Looking Back on a Year of Personal Growth and New Opportunities
This week marks my one-year anniversary as a columnist for Sarcoidosis News.
I once read that we tend to underestimate how much our lives can change in a decade, but overestimate the potential change in a year. With all due respect, that person hasn’t seen my life!
There have been so many blessings since I became a columnist, including a new relationship and career, and, of course, in my running. I still have sarcoidosis, with all of its challenges, but this year has truly changed my view of what someone can do, even with chronic illness.
One big change is travel. Yes, there have definitely been more major changes, but I cannot recall a year when I’ve traveled so much. And especially considering that COVID-19 still presents a real risk to people like me, I’ve almost gotten used to the unique challenges it can bring. I don’t mean worries about lost luggage or the hassle of getting through airport security. Instead, I mean the constant fear you face traveling when you’re a chronically ill patient in a world where many just want a return to “normalcy.”
That said, in countless parts of the world, “normal” wasn’t that great. The pandemic has shone a light on countless long-standing inequities, many of which have only gotten worse since the pandemic began. However, I certainly understand the desire to have other parts of the world go back to the way they were — I felt that, too.
But for me, a pulmonary sarcoidosis patient, it will be quite some time before you see me without a mask on or somewhere nearby. My doctor has allowed me to do many things that were completely off-limits when COVID-19 first became an issue. Yet while I do manage my life carefully, very real risks exist.
Meanwhile, my new job as a CEO is the opportunity of a lifetime. I truly enjoy the challenges of this position. It requires significant travel, so I have to be diligent and vigilant in protecting my health. That said, the travel and the opportunity to meet colleagues and others in the accounting profession are truly a joy. And admittedly, there’s something liberating about so much travel, especially after two years of isolation, although I have to be more careful than most.
But as I look back over the last year, from the highs of a new relationship, new job, new races, and new travel, to the low of getting COVID-19 (although even that low was better than what many experience), I’m amazed at just how much has happened over the past year.
See? That person was wrong. I didn’t overestimate how much could happen in a year after all. If anything, I underestimated it.
Here’s to another great year!
Note: Sarcoidosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sarcoidosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sarcoidosis.
About the Author
Comments