The biggest economic, political, and social event of 2020 was a health phenomenon: COVID-19. As the pandemic spread from the Far East to Italy, fear grew that we were facing something really serious. Media outlets across the world conveyed images of eerily empty streets and crowded hospitals in Italy, with the consistent theme of fear and uncertainty. The resulting (and ongoing) series of lockdowns and the yo-yo of restrictions of varying severity have crushed economic activity worldwide, further exacerbating the income gap to unprecedented levels. Overnight, people lost access to their places of worship, community centers, health centers, social spots, and physical connection with friends and family…

Work. What does the word mean to you? Is it something to be avoided? Is it a means to an end? Is it the only appropriate focus of your attention and energy? Is it a way to avoid the rest of your life? Is it a joy? Is it a part of your spiritual practice?

As early as I can recall, I have had a natural aversion to writing and reading. The reading part faded when I began enjoying books of my choosing after I finished high school. However, the writing block has stuck with me to this day. I still do not love writing. I still have a hard time picking up my pen or sitting down to type. I am still very conscious of the voice that screams, “You’re not good enough! Who would ever want to read what you have to say?”

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” - Paolo Friere