Oh, what a year it was.
Some of the topics I wrote about where: Politics, a pandemic, wildfires, storms, floods, changes in a social structure (including social media), health care, health insurance, Social Security, tea, writing, science fiction, real estate, frugality, food, anxieties, recovery, rural life, community, taxes, kindness, sustainability, Gig Economy, work from home, shopping local.
Good traffic for much of it, but what did readers want to read the most?
The top ten in 2020
- Wither Or Whether MVIS
- HoloLens2 And MicroVision
- Coronavirus Implodes MicroVision
- MicroVision Before And After
- No News Big Smiles MVIS
- Fresh Idea – Dockside Tidal Power
- A Study In Dilution MVIS
- 7 Demons Of 7 Days – a guest post
- Semi Annual Exercise EOY 2019
- Semi Annual Exercise Mid 2020
Take away MicroVision (MVIS) posts and there’s my invention for tidal power, a guest post by Alan Beckley from 2014, and two posts about stocks (including MVIS.)
Hey, people, there’s more to life than MicroVision. Of course, the interest in MVIS might be explained by the stock hitting a record low price of $0.15, then rising to a peak of $9.74. Twenty years of waiting, almost got back to break-even, and all on only suggestions of catalysts.
To me, this was a year of enough financial recovery that I was able to retire some anxieties by a bit of repairs, some replacements, and an inspection or two. Like everyone, I was adapting to shifting pandemic instructions as the scientists learned what to do and not do, and as many people revealed their self-interests. Compassion, kindness, and community aren’t high priorities for many, too many. I made progress on three books (the sequel to Dream. Invest. Live., my first sci-fi novel, and a gift book about tea.) Real estate‘s been a surprise as supply went down because people didn’t want to move from safe places, while demand was up as urbanization was recognized as having a few issues with density during crises. Two accidentally positive things I’ve witnessed are people who are critically challenging which professions are truly essential, and people who took the time to practice frugality as they planted gardens and baked bread.
And people want to read about MicroVision (MVIS). Fine, but I will continue to post to the blog based on its original intent, to write about personal finance from a personal perspective. My roller-coaster ride through America’s wealth classes will be the basis for the sequel to Dream. Invest. Live., which inspired this blog. Reading this blog is one way to follow my notes and my journey from blue collar to professional middle class to millionaire to barely getting by to recovery. I’m not surprised at the lack of understanding across those classes. I hope to address those perspectives, but it may take a year or two more before I can consider my situation recovered (though lottery tickets could always accelerate the process.)
We can’t put 2020 behind us. Even if the pandemic disappeared today, we’ve now challenged the notions of work, school, support, essential services, and many archaic and anachronistic institutions. People have revealed how much or how little they care about other people. Stereotypes that were hidden are now far more public. I suspect the people of the United States are effectively going to be debating what unites the states.
I’d like to raise a shot glass to 2020 and a champagne flute to 2021. And I’ll definitely keep watching, learning, adapting, and hopefully recovering.
