2020 Hindsight

 2020 is a year we'll never soon forget, whether we want to or not. I still made the best out of a bad situation.

In February, even though I wasn't there to attend in person, my Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. You wait your whole life for your team to finally do something, and I soaked it all in. We got burnt ends from Hutchins for that authentic KC BBQ feel for the game, but I was sick and I didn't even touch them till the next day. Fun. A friend of mine went to the game and sent me a rally towel, I also have a shirt, hat, bumper sticker, license plate frame, and mini-helmet with the Chiefs Super Bowl victory. It was a long time coming and I want to experience another one now!

In March, the whole Still clan ventured out to Estes Park, Colorado to enjoy each other's company and God's creation. This was right when the "pandemic" was starting. We had to cut the trip early, not due to the rise of the rona, but for the threat of a blizzard that was going to drop a foot of snow the first day of spring. Before we met my brother and his family at our VRBO, I had to see Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison. I had seen many concerts on tv from there, would love to check a show there, and didn't realize it was actually in a park. Super cool area. Colorado was a wonderful trip but everything started going downhill from there.

April. Lock down. Can't work. Can't see my friends. Can't go to church. Can't go to races. Can't do anything. Why? I would do zoom sessions with my lifegroup but it wasn't the same. They would see me as I just woke up on Sunday mornings. There was times in the month of April I felt completely alone. I was temporarily laid off from work as I was deemed "non-essential" but halfway through April I was like, screw it, we're ALL essential. I refused to sign up for unemployment because I'm a firm believer in earning everything you have, so I lived off my stimulus check and my tax return for several months.

Once May opened back up I went to a dirt track the first night tracks were opened back up, and did nothing but dirt racing all summer at several different tracks in the area.

Last Saturday in May, when my home track in Greenville opened back up, I finally got to drive a race car. One generous driver let me hop in his limited mod and let me pack the track (packing the track is basically idling clockwise to work the track in to make it less muddy) I remember stalling the motor 4 times after I fired it up, and I when I pulled back into the pit area I pulled his car up at the wrong hauler. Oops. But you couldn't wipe the smile off my face the rest of the night basically. 

This summer when I wasn't working I went to several different dirt tracks in the area, either my local track (I was basing it off my budget and had a plan that I could only attend so many nights before I ran out of money, drivers were more than willing to help me out, but I'm not one for charity) until God and their track owner stepped in. They gave me a VIP card which means I get in free for life. I am forever grateful. I'm one of the track photographers there and I love it, and with that I get all kinds of perks of being the photographer. I get shirts, hats, food, drinks, sometimes cash from drivers in exchange for photos. It's an even trade.

In June I had an interview with a store in Prosper but they were going to only offer me 12 hours a MONTH, NOT worth it. So just wait. Rely on and have trust in God.

Also in June, I went to Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite to see some sprint cars. I got to see former NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne race, along w/NASCAR super star Kyle Larson, who was suspended from NASCAR for accidental use of a racial slur. Got to meet them all before or after the event, Larson was super nice, and he won the feature (he is probably the best pure racer in the country) and Tony Stewart is what you think he is.

Also in June, a friend of mine from church told me about a free concert in Sherman featuring Scott Stapp of Creed, it was in my budget. We went and got our faces rocked off, and we were able to meet the rest of the band minus Scott afterwards.

In July, the same friend and I went and saw Christian rock/worship band Seventh Day Slumber at a small church in Denison. Again, free, in my budget. Got to meet their whole band afterwards, nicest guys ever.

I was slated to return to the church division with Lifetouch in August, that was delayed (and eventually completely closed down due to COVID) I received an e-mail about JC Penney Portrait studios hiring, so I jumped on that, I was added to their rotation in September, I'm 15 minutes from home and it gives me some financial stability, finally.

This has been a year like no other, the 2 verses I clung to this year were, "My God shall provide all your needs" and "God has not given us a spirit of fear" 

In 2020, I didn't work for 7 months, but I was able to go to 7 different dirt tracks in the area. Racing was my escape and getaway and for one night a week it gave me something to look forward to, and thankful for the generosity of drivers and track personnel as well.

Hopefully 2021 is better for everyone.

"I don't know what the future holds but I know Who holds my future"-Switchfoot.