2020: The Year We All had to be…Atrómitos

Ever wondered what exactly the word “atrómitos” means?

If so, you’re not alone. So let me explain the inspiration behind our firm’s name.

Atrómitos is a Greek word meaning fearless, undaunted, or intrepid. And if ever there was a year when we all had to be a little atrómitos, it was in 2020.

2020. It was a year filled with a raging global pandemic, failed leadership, political uprisings, wildfires, economic turmoil, and the evils of racism and xenophobia.  

Overnight parents became teachers to their children, while also attempting to work from home full time. But even more daunting than that, we all had to become IT support experts. Children can’t log in to Google Classroom. Grandparents can’t figure out how to use Zoom. A VPN must work so you can log in and get your work done. You had to figure that all out.

And you know what? You did. You rose to the occasion and you did all of that. Perhaps you did it while in your pajamas and not having showered in a few days. But nonetheless, you did it.

And that’s because you were atrómitos.  

Like most everyone else, I cannot get out of 2020 fast enough. But for me, personally, the biggest catastrophe of 2020 won’t be everything that has gone terribly wrong this year. The real tragedy will occur if we fail to learn from what has happened this year and if we fail to address the deficits and inequities that were thrown in stark relief against the backdrop of this calamitous year.

Having come through 2020, 2021 must be the year we do something about our crumbling social safety net, anemic public health system, systemic racism, and xenophobia that keeps so many of our fellow humans living in fear and poverty. This must be the year that we begin rebuilding the legitimacy of our democracy.

And so, I say goodbye to 2020. Goodbye and… thank you.

Yes, thank you.

2020 illuminated the many things that we have to do better, but it also showed us just how resilient, ingenious, and atrómitos we all are. In the face of a pandemic, our society finally recognized the unsung heroes of our communities: our teachers, health care providers, public health professionals, and scientists. Businesses, especially small businesses, jumped headfirst into new ways of doing business and found creative ways to continue operating within the restrictions of stay-at-home and closure orders. I, for one, will be ever thankful that some of my favorite restaurants figured out online ordering and delivery (I’m talking to you Waterman’s Brewing Company!).

Across the board, businesses learned something we at Atrómitos hold as a personal creed: There is little reason to insist that your staff be tied to the central office. Work – including work across teams – can be done with greater efficiency and improved employee satisfaction when the home office is an option.  

Finally, the November election, while an anxious spectacle that has without question challenged the legitimacy of our democracy, has also shown that the system can work and that we have the tools to reinforce the principle that our republic is “a government of laws, and not of men.”

And hello 2021! You are much anticipated, and much is expected of you. It just has to be better. Because oof, 2020…. there’s nowhere to go but up. Right?

At Atrómitos, we believe in the power of change and in the ability of each of us to do our part to make things better. We believe in recognizing, acknowledging, and confronting problems head-on. That is the only way #wicked problems (the ones that really matter) can be resolved. 2021 will be a year of untangling complicated, messy problems.

To begin this untangling, we will need all the tools in our toolkit. However, there are six components that stand out to us as indispensable. These components are: 

1. Leadership.
The pandemic has demonstrated the importance and urgency of collective action, as well as investment in our (too often neglected) social networks and supports. Collective action requires leadership; leadership that sees a better pathway can communicate that vision and can motivate others towards the realization of that shared objective.

This year we have seen remarkable moments of leadership. From individuals with power and authority, like Dr. Anthony Fauci and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, to our youngest members of society around the world. Leaders are not always those “in charge” and I would argue that this year, we have seen many of those “in charge” fail to lead us. In 2021 and the years to come, we must have true leaders to set a vision and to rally all of us to achieve that vision.

2. Honesty.
All good relationships are founded on trust and you can’t have trust without honesty. It is extremely difficult to work cooperatively or to take a risk on doing something different if you aren’t able to rely on the integrity of the information you are receiving – or the integrity and honesty of the messenger.

We must be honest with ourselves and with each other. We have real problems to solve; long-ingrained, institutionalized problems. We must be honest about these problems, why they exist, our individual and collective roles in creating and sustaining them, and how we can solve them.  

3.  Collaboration and Compromise.
Compromise isn’t a dirty word. In fact, it is necessary for any collective, representative action. Compromise, including the ability (and willingness) to listen to and integrate other perspectives, is the hallmark of a representative process – as opposed to governance by fiat.

In the last decade-plus, we have seen a “winner take all” approach to governance, leading with party first and country be damned. There was a time when our elected officials collaborated and compromised, and we, the electorate, expected them to do so. (No, really, this is true.) It is time we return to that.

4. Community.
We need to want this. Systemic change is hard, and its benefits are distributive and (frequently) delayed over time. We need to be in this not just for ourselves – but for all of us, as a community. If we don’t acknowledge and value community, we can’t amount to anything more than the summation of our parts. Community spirit, the willingness to engage in (or not engage in) activities for the benefit of the whole, is what has gotten us through times of great turmoil.

5.  Atrómitos.
We’re not going to sugar coat it: This is going to be hard. We need courage, a willingness to jump in and fearlessly fight the good fight, and perseverance bordering on mule-level obstinacy. We are not going to get it right the first time, nor (probably) the 50th time. 2020 gave us all an object lesson in resilience. Now we need to take it up a notch and fearlessly implement the lessons learned. 

And, so, 2020, I send you off with a hug (and a swallowed “ya’ll come back now” that I reserve for relatives who have stayed longer than five days in my guestroom). 2021, I greet you with the same open arms I have for my best friend when she visits after a year’s absence, filled with joy of your arrival and hope for what may come. 

Let’s do this.