As of today, the year of 2020 is behind us. If you are not glad it’s over, raise your hand, then smack it to your forehead and say, “What’s wrong with me?”

For 2020 will go down in world history as the year of tragedy, chaos, and death.

Just a week ago, we gazed into the evening sky, catching a glimpse of what many called the Christmas Star, actually a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn.

After I snapped an unimpressive photo of the phenomenon, I couldn’t help but wonder what the view of Earth looked like from there. We would be an insignificant star to them. Viewed through a telescope, we would appear as a tiny blue marble.

Zooming in on Earth would reveal a planet of unnatural activity. By that, I mean not caused by nature, but by mankind, activity not observed by us anywhere else in the universe.

Obviously, we have great power, capable of changing the appearance of an entire planet. The question, as we leave 2020 on the pile of disappointment, is, from this day on, how will we use this power?

We, all 7.8 billion of us, are floating through time and space on this tiny blue marble and, whether we like it or not, we are doing so together. Isn’t it about time we get our heads around that?

I am only one of the 7.8 billion, and my remaining time is short. What can one person really do to ensure a life of hope, peace, and promise for those who will take my place?

After spending Christmas Day with my nearly 2-year-old grandson ,Ozzie, I am feeling the pressure to be part of a positive change to our circumstance.

We can all make a small difference, if we want to. And I do, so here’s my list. I encourage you to make one too.

I have bundled any remaining hate, jealously, and prejudice, and let it go with the passing of 2020, for it adds nothing but misery to our future.

I have promised to be an advocate for causes that will improve the health of our planet, especially when it comes to fresh water issues.

I will apply more pressure to those who make decisions that affect our daily lives, reminding them they work for us, not the other way around.

I will seek out and acknowledge the good Samaritans among us, because they do it with compassion, not for recognition. But, pointing them out may make others do similar acts of kindness.

I will strive to do the right thing, even though it may be unpopular, simply because it is the right thing to do.

And I will dwell on the goodness in people, trying to overlook the imperfections we all share.

George Carlin, the late comedian who openly jested about things we all do and nobody talks about, once said, “There’s a moment coming, not here yet, still in the future, hasn’t arrived, here it comes, here it is! Ahh (expletive), it’s gone!”

Folks, our “moment” is now. This tiny blue marble, rocketing through the universe, is our home, and we could use a lot of home improvement after what we have gone though. But, this past year, if nothing else, has shown us we live and die together, and I know we can do better. Do we really want to let this moment go by?

Let’s make the year 2021 snub it’s nose at 2020, and say, “Together, we got this!”

Greg can be contacted at gregawtry@awtry.com.