As a journalist, my baseline approach to just about anything involves cautious optimism. I could sum it all up with: Sounds like a great idea, but I’d like to see how it plays out. Heading into 2022, however, I have a little more optimism than caution when it comes to this industry. Let me explain.
Much of The Driller just attended the National Ground Water Association’s Groundwater Week 2021 event, held in Nashville, Tennessee, Dec. 14-16. The annual event returned to in-person after going virtual in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That fact, alone, gave it an air of optimism, of a return to normalcy. Of course, the pandemic still isn’t done with us, but knowing people can and do take steps to protect themselves and loved ones blunts its edge a bit. I’d say the event, which brings together thousands of people in the industry, didn’t quite feel “normal” (whatever that means), but it did feel about as normal as it gets these days. People got to make people connections, and that makes events like Groundwater Week special — and a cause for optimism.