The past few months have been different than the rest of 2020.

They’ve felt… normal.

We’ve adapted to social distancing, to wearing masks, to interacting with people in different ways. When bigger things happen, like new restrictions on indoor dining, they aren’t as big of a shock as the were in the first wave.

Life continues on. College football came back, but without fans. The election happened, but more people than ever voted by mail. Holidays were celebrated, mostly without the traditions we are used to. It’s not the same, but doesn’t feel like the monumental shift that occluded in the Spring.

The biggest event this season was the election, but that faded away from our conscious rather quickly. Other struggles continue and in many ways they’ve intensified. Businesses, bars and restaurants are having more difficulty than ever. People are still struggling with their mental health, especially around the holidays.

But Thanksgiving and Christmas are markers of how we’re living in this new world: we still celebrate, even though it’s different, and what we can do matters more than ever.

These recent images of our journey in 2020 aren’t as stark or bold as the previous galleries, but they reflect how our lives have continued after six months of the pandemic. I’m sure looking back they might seem odd, but they feel like the “new normal” everyone is talking about. As we take some time at the end of the year to reflect, I hope they serve as a reminder of everything we’ve gone through together. It’s to forget just how much has happened.

Whether this is the end of our hard times or a prelude of more to come, we’ve gone through something together. Hopefully we can be more kind to one another and realize that all of our small, individual actions can add up to something greater. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the impossible can actually happen: we should be prepared for it and also work to turn our dreams for this world into a reality.

• A lot of people got dogs and are training and walking them.
• A lot of people keep routines going on walks the same time every day.
• A lot of cars drive the wrong way down the one way.
• A lot of cute birds are actually mean and fight with each other.
• A lot of squirrels do the same.
• A lot of people stared running and have noticeably gotten better.
• A lot of people are looking out the window like me because when the mail comes there’s a rush to the mailbox.

Today is my birthday, and I’m celebrating with a list of 32 things I’ve learned as in many years.

This isn’t a definitive list of the most important things I’ve learned, just what came to mind.

1. You can only have as many true friends as you have fingers.
2. “Good” coffee is a balance of quality and convince.
3. Semper ubi sub ubi (Always where under where — it’s a Latin joke, but also good advice when you read it aloud).
4. Η ΤΑΝ Η ΕΠΙ ΤΑΣ (Come back with your shield, or on it)
5. There’s always something different, you just have to look for it.
6. Discipline is a vehicle for joy.
7. Make time to spend with people you care about.
8. Tweak your system, but don’t have a system that’s just tweaking.
9. There’s good food in every town, you just have to look for it and enter with no expectations and an empty stomach.
10. It’s a lot of work to have long hair.
11. Don’t over subscribe to RSS feeds or over follow on Twitter
12. If you think you have something funny or edgy to say, text it to your group of friends first.
13. You slowly pick up traits of the 5 people you spend the most time with or talk to.
14. You can only physically be in one place at any moment — don’t try to be at both.
15. Turn read receipts on for Messages.
16. It’s easier to find a job when you have a job.
17. If you have an idea, write it down.
18. Our minds aren’t filing cabinets for information and to-dos, have a system.
19. Making broth is one of the most fulfilling things you can cook.
20. When you look at WebMD, remember that they need to say “see your doctor” for liability reasons, you might not need to.
21. Seeing your favorite band multiple times on the same tour is incredibly rewarding.
22. When two cars hit each other, it’s a crash, not an accident: You don’t know the intent of the motorists.
23. Movie theaters are really the best way to see a movie.
24. Study what interests you, not what you think will get you money.
25. Don’t drive too fast.
26. Turn off most of the notifications on your phone and computer.
27. If you do anything with social media for work and post personally as well, get two phones.
28. Some folks just can’t grow a beard (myself included).
29. File organization is important on computers.
30. Back your files up, and back up the backups.
31. If you see something that catches your eye, take a picture, it might never occur again.
32. Don’t get mad at other people, there’s no way you have any idea what they are going through.

One more: The best way to do something is often just to do it.

I recently spoke at Kalamazoo Social Media Week about one of my greatest passions: mobile phone photography. It was great to share my philosophy and tips and tricks I’ve gained over the years. I have notes and a video over at Pocket Camera.

Last night I saw The Musical Box perform their Genesis Extravaganza in Grand Rapids. I had seen the band perform a few times before in Cleveland where they recreated the tours of “Foxtrot” and “Selling England by the Pound.”

What really set them apart from other “tribute bands” was that they recreated the entire show, with the same instruments and amplifiers, stage banter, costumes and special effects. All of it came from the same time and was engrossing.

What was different about this show is that the musicians did not “play” the members of Genesis; rather, they were themselves playing the music of Genesis.

The first section was from the “Trick of the Tail” / “Wind and Wuthering” era. The music was fine, but the vocals were, honestly, distracting. To be fair, while I like those albums, they are not my favorite.

They followed that with selections from “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” Again, great to hear those songs performed live, but didn’t have the same effect as pervious performances. After seeing selections, I wanted to experience the whole album.

However seeing the original slides in the background was worth the performance alone. It really drove home what the band was doing on their most ambitious tour.

(The funniest moment of the night was when, just as “Back in NYC” began, a man stormed the stage like it was a heavy metal show. He turned to the audience to join him, but no one did. Security had to tell him to sit down. I sympathize. I, too, would have been bouncing around if there were no chairs.)

After the intermission, they delved into the early Genesis and Peter Gabriel work. I didn’t know if this would be similar to the shows they played in the past and was surprised when it wasn’t.

They opened with “Time Table,” followed by several songs I’m not sure Genesis frequently played live, including the great “Can-Utility and the Coastliners.”

The highlight for me was “Looking For Someone” from Tresspass, a song I haven’t really given many plays. It was a spectacular piece of Prog I have overlooked.

The Musical Box played one song that Genesis never performed live “After the Ordeal.”

“We’ve always wanted to play this live,” singer Denis Gagné said from stage. And that perfectly summarized the show. While they’ve reenacted Genesis in the past, to great effect, they are at heart fans of the music and band. They want to play their favorite songs, damn historical accuracy.

This was their time to be more like a tribute band than a historical performance, and it was a joy to witness.