2020 - The Year that was Different Part #2

 Hey all! Welcome back for part 2; mainly touching on the big events the world experienced in the last year. While some of the events are rather gloomy, its necessary to mention them prior to part 3. Come back in a few days for part 3!

 

The year started as most New Year's with the typical new years eve parties, staying up much past our bedtimes to see 2020 in.

January was the same bleak winter month. The days were longer than December, but we were all eager for the warmer weather.

February brought wind of an impending virus from East Asia. Coronavirus. What a strange word. A deadly respiratory illness that was killing thousands. The numbers grew; were they exaggerated? Maybe. We had no way of knowing. It crept into Europe; hospitals reported that they were overwhelmed. 

March found the US citizens hoarding toilet paper and other paper supplies.  Then the US reported the first cases in Washington state. Like wildfire it spread Eastward. Soon NYC facilities were at their max capacities. A field hospital was set up in Central Park. Drive-thru testing sites popped up like popcorn in a popper.

We were asked to stay home. To quarantine healthy people? Never heard of before.

We were separated into job classes: essential and non-essential. 

We were asked to social distance and mask in public. A fear of impending doom was soon hanging over the general population.

Schools closed in started virtual learning. Weddings, graduations, and any event that had more than 10 people were either canceled or postponed.

The murder hornets started making headlines in May; soon replaced with reports of mass shootings in Texas and Alabama. 

Days later the George Floyd incident occurred. Riots, mass protests, and looting ensued. Chaos filled the huge city of Detroit and other large neighboring cities. How close to home could it get?

In June, pride parades happened locally.

Joe Biden was set as the Democratic candidate.

July came with numerous shootings across the nation, and more covid updates then I was able to count.

August brought natural disasters, starting with the Apple Fire in California. Then Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a category 1 storm on the East Coast.

The health crisis continued.

In September, the 20/21 school year started with social distancing, masks, and a boatload of hand sanitizer. Some schools had to return to virtual learning, while others continued in-person classes.

October found the political climate taking over in the headlines; each candidate declaring what they thought they could do to make the nation a better place. Tensions arose as people were divided on the topic.

November brought a presidential election and more violence in major cities. Thanksgiving? It didn't feel as though most people were thankful for what was still good in their life.

Now it's December, and 2021 is just a few days away. 

The CDC continues to change their ideas about covid immunity and the lifespan of the vaccine.

Christmas brought the holiday commercials and shopping frenzy. At Walmart, you could find large crowds of people, but small businesses and restaurants we were told to be extra careful to 'slow the spread'.