10/21/2020
by Mark Stash
This is the last issue of the magazine for 2020, and it prompts me to reflect a bit on the past year. It has been an unprecedented year without question – a time of great change and dealing with the unknown. The stress from worrying about getting sick and from seeing how the rest of the human population is dealing with a pandemic can lead to depression. It certainly is a time of great anxiety and uncertainty.
Aside from the fact that the regional population has had to deal with human losses due to COVID, we’ve also lost jobs and have been lacking in human contact. Grandchildren are limited in how much they can see their grandparents. Some families and friends keep each other at a distance.
That is the bad news. The good news is that I have seen resilience in people. I have seen that in spite of a different world, we are living it as normally as we can, doing what we’ve always done. Yes, we have rules to follow for safety – but we still finds ways to enjoy life and work.
Life in the Finger Lakes is still going strong – and I mean both the magazine and the people in the area. As far as the magazine goes, we have never wavered on our publishing dates and in fact met every one of them. We have amazing advertisers that believe in what we do and believe in the marketing power we give them. We have loyal and intelligent readers who continue to grow our subscription base. People are darn proud of this region and everything it represents. We have weathered storms before, and we will weather this one as well and come out the other side in the bright sun.
I truly think that because of circumstances where families have to stay together more often and there are fewer options for activities outside the home, these same families have grown closer to one another. Children and parents are talking and listening more to each other. We have all taken a slight step back, away from the hustle and bustle of regular life, to reflect a bit about life in general. And we are finding new ways to seek fulfillment, which can sometimes be elusive.
It has been the mission statement of Life in the Finger Lakes magazine to showcase what the region really represents – through a variety of subjects. I think 2020 has in fact been a year where we can be proud of ourselves. We have found ways to shine in the dark, even when no one is looking. Each person knows themself the best, and knows when he or she has been challenged and met those challenges. I am looking forward to a new year ahead, where a little break will be welcome, and also knowing that I can handle whatever life hands to me.
