KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – In normal years New Year’s is a time of loneliness and social isolation for many of us in the community of people living in poverty.
This year we will not be the only ones.
As I explained in 2017, some people living in poverty tell me they want to be out celebrating that evening ringing in the New Year, but every option available for going out on New Year’s Eve is expensive.
People who are part of the financially better off community tell me that this year for the first time “we will be staying home and we will not be inviting friends over to our homes.”
This year, here in Halifax where I live, we are not going to see the crowds gather at the Grand Parade to celebrate the New Year. Places like bars and restaurants are not going to be open due to public health restrictions.
For me personally 2020 was full of rewards. See The best birthday present, and also Nova Scotia Advocate journalist Kendall Worth receives yet another award.
As well, I want to take a moment to remember back to a story I wrote in my early days of being a reporter for the Nova Scotia Advocate. This one here, Downright difficult: Kendall Worth on friendships ending, talks about why respecting personal boundaries is important.
I want to take this opportunity to let you readers in on something else that happened to me over the past few months of COVID.
A total of four former friends of mine expressed interest in wanting to rekindle the friendship, this after not speaking to them or being in contact with them for some time.
Hopefully in 2021 we can put COVID behind us and overall have a much better year!
Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.
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