One of the most memorable things I ever heard was when I was doing talk radio on the late and lamented WREB in Holyoke during the 1980s.

A colleague at the station who had worked in radio most, if not all of his adult life, once proclaimed there was nothing left for him to learn. When it came to the commercial radio business, he said he knew it all.

My reaction was one of sadness. I can’t imagine really believing the profession you had chosen had no more secrets, no more discoveries, and no more innovations.

That’s tragic.

The thing I love best about my career is that I’m professionally ignorant. I get to admit to people that I don’t know their story and I want to learn about it.
This year has been a great time to learn some important lessons. Here is a little of what I’ve learned:

• It really matters where you live.

Since there was little federal guidance about the pandemic from instituting lookdowns to how to reopen schools, we saw how different various states handled the reaction to the pandemic. Since our state government proved to be proactive and cautious, we’ve fared better than others. I’m thankful I live in a state that tried to do the right thing. The reaction wasn’t perfect because governments are human institutions, but we did better than others.

• Some people will always do the right thing, while others will seek every excuse in the book to remain selfish.

Never would I have thought that a country that historically pulled together during times of shared sacrifice would have people in it who cry so loudly about wearing a mask. Citing Constitutional “rights” and spreading “facts” about wearing masks – in this very office there are people who argue about it – is the American tradition of undertaking activities for the better good of our communities.

• Lessons are repeated that shouldn’t be.

In 2020 America the existence of systemic racism is inexplicable to me. Why after all this time do we allow a society in which fellow citizens are treated in this manner? Denying racism should have been an 18th century habit, not one for the 21st Century.

• We tend to screw things up.

The years of neglect of climate change have started to catch up. The terrible wildfires and the increase in hurricane activity are because of human-caused climate change scientists say. Now we have to play a game of catch-up ball that will hopefully save the plant.

• A surprising number of people discount science.

The present anti-science movement is grimly fascinating to me. For example, we have seen the return of childhood illnesses because a significant number of people have chosen not to vaccinate their children. They disagree with the science.

We’ve seen people either grasp non-tested cures for the virus or advocate for herd immunity, which public health officials say would only take place if about 2 million people die from the virus.

Science is a human institution but it is at least one that requires multiple levels of testing and research. It’s simply not about opinion and faith.

• The Universe sometimes just wants to mess with you.

I am convinced that most of our woes are due to mistakes human have made or continue to make. There are, however, a number of things that seem to stem from a greater intelligence.  Murder hornets, an increase in feral pigs and a local dump fire? We need all those on top of pandemic? These are clearly some entities’’ form of a joke.

• Expect the unexpected

2020 is not over yet. There is still time left for more lessons. God bless us all.