dealt in 2020? Hop on over and read the rest!

    Like

  9. Hi, Karen! I love how you compared a new year to a dealer with a deck of cards. You are right in that we were all dealt the same hand in 2020. How each of us handled the hand we were dealt was unique and different, but some of the things you mentioned really hit home. Families were forced to communicate again. I also love how you are always looking for those silver linings. A heartfelt and inspiring post! Thank you!

    Like

  10. Thank God, Karen, for a fresh new year. Let’s hope for the best. Good luck with your tour.

    Like

  11. Hi Karen, thanks for your very insightful piece. Have a great day on the tour. 🙂

    Like

  12. Hi Karen,
    Life is like a game of cards, I like your comparison. Once I heard someone else say that. He told me also that life is like a game of cards and only the ones who are playing and not the ones who are sitting on the fence looking. Keep playing, keep looking for the silver lining in every situation. I have no doubts that you will discover it and keep moving forward.
    Continue to be the best you can be.
    Shalom aleichem

    Like

    • Karen,
      Sorry, but I left out part of my sentence in my third sentence. I was thinking faster than I was writing. The complete sentence is:
      He told me also that life is like a game of cards and only the ones who are playing get to enjoy life and not the ones who are sitting on the fence looking.

      Shalom aleichem

      Like

  13. Hi Karen, I like your positive attitude!

    Like

  14. Reblogged this on Watch Nonnie Write! and commented:

    Welcome to Day 8 of the RWISA REVOLUTION BLOG TOUR! Meet Author, Karen Black and her take on the hand 2020 dealt us all! @KarensStories

    Like

  15. Karen, I really enjoyed your piece and you’re correct, we were all dealt the same hand in 2020 when COVID19 came to town. Let’s pray that before we exit this new year, we have shown it the door and latched the deadbolt behind it.

    Enjoy your day!

    Like

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