It’s that time of year again and despite everything that has happened this year I am proud to share with you all our 2021 Christmas post.

2021 was another difficult year for everyone as we continued to live through the global Covid 19 pandemic. Despite the hardships, or perhaps because of them, this year was also a year of new beginnings and hope as we began to understand what and who is truly important to us.

A lot happened this year and once again sadly not a lot of it was good, however despite us living through a global pandemic we have found ways to cope and even celebrate the big and little things that make life worth living. 2021 saw the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Despite being delayed a year we still found time to celebrate and show pride in our country’s performance. It was unfortunate that no one could attend to cheer on our athletes due to COVID restrictions however, even with this we still found ways to support them and celebrate their achievements. Even though the games are great to watch every year I feel this year’s games were a lot more meaningful as they were held during a time of global adversity that in many ways has brought nations together on a deeper level. The games for many were a time to just watch the athletes and forget what was going on around us even if it was just for a few minutes. It was also a sign of defiance showing the world that nothing will stop us from moving on with our lives and lastly, I feel is was also a sign of normalcy and comfort in a very uncertain and unpredictable time.

This year also saw the first male tennis player to be awarded the Golden Slam which for those of you who don’t follow tennis entails a tennis player winning all 4 championships and a gold medal at the Olympic or Paralympic Games in the same year. Dylan Alcott has achieved so much in such a short time both on and off the court, and I think the best thing is that no matter how many match’s he has won or lost he seemed to ever only think about disability inclusion and accessibility. This focus is evident in the speeches he gives and in interviews with the media and even when you talk to him. I believe that he has shown what people with a disability are capable of and with his retirement at the end of next year’s Australian Open he is allowing another young aspiring tennis player who happens to be a wheelchair user to take his place, to continue to show the world that people with a disability are just as skilled as everyone else. 

2021 was also a big year for space exploration with the year beginning with the launch of Ingenuity, a small 4 pound Helicopter on Mars. This marked the first powered flight on Mars and is a pretty cool experiment for many reasons. Firstly it carried a piece of the wright brother’s plane and it also opens up so many possibilities for getting around Mars when humans eventually set foot there and hopefully even live on the surface. Can you imagine helicopters on mars? We also saw this year the first space tourism flights in history with Space X’s Inspiration4 mission, Benzos’ Blue Origin mission and the Virgin’s Galactic mission. These missions have for the first time opened space up to everyone no matter who you are and given us hope that we all will someday have an opportunity to view earth from a point that only a handful of people so far have had the opportunity to. Out of these three missions though I feel SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission was the one that showcased the possibilities of this future in the best light, not just because they were the first but also because of the four everyday people who were on board. These 4 individuals were just everyday people, not wealthy, not celebrities and not part of any space agency or company, they were just ordinary everyday people who were given a chance of a lifetime to fulfil their dream of going to space. On board there was also the first black woman to ever go to space and the first cancer survivor and a person with a metal rod in their leg. This mission’s goal was to inspire however I feel this mission did so much more than that as it also opened space to the possibility of everyone going no matter what their race, gender, background or level of ability,  we can all make it to space one day. It amazes me that 52 years ago 3 men landed on the moon and now we are flying helicopters on mars and flying civilians into space as tourists. What’s next? 

2021 was also a year of new beginnings for many, as I mentioned before Dylan Alcott is retiring from tennis, a lot of people moved to be closer to loved ones and also to get out of the big cities. Some people switched jobs or decided to pursue their dream careers and some decided to study. For Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate this is also somewhat true as I personally have moved out of home and live independently while also studying a Diploma in Business and my mother moved into her own home in the country which she hopes to renovate and make her own. With these changes I don’t think Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate will quite be the same again and while it is a little sad I am also a little excited for the future of this business as I learn from my studies and continue working on our projects I can’t wait to see the world we help to create together as a community. These new beginnings are bringing hope to many of us who after a hard couple of years need something to look forward to and I believe this is also a sign that we are ready to move on with our lives despite the global pandemic.

As 2021 draws to a close it is time to reflect and look forward to what might be a better year ahead. Just like last Christmas we here at Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate would like you all to think of those who are finding this time of year tough; those who have lost their jobs or loved ones. If you know a neighbour, friend or co-worker who for the first time finds themselves spending Christmas alone or if you know of a family who is struggling to budget in gifts or even Christmas lunch we encourage you to let them know you are thinking of them. Whether that be by bringing some shortbread or cake over, maybe holding an odd fellows lunch for a group who would otherwise be alone, or just by saying hello let’s make sure everyone is remembered this festive season. I know this Christmas is like last year, not what we expected however, that makes it even more important that we ensure everyone is doing alright. It is also important to spend time with your family whether that be in person or by phone or video chat; to have fun and don’t forget to tell some bad Christmas cracker jokes. Let’s reflect on the year we have had and look forward to what 2022 will hopefully bring.

With that in mind from those of us here at Bryce Pace – Autism Advocate, we would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year.

Bryce Pace

Autism Advocate, Blogger, Speaker