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Autumn is officially here. The days have been somewhat cooler, though I am looking forward to the temperature falling a bit more. While this is a definitely a change in the actual season, I view it as something indicative of much more.

This year, without a doubt, has been more volatile than any other in my 40 years on this planet. I view this change in season as hopefully a change in what’s going on our lives. We have been bombarded with so much this year; it feels like we deserve a breather. I believe most people are just ready for normal. Not a new normal, but something from our pre-COVID days.

This year has also shown exactly how resilient people are. Our world has continued to roll with the punches. We have adapted. We have helped each other. We have seen the good in people. Yet, there is also a dark side to this time in history. We have seen prejudice. We have seen hate.  While these troubles have plagued humanity since the beginning, I truly believe we are at a tipping point.

I try to instill in my children the concepts of equality, love, and kindness. I feel in my heart that the world is ready for change. It is just going to take focus to exact the necessary changes that need to occur. It is going to take people stepping out of their comfort zones and becoming leaders. Fresh ideas and viewpoints need to replace stagnant, antiquated leadership styles in our government. We must all work to have open minds and see how we can be enactors of change versus stalling it out.

I know change does not happen overnight, but change is way overdue. It is time for us to move forward together. We are all unique creations that bring many different skills and ideas to the table. We must realize this and leverage them accordingly. Only together will we make this world a place that our children deserve to grow up in.

2020 is definitely a year for the record books. While we have been plagued with so much thus far, what would happen if we made a conscious decision to go out and create positivity? I think our year could end on a much higher note that what it began on.

Chris Kovatch is a resident of Orange County. You can reach him at news@orangeleader.com