Planet earth gave us plenty of warning signs... then started it's hissy fit. It was time to teach us that we are are NOT in control, don't have all the answers and will only get through this if we help each other, are mindful about how we treat Earth and lose that ego! Oh yeah... and be careful who we put in charge of EVERYTHING!
January - The novel coronavirus COVID-19 makes first confirmed appearance in Seattle, WA. Ironically, the World Health Organization had declared 2020 the year of the nurse. Meanwhile Australia was being ravaged by months of dangerous wildfires and high temps.
February - the stock market crashed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) plunges by 1,190.95 points, or 4.4%, to close at 25,766.64, its largest one-day point decline at the time. COVID-19 is now a pandemic.
March - the beginning of a long shelter-in-place ordinance for us. People hoarded toilet paper, food and cleaning supplies. Supermarket shelves were empty and international borders were slowly closing.
April - Oil prices reach a record low, with West Texas Intermediate falling into negative values! Homeschooling has began and parents start tearing their hair out.
May - Protests caused by the killing of George Floyd, break out across the US and the world. There are now 6 million cases of COVID-19, worldwide. More than 100,000 have died from it in the US. "Murder hornets" invade the US.
June - As the Indians and Chinese fight at the border, Mexico gets a giant earthquake, Russia spills 20,000 tons of oil into a river and there is another Ebola outbreak in Africa. America is #1 again... when it comes to COVID cases!
July - 4 million people in Nepal and India are homeless after flooding. 15 million people worldwide with COVID-19. Freakishly warm weather and lightning strikes contribute to intense wildfires in Siberia and the US.
August - In the US, there is the threat of a double hurricane in the south as wildfires burn new setting new records in Colorado, California and Oregon Beirut has a giant fertilizer explosion that kills many and leaves 300,000 people homeless.
September - Here at home during record breaking hot days, ash fell on us and breathing was difficult. The next day, with below freezing temperatures, it snowed and fully leafed trees were devastated by broken branches! By the end of the week it was 90 degrees again. Oh yeah... The United Nations had also declared 2020 as the year of International Plant Health!
October - We broke records for high temps again as those wildfires consumed the west. California and Colorado broke their records for worst fires too. For the second time in 2020! We had another impressive early winter storm, but it didnt dampen the fires. Election campaigning was in full, nasty swing.
November - We kicked off the month with the US Election that wouldn't quit. Biden eventually was declared President Elect, but Trump continues to this day, to fight it! More than a million people globally have died as a direct result of COVID-19 and yet 1.2 million Americans chose to travel for Thanksgiving, in direct opposition to advice by CDC and infectious disease experts.
December - 77,000 people in the USA died of COVID-19 this month. Our most deadly month to date but the human cost is just a part of the loss we are sustaining. Trump granted mining and energy firms access to public lands this month too.
I know what you are thinking. OMG... just get to the finish line for 2020 and start again in 2021, already! Sadly, we will not simply be wiping the slate clean and starting anew when the clock chimes midnight on January 31, 2020. But here is the important part; 2020 WASN'T all bad. In between the death and division, destruction and devastation, 2020 delivered opportunities and good news too.
Working from home. Not everyone was allowed this opportunity until COVID-19 forced the hand of their employers. Its warm, safe and familiar. The chance to work remotely meant the chance to prove that you are a responsible, valuable and productive team member. It also saved some businesses thousands per month on leased office space.
Relationships. Have you ever, or will you ever again have the chance to spend this amount of quality time with your loved ones - human or furry? You may not like it all the time... but it's a gift that will likely not be appreciated until we look back on this period in our lives.
The environment. Working from home = less commuting. Traffic issues and pollution levels fell. Stars seem brighter, views crisper, breathing easier. Animals began to come out of the woods and wander the streets again!
To-do lists: We all have them! How many of you, like me, worked your way through projects at home that had been waiting 'til you had time? Anyone take up a new hobby? Learn a new skill?
Attention to other peoples challenges: We learned to look around and take note of hardships that our family members, communities and friends were faced with. Homeschooling, food insecurity, income loss, health issues and isolation from other humans. We reached out. We gave. We became more grateful for what we had... or didn't have.
IMHO, 2020 gave us two huge gifts.
A NEW PERSPECTIVE
TIME
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