The good, the bad, and the ugly round-up of 2021…

2021 was definitely a year; locally, nationally and internationally. I can say that much with confidence. But what sort of year was it? Now that is the question…

There are plenty of reasons to believe it was another ‘forgettable year’, and many people reckon that 2021 will exist only as another indistinguishable part of the hazy pandemic years; a misty fragment totally lacking in any self-identity, and buried deep within a large grey Covid cloud.

But even the darkest clouds have their silver linings. So, on that note of proverbial wisdom, here are a few loose life lessons and observations from some of the more stand-out events, both big and small, of 2021.

(Disclaimer: I am not the Messiah, therefore all lessons should be adopted only after a close consultation with your own conscience).

The hostile heatwave

The summer of 2021 brought with it gleaming weather which answered the prayers of a sun-starved people.

Indeed, after many underwhelming and overcast years of mizzle and moaning, the celtic sun god sang her song in the sky for almost two months straight!

But was the change in weather reflected in our change in mood? Well, not exactly…

As Castlederg and Armagh battled it out for the coveted title of ‘Hottest Town in the North’, many shiny, happy people splashed around in every puddle that paradise had to offer. No body of water was too shallow or dirty for a dip. It was 31 degrees, for God’s sake!

However, our taste of the tropics also revealed something the spouse of every lottery winner knows to be true: No matter how good things get, people still love a good whinge.

Parents threatened legal action against children who ‘seemed to have forgot who bought the fan’.

Lobster-men, holding sizzling claws to sweaty heads, greeted each other a scornful ‘wile day’, when they met on the street.

But, our penchant for complaint was typified best by one man who was spotted floating down the Strule River, reclined in a child’s lilo, swearing, between sips from a cool tin of Tennents, that the heat was ‘far too much for me’.

There is something in the local spirit that is partial to complaint…

Cop-twenty-whatever-it-was

Clearly this thing isn’t all serious (you’ve probably noticed), however it seems remiss, even to me, to talk glibly of record-breaking temperatures without at least a mention of COP-26.

This year’s global climate change summit was held in Glasgow where it was met with the full spectrum of public reaction.

Much of this reaction took the form of no reaction at all. Passivity, apathy, a jaded, resigned indifference. A bit depressing, but nothing new at this stage of the game.

One thing that was new, however, was that the police exercised extended powers to shut down peaceful protests and demonstrations in the name of public safety. Roads were closed, gatherings were dispersed, and in effect, people were silenced. The reason? The prevention of the spread of the virus.

Not to get all high-minded and politically philosophical (because Lord knows I can’t), but the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental feature of any well-functioning democracy and the rights which underpin it should not be given or taken away lightly.

It was interesting. This issue cut right to the heart of debates around Covid-19 restrictions. We have two competing interests, freedom on one hand, and public safety on the other. At present, any desire to promote one is taken at the expense of the other. Proportionality, striking a healthy balance, there is the challenge.

Sam Maguire caught red handed

Speaking of problems associated with large gatherings of people in the corona-climate, what about Sam returning to the O’Neill county? (Excuse divisive segue).

Our path to the final unfolded like an artful script, written by some GAA screenplay guru. It was full of suspense, controversy, and drama.

After a period of intense scrutiny and doubt, it was decided that the game would go ahead in front of a reduced crowd.

And thanks be to Canavan for that, because if the previous two years had extinguished our sense of community, that final poured a gallon of petrol on it – and struck a match.

During its 70 minutes of pure suspense, we were truly together, with every member of the tribe united in perfect, emotional tune.

Adrenaline coursed through our veins; we chanted in unison; and every man and his dog in the pub stood still as gargoyles as we watched our destiny decided before us.

In that moment, we were one – and it was beautiful.

It’s great to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

Proud to have pride

One group who understand the importance of community are those who attended Tyrone’s seminal Pride parades which took place in Cookstown and Omagh over the summer.

It was as though 100 rainbows had fallen from the sky; gloriously splattering across the streets of Tyrone, washing the colours of inclusively and tolerance over the towns.

There is a perception that prevails about Tyrone in some more densely populated parts of this island – and you are free to dispute whether or not they are based in reality – that our inhabitants aren’t exactly the most progressively-minded people you’ll ever meet.

‘Apes’; ‘dinosaurs’; ‘Neanderthals’ – the list of potential prehistoric pejoratives is endless.

But when Pride arrived here in the summer, some 51 years after that first great coming out party in New York, and 30 years after Belfast’s first Pride parade, we joined towns and cities across the world in a public ritual of acceptance.

The LGBT+ community in Tyrone told the rest of the county that they were proud of themselves and each other, and the county, in turn, opened its arms in response and said it was proud to have them.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

But while respect for LGBT+ rights at home seems to have been strengthened over the course of 2021, the same hard-fought-for liberties became one of the many casualties caused by the Talbian’s takeover of Afghanistan.

The Taliban, who even after decades of media attention still appear to us like a fairly mysterious militant/clerical group, seized power of the country within days of US withdrawal.

The terrible tyranny anticipated by regular Afghans was gravely illustrated by the bodies which fell from the last planes leaving Kabul.

I cannot find frivolity in this one, and any attempt to offer some pithy lesson would just be ridiculous.

So, in lieu of a lesson, which would surely be in vain, I will offer a reminder that this is a migrant crisis, and as such, there will be displaced Afghans who will find refuge here.

It was a journey that they have been forced to make, and we should treat them with compassion, and empathy.

The storming of  the US Capitol building

Finally, we come to US politics.

‘Saving the best for last, are we? Is this going to be the final delicious flavoury crisp at the bottom of the otherwise bland bag?’, I hear you ask. Afraid not…

No, this is simply a case of finishing at the end.

‘The end’: That is what news anchors; podcasters; and demagogues of all political persuasions were calling the storming of the Capitol building back in January, wasn’t it?

‘The end of democracy; the end of peace; the end of civilisation as we know it,’ said the hand-ringing catastrophists. Am I the only one who thought it was only a matter of time before the US riots subsided, and some sort of non-violent status quo – whatever that is – would be restored? That was the view from the ivory tower of my living room anyway, but perhaps my attitude was a bit too casual; maybe even dangerously cavalier…

Because, it turns out, that five people lost their lives during those riots, and the general sense in the US was in fact that planet earth’s eyebrows had just been singed by what could have been an earth-shattering meteor.

My living room does not offer the clearest vantage point for all – and yours probably doesn’t either.