The New Year is always a time to take stock, a time to think about what we want out of life and what we hope for in the upcoming year.

What if you had three wishes?

What would you wish for?

The only limitation is not being able to wish for more wishes.

It’s hard to think of wishes for myself. I’m happy. I don’t feel I need anything in particular to make my life better or more complete.

I had an easier time coming up with three wishes for society. For some reason, the choices seemed obvious for 2022. I want society to have good health, vitality and unity.

The first wish for health includes control of COVID. The pandemic has been such a disruption of so many lives in the past two years, such a shadow over our activities and a cause for feeling a lack of control.

The information keeps changing. That’s because there’s so much that scientists are just now learning about. They can’t always give us a complete answer because for some questions they don’t have one.

Millions of unvaccinated people still need to listen to reliable sources. There’s an abundance of misinformation, something that’s been perpetuated by the power of the Internet. The easiest answers are wrong answers.

It doesn’t help that we have a major news source and one of two major parties that oppose vaccine mandates. I’d be perfectly fine with saying people should have to either get the vaccine or be placed under house arrest.

The right to do as one chooses or to follow religious beliefs should end when it poses a danger to others. Total public acceptance of vaccines and boosters would go a long way toward creating the type of herd immunity needed to control a dangerous mutating virus.

Hopefully, between that and continued breakthroughs in treatment options we can have more of an ability to prevent serious COVID cases. I wish for progress similar to what we saw in 2021.

My second wish is for community vitality. In particular I hope for the well being of rural communities and urban neighborhoods.

We need more farmers. We need more small business owners. It might only happen if millions of people reject the mass consumption that goes with modern economics.

We can choose sustainable approaches, ones that involve using only what we need and preserving our planet for future generations.

Dozens of decisions made every day can affect that standard. We can all do our part to work toward a brighter future for younger generations.

My third and final wish is for unity. I don’t remember a time when there’s been so much division in America, when so many potential friendships hinge on what side of the political fence each person supports.

There are also barriers between nations. Many special interests want a global economy, but it runs into a world filled with nationalism and fundamentalism. Both of those things stand in the way of having a truly open, truly free way of life throughout the globe.

It would help to start with where people agree. Another positive step would be to end the stereotyping that different groups apply toward each other.

My three wishes are idealistic. They might never totally come true.

Still it’s good to aim high. It’s important to try for the best possible future for children and grandchildren. Maybe the hopes that we have at the start of 2022 will help to propel everyone toward a better world.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent