Trying to write the story of the most difficult, trying year in a persons life isn’t really an easy thing to do. Writing about that year knowing that pretty much anyone that reads the story has also been through a similar, or in too many cases much worse year, makes even the effort feel like an almost petty thing to do. So of course I will make the attempt, and hope that you reading this will be able to find some shred of hope, or something similar in the jumble of words before you.
The thank you part goes really to the entire community of people here, the writers and commenters and staff. Probably every one of them much smarter than me. But an extra special thanks must go to the never to be sufficiently praised Mark Sumner whose writing has been an educational and inspirational volume of work worthy of preservation and re-reading. Especially the stories written about this pandemic starting more than a year ago. He was compiling data from sources I had no idea existed, and laying out the information in a way that was easy to understand. I would urge anyone to read those stories from last year again and don’t skip the comments because there was plenty there as well. If I manage to post this on February 17, it will be exactly one year from the diary he posted in which he said he did not believe this virus would become a pandemic (I didn’t say he was perfect). The date is important to me because today my 81 year old Mom, and I, received a dose in the arm of Pfizers vaccine for Covid-19. It would be almost another month before he wrote the diary suggesting people start a journal and explained that there was the before, and after, this point in time. And he ended that article with
There will be an after. Let’s all try to be part of it.
I swear I can hear Paul McCartney singing those words. There were 4500 cases in the US then and as he pointed out it was clear things were going to be very, very bad. I doubt anyone could have seen we would lose half a million people, and likely at least another hundred thousand before this is in our rear view mirror. A year spent listening to a wannabe dictator insisting this was all a hoax, an exaggeration by his enemies trying to bring him down. A plot by Sleepy Joe, hiding in his basement yet manipulating the media and scientists and the laws of physics somehow while squirreled away receiving his IV of babies blood or whatever nonsense that the cult would believe. “The Squad” pulling his puppet strings, preparing their Communist BLM Vegan Muslim enactment of Sharia Law, or CBLMVMESL as it is more commonly known. While in the real world we have to live in, unarmed Black people would continue to be killed by police, with Justice never able to escape the gravitational pull of White privilege and reach where needed most. An historic election turnout followed by a series of criminal actions taken by the most corrupt, inept people to ever walk this earth. And an Insurrection on our Nations Capitol, an Autogolpe (yes that is a word I learned) attempted with a side of attempted assassination of the Vice-President and The Speaker of the House. It seemed like it would never end, until finally it did on January 20 which leads me to this. I am sorry. If I lashed out at you with unbecoming words and thoughts, I apologize. All of us have been at the breaking point for too long, and need to give each other a break. I know I have written words that I shouldn’t have to at least a few here and there is no excuse, but I will try to do better. For those that have lost loved ones, I am sorry. No words from me will fill the hole left in your lives or make that weight any lighter, but I believe you will find the strength you need to carry it. This community we have here is a cantankerous bunch, but quite empathetic. If you feel yourself drowning in all this-reach out to someone, help is out there. Which of course leads me to this.
I am elated! A President worthy of the office and this moment, surrounded by competence and overflowing with empathy. And a plan, finally a plan to get us moving ahead, and a plan for when things go wrong with that plan. Vaccines, ramping up production and injections and PPE and relief and yes getting my Mom, and I, vaccinated against this terrible virus. Which leads to the guilty part, that I have gotten what others didn’t. But I am hopeful, because the numbers we want to rise are rising, and the ones we want to fall are falling- but never fast enough. And I feel determined, to do better, to try harder, push a little more. Tired of election season? It’s just starting! Not only do we have elections this year in Virginia, but we have one here in Culpeper next month. A Trump supporting rabid Republican that sits on the School Board has insisted on a special election for Clerk of the Court now, so if he loses this race, he can run again for his School Board post this November. Our Republican dominated Board of Supervisors decided that would be best, costing the County $86,000 in the midst of a pandemic and economic downturn when the Clerks job is being handled just fine by the Independent that was promoted when the former Clerk left for Maternity leave. The bastards just never end. Oh well, at least we get WandaVision on Friday.