Thanks again to everyone who has contributed a little something in the stocking this year. I am so honored that people value the work we do here and I’m very grateful for your support.
2020 is almost over. Hallalujah. I’m no longer young enough to feel comfortable wishing that time would speed up but I will admit that this year was an exception. I was hopeful that Trump would lose, which was everything, so I couldn’t wait for the election. If he had won, this nightmare would have continued for four more years in even darker, more destructive fashion. But it is coming to an end and despite the horrific, ongoing toll of the pandemic, I’m starting to feel a little bit lighter.
The Washington Post asked its readers for their help in simply assessing this weird year:
A global pandemic. A racial reckoning. A presidential impeachment. A monumental election. We all know 2020 was a year like no other. But is it possible to sum it up in one word or phrase? The Washington Post asked readers to do just that and offer their reasoning, hoping that all together we might discover some collective wisdom.
The responses were mostly negative, of course. How could it be otherwise? The top three words they used: Exhausting, Lost, Chaotic.
“All of our challenges have been drawn-out, slow-motion car wrecks. From covid, to the election, to Trump in general, to police shootings, to unemployment, to no sports, to some sports and no fans, it just keeps dragging on. I feel trapped in a corner, and all I can do is try to block the next thing that gets thrown at me.”
“We’ve lost our way as a country. The year was lost for students, families, weddings, holidays, positive human interaction. Lives were lost unnecessarily to disease. It feels like being lost in the wilderness with no compass.”
“Coronavirus, aftermath of general election, inability to acquire simple provisions like toilet paper, racial injustice, Trump and the GOP, Ruth Bader Ginsburg dying and being replaced against her wishes. Families being torn apart. I do not recognize this country anymore.”
Other words include Relentless, Surreal, Heartbreaking, Nightmare, Broken Dreams etc. You get the drift. It’s obvious these are not Trump voters. I suspect they also see the country in negative terms but for entirely different reasons.
People were also asked about their hopes for the future and miraculously, they still have them. Examples are:
What are you hopeful for in 2021:
“Resolution. To the virus, to our political system, to the era of abject hate. And a sense of optimism — I’m really looking forward to relaxing my shoulders again. I’m hoping the country gets resolute, too — and acts to solve some of most pressing problems.”
“Hoping to finally exhale.”
“A restoration of sanity, morality and normalcy.”
“A vaccine. A new president and administration. Renewed belief in science, kindness and inclusiveness. Caring for the environment and our fellow humans.”
“I hope that as we debate about how to open our economy, our homes, our schools and even our respiratory systems that we also open our minds and our hearts. I’m longing for a spirit of decency and kindness to surface in 2021, and I hope it’s as powerful as any vaccine.”
It’s hard to argue with any of that. But again, I don’t think we would find the same sentiments among our Trump voting brethren.
For me, 2020 has just been the Trump era on steroids and I don’t know yet just how much damage has been done to our national psyche because of that. We are in a cold civil war and I honestly don’t know if the tide has finally turned or if we have just managed to hold the line for the moment..
I’ve been writing about this since I started this blog back in the early days of the new century and along with my wingman Tom, old friend Dennis as well as the other occasional contributors, we’ll keep documenting this tumultuous time as long we are able to keep the lights on. We live in interesting times, to say the least, and we are happy to be able to share the experience, as harrowing as it is at times like this, with all of you.
If you would like to help us do that you can do so below or at the snail mail address on the sidebar.
And Happy Hollandaise everyone! 2021 is bound to better than 2020 — it’s hard to imagine it can be any worse.
cheers,
digby