2020…What A Year

2020 was a crazy year. Who could have imagined all of the things that would happen in the span of this one year? The pandemic, the civil unrest, the loss of so many lives, the elections, and so much more. How did it affect you? Your family? Your livelihood? The way you think? The way you feel? It was a lot, to say the very least.

January brought with it the anticipation of the new year. We all are done with the holiday season and ready to get back into work and school. The news and internet are telling us all about the first impeachment trial of President Trump ( he was acquitted on February 5, 2020). The news is also talking about the Covid-19 outbreak in China. Then there is the first case in the U.S. announced on January 21. Wow. On January 26, Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and 7 other people die in a helicopter crash. Double wow. The world is shocked by the news. Ready for January to be over.

February brings travel bans due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The presidential primaries are chugging along. Ahmaud Arbery is shot in south Georgia while jogging on February 26. Why is this happening again? When will it stop? By the end of this month, Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. are being reported.

Covid-19 has turned into a pandemic by March. Professional sports in the U.S. are calling off their seasons. More travel bans are put into place. Here in Georgia schools are closed. Businesses are closed. Sheltering in place is in full effect. On March 13, Breonna Taylor is shot and killed by police in Louisville. Too many people dying! Many countries throughout the world are on lockdown. Every day the media is reporting more and more cases of Covid-19 and more things being canceled or postponed.

Over 1 million cases of Covid-19 cases are reported by April. Unemployment cases in the U.S. are extremely high. We start getting the first rounds of the stimulus checks. So many people are out of work and so many people dying. It is pure craziness.

The month of May brings a video of Ahmaud Arbery’s killing all over the media. The men who killed him and the man who made the video are charged with his murder. George Floyd is killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. People are angry. Protesting, rioting, and looting begin from the outrage against police brutality and all of the social injustice. Unemployment and Covid-19 case numbers keep climbing. In Georgia, the governor removes the sheltering in place order and people are out in the streets rioting and protesting in Atlanta. Geez! It is getting hot and people are frustrated. People are dying from the pandemic, from the police, and there is so much unemployment and people are struggling financially. Something has got to give.

June comes in with hot weather and lots of social unrest throughout the country. 3 police officers in the George Floyd case are fired and charged with aiding and abetting murder. A lot of police actions are making them look worse during the protests occurring nationwide. Different companies and entities are beginning to make changes to be more “racially sensitive”. Then it happens again. On June 12, Rayshard Brooks is shot and killed by Atlanta Police behind a Wendy’s Restaurant. The restaurant is burned down the next day and protests begin. The officers are charged with his death. A little girl is killed by a shooter amongst the protestors in the area where Brooks was killed. So very sad. So much loss. Covid-19 continues.

The U.S. is starting to reopen, a little bit in July. Georgia has opened up more. More people are out, but still wary. Civil unrest is still at the forefront of our minds. There is a new surge in Covid-19 cases. Dr. Fauci warned us. MLB begins its abbreviated season and the NBA begins its season in the “bubble”. College football is trying to figure out what it will and won’t do and the NFL cancels the preseason.

August brings the nomination of Kamala Harris, the Vice-Presidential running mate of Democratic nominee Joe Biden. First woman, first African American, and Asian woman to be nominated ( and later elected). A lot of California is burning out of control. Both the Republican and Democratic parties hold their national conventions. Georgia has over 5,000 Covid-19 deaths at this point and it was reported that a 1-year-old has died from it. More people shot and killed due to civil unrest. Actor Chadwick Boseman dies due to colon cancer. This was a shock to everyone cause very few people were aware that he was sick. So much loss.

The fires in California continue into September. Kentucky grand jury brings no charges in the Breonna Taylor case. This adds fuel to the civil unrest. In Georgia, a lot of children have returned to school, and cases spike again. College football began its season but very limited, with a lot of conferences not participating or only limited participation. The NFL delays its season due to pandemic. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies. The pandemic continues.

October and November bring more cases of Covid-19, even the President has come down with the virus and many are infected around him. Plot to kidnap Michigan governor is deterred. Musician Eddie Van Halen has died from cancer. The country is getting closer to being vaccinated for the virus. There is a surge in cases in Georgia in November. Here in Georgia, against what the CDC has advised, travel at Hartsfield is heaviest for Thanksgiving holiday travel since before the pandemic. November 3, election day. So much controversy about absentee ballots and voter fraud. It takes the rest of the week, but finally, Joe Biden is declared the winner of the election. Trump and his backers filed many lawsuits in several states to keep this from happening. Long-time Jeopardy host, Alex Tribeck dies. Happy Thanksgiving America.

December, finally the last month of 2020. First doses of immunization given this month to front line workers and nursing home residents. 5 nurses are first to be given vaccines in Georgia. The electoral college confirms Joe Biden as the winner of the election. More than 317,000 people have died in the U.S. from Covid-19. Merry Christmas.

The year 2020 was filled with a lot of sickness, loss, and fear. The Covid-19 pandemic brought many things to us all. My belief is that all of the bad things that happened throughout the year 2020 also brought some good things too. We had the opportunity to spend time with our families and loved ones. We have had the opportunity to really see what is going on in our country. Really see it for what it is and what it isn't. I hope that everyone is continuing to stay safe and are taking the time for family and what really matters.