This Summer has been one strange trip. The only thing that remained the same was that all of my Summer classes were offered online. I rarely teach on-campus classes over the Summer.
I wore a mask whenever I left the house, except to exercise around the neighborhood. I even work a mask (with a charcoal PM 2.5 insert) when I went to the gym once they reopened. I wore that mask while I exercised: 60 minutes on the elliptical machine and 30 minutes on the treadmill. I wore that mask when I went to HEB. I did not go to the mall or any other place, except to my barber, once over these last five months. Only 1 person allowed in the shop at a time. The barber wore a mask and so did I. Neither my wife nor my son left the house, except to exercise around the neighborhood. Except, my wife volunteered to be the Treasurer for our son's school's PTA so right before the Fall semester began she went to the school for some training and to hand out school supplies.
My wife and I were going to share my home office, but our son needed my PC for his summer school work (primarily math and Spanish) so I took my lap top and worked off the kitchen table over the Summer. He is starting the second grade. We did not want him to lose his math knowledge nor his Spanish. He is in a dual language Spanish program so he spent time each day working on math and Spanish.
He couldn't go to the YMCA summer camp he was accustomed to attending, so I hosted "Dad Camp: COVID 19, 2020." He got a new bike, a basketball hoop, a slip-n-slide, water guns; he planted cucumbers, taught him to tie his shoes, tell time, and wrestle. It was a good camp. Different from the Y, but good. He even got a t-shirt. He was very concerned about that -at the YMCA he always got a t-shirt.
I spent the entire Summer working on just one chapter of the OER textbook, Our Story. It's the chapter on New Deal culture. I just could not make it work. I would add a few pages, then edit it, then add some new content, then try to figure out an overarching theme to connect the new material. Just a mess. I did not finish the chapter. I've never written so little in so much time.
But the true weirdness is the rise of QAnon. QAnon is a conspiracy that purports the existence of a "deep state" of satanic, pedophile, cannibals jonesing to remove Trump from the White House. And, that Donald Trump was placed in the presidency by God in order to fetter out those satanic, pedophile, cannibals from around the world, not just the "Deep State." The FBI has identified QAnon as a potential domestic terrorist organization. In August, Donald Trump was asked about QAnon. He said he didn't know much about them, but that he "appreciate[s]" the conspiracy theorists support.
QAnon is not some fringe Reddit group. In 2020 there are at least a dozen Republicans linked to QAnon running for Congress. And while some establishment Republicans have come out against the conspiracy theorists, most Republicans have remained silent.
Donald Trump was impeached for two crimes. The Senate, which refused to hear evidence and allow witnesses, vote to acquit Trump. Turns out Donald Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign was indeed in bed with the Russians. I'll turn this next section over to the historian Heather Cox Richardson in a Facebook post dated August 19th, 2020:
"Yesterday’s Senate Intelligence Report on connections between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian operatives is beginning to attract the media notice it deserves. Authored by a Republican-dominated committee, the report established that Konstantin Kilimnik, the longtime business associate of Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, is a Russian intelligence officer. While chairing Trump’s campaign, Manafort both communicated often with Kilimnik in encrypted conversations and gave him sensitive internal polling data from the campaign. The report says Kilimnik may have been directly involved in the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails and handing the stolen files to Wikileaks. The report also establishes that Trump repeatedly discussed the Wikileaks document dumps with operative Roger Stone, then lied about those discussions with investigators.
Washington Post conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin today published an article titled “As it turns out, there really was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.” Norman Eisen, lawyer for the House impeachment managers, told her: “Collusion simply means Trump and those around him wrongly working together with Russia and its satellites, and the fact of that has long been apparent…. Indeed, it was clear to anyone with eyes from the moment Trump asked, ‘Russia, if you’re listening.’… The Senate report is a valuable contribution advancing our understanding, including explaining former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort’s nexus to Russian intelligence. The report further elucidates our understanding of collusion via WikiLeaks, which acted as a Russian cut-out.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi focused not on 2016 but on the present, noting that “America’s intelligence and law enforcement communities have made clear that the Russian Government is continuing to wage a massive intervention campaign to benefit the President, warning of a ‘365-days-a-year threat’ to compromise the 2020 elections and undermine our democracy.” She noted that the very first thing the Democrats did when they took a majority in the House was to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act, to secure our elections, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has refused to take the bill up."
Now, back to me.
And then the Postmaster General allegedly began dismantling the post office's ability to deliver mail-in ballots, as Donald Trump claimed, without evidence, that mail-in ballots are ripe for fraud. Interestingly enough, he and his wife vote by using mail-in ballots.
Did you see the Democrat National Convention? Themes of the convention included Joe Biden has empathy, morals, honesty, sympathy, strong family, strong supporter of the military, and gets strength from his Catholic background. Surely the DNC painted Biden as an opposite of Trump. Three ex-Presidents spoke on Biden's behalf, along with three ex-First Ladies. There were several Republicans, many retired members of the US military to include Senator (LTC) Tammy Duckworth a disabled vet of the Iraq War and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a veteran of the Afghanistan war.
There were a lot of regular Americans as well giving testimony as to how and when Biden touched their lives. My personal favorite was the 13-year-old Brayden Harrington. Brayden spoke about his stuttering and how he met Joe Biden. Biden used to stutter when he was young. Biden reached out to Brayden one day and gave him some advice, as well as his cell phone number. I used to stutter when I was younger. More importantly, my 7-year-old son stutters. When Brayden spoke at the Convention, he got stuck on the "s" and "v", his face would contort as he tried to get the sounds out. My son also gets stuck on those two letters and makes the same facial expressions as he struggles to get the words out. I saw my son's future in Brayden. I was both proud and sad. Mostly proud. Brayden is one brave, eloquent young man.
A lot of other stuff happened this summer such as the price of food (especially eggs, dairy and meat) rose dramatically. We decided to keep our son home for the Fall semester. He will be learning online. I will be offering classes both online and on-campus. I am more than merely worried and anxious about being on-campus until a reliable vaccine is available. Oh, September 2nd (still officially in Summer) is our 20th wedding anniversary. So, I guess the news is not all bad. But, there is that tropical storm (Laura) that might affect us?
Here is my Yelp review of 2020 so far:
I totally agree with this One Strange Trip blog, as far as the whole wearing the mask out everywhere outside your home. Sometimes I would forget to grab my mask only when the mandatory mask was first issued because of course no one is going to get used to having their mouth and nosed covered whenever they go out. My first time hearing about COVID 19 I didn’t take it serious, but once I started noticing how everything begin to get shut down and we ended up with curfew that’s when I started to take it serious because I seen ton of people testing positive for COVID 19 including close friends.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, this has been Such a Strange trip as for the mask mandatory wearing, it is so weird but for Safety reasons we got no choice. I too was also not taking COVID -19 Seriously and I work in a nursing home at that time (March) but When I saw people dying, a lot of my fellow staff members testing positive for the virus and how quickly it spread, that was when I got scared, To add to all of that, all the sudden shutdown, curfew added a lot to my anxiety. Even mother nature was not very friendly cause we have wildfires going on, Hurricanes here and there, Storm brewing etc. Bottom line is that there is just a lot going on right now, but am thankful we are still alive despite all that.
DeleteYou are completely right. I thought the exact same thing that it wasnt no big deal. After a while our store manager required us to wear mask and gloves for our protection but and i hate it becuase the mask are really uncomfortable but i have to suck it up since I dont want to catch the virus. At work it was worse we changed owners and as soon as prices went up they were cutting hours and we couldnt make overtime anymore which was bad not even a riase.
DeleteYes, I agree with you, I would always wear my masks when it comes to going out but never thought about the purpose for it. I would never really care about COVID 19 and would always say how it was not a big deal and that it was like the flu but as time went by and I started to see people get really sick and die from it, that was when I realized that it is very serious. Even a close friend of mine had it and she couldn’t breath well but thankfully she recovered. Recently, we had a family friend that passed away because of COVID 19 and it is so devastating to say the least. Many plans got cancelled as well like for my 21st birthday I was supposed to go out of state and celebrate and even had planned it for a year, but we had to cancel because of the pandemic. It so crazy that the year is almost over, and we are still in the same situation but hopefully it will go away soon.
DeleteI can agree with everyone it has been a strange trip. After hearing about Covid-19 for the first time, I thought I was a complete joke; I was not taking it seriously at all. Although I do not go out as often as most people, when I did go out, I would completely forget that there was a worldwide pandemic going on until someone reminded me, “Do not forget your mask, oh and bring some hand sanitizer.” I did not really understand what was going on. I began taking it seriously when my job had to be closed for months because of Covid-19. I also struck me when I could not go to Chick-fil-a anymore.
DeleteI can agree I had a job at the airport where COVID was taking very serious early on. They started closing restaurants around the small store that I worked in. Then I started realizing how the severity of the situation when the store I was working in had to be closed down, because it was located in an area that was restricted from the public. That resulted into me being unemployed. COVID-19 It also ruined my senior year of high school when I didn't get to have a traditional ceremony and it caused me to miss important activities such as my senior trip, prom, and other school related activities.
DeleteI agree with this blog, when COVID was first being talked about i would've never thought that it would make its way to the united states and do as much damage as it did. I feel that a lot of people at first didn't take the virus serious. when masks became mandatory i did not want to buy one because i thought i would buy it for no reason because i was so sure the virus would go away in just a few weeks. i cannot believe that it has lasted this long, it sucks that we have to wear a mask everywhere we go and i can't believe how groups of people are gathering in larger and larger groups because even though the virus isn't being reported it is still around and it still is dangerous and spreads just like wildfire.
DeleteI completely agree with this blog. The craziest part is that is has been "One Strange Summer" for the entire planet. Not just for Americans. We are all going through this together. I also did not understand the severity of the virus at first. I do not have anyone in my home that is high risk and I really believed the media was blowing this all out of proportion. But I began to understand the severity when people I knew became infected and I would see the stories on the new about how the virus would sweep through entire nursing homes. There is a nursing home down the street from my home and when I would drive by I was saddened to watch family member visit with their loved ones through a window. This summer will never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteCasey, I can agree with you that at the very beginning of this pandemic, for a moment I thought the news were overreacting and blowing it out of proportion as well. I even thought that maybe it was all a lie from the government but seeing how bad everything was turning made me realize that it was true. My neighbors got sick and even close family members got infected. Hearing about all the COVID cases on the news was very sad and tragic. This year has been so tough and crazy for all of us. I really hope we can recover from this pandemic soon.
DeleteThis year indeed have been strange and weird. Its crazy how its really the WHOLE world being affected by COVID-19. You answered a question I always had, which was “ Why some people didn’t take this serious?” I never realized not everybody have someone that is high risk living in their home. Although I always took it serious, I never really thought about what people go through until my co-worker ended up getting COVID-19, and he was out for 1 month. He told me it one of the worst experience he ever been through. I hate seeing people losing love ones due to COVID-19, hopefully 2021 have something better to offer.
DeleteYes, Casey! This summer was too strange and scary as well. I planted to take 3 classes to finish my credits and start university one semester earlier, but I couldn't because I wasn't familiar with online learning at all and it took me behind my schedule. As you said this virus affected the whole world, not just America. TVs were reporting new deads and positive cases every day COVID 19 was the headline of all news channels that caused people's mental health problems. When someone was coughing or sneezing people were looking strangely at that person instead of wishing her/him blessed.
DeleteI also agree with you Casey! I believe everyone not just the United States started the year with an unexpected turn, and we all grew to believe that it would be gone by summer. Unfortunately, I also experience close friends of my family and other coworkers getting COVID19, it took a hard turn because that is when also the whole NYC began to shut down. I remember reading news after news about how not just there but everywhere corpuses where starting to pile up and it brought my anxiety and fear up so high. Not only the fear of seeing everyone in danger but a lot of people where and still are not taking this seriously. We all must stand by and be the change so something like summer 2020 outrage doesn't continue to happen massively.
DeleteHi Casey. It definitely has been a strange summer. I never would have expected that we would have to spend our entire summer social distancing and wearing masks. When I first heard about COVID, I also thought the media was just blowing things out of proportions. For weeks, it was the only thing being shown on the news which caused people to panic. I remember going to several grocery stores just to find toilet paper. At this point, I think most of us probably know someone close to us who has caught the virus. My best friend caught COVID just last month and said it was the worst thing she’s ever been through. I think it’s important we all take the necessary precautions in order to minimize the spread of COVID. It really saddens me to hear about the nursing home. I don’t have anyone high risk in my home, but I can only imagine what other families might be feeling during this time.
DeleteHello Casey, you are totally right and I agree with you in every way. Honestly, when this all first started earlier this year I did not see this becoming a major issue yet because I had always believed that if in any person is sick and those who have tested positive for this virus, then the obvious thing to do is to not go out in public. Like to me It was just that simple and I totally believe that this pandemic should have not received all this attention and be exploited the way it was on the news and social media. And the fact of how this year has been going so far it has had a huge impact on society and I do not even believe we had a summer to begin with. I see this year itself as a learning experience and observed how society reacts with the media.
DeleteThe year 2020 feels more like an episode of Twilight Zone Getting stranger and stranger the way things are happening today would be unimaginable a year ago the pandemic the politics the ridiculousness of at all is nothing less than a circus! Politically we are at a junction where actual facts do not matter anymore, Trump supporters are not concerned with what is reasonable, but their loyalty for trump is due to their deep rooted racist mindset, hence there is no conversation with closed minds, we cannot convince them of daylight even if the sun is shining above their heads, it’s a choice they have made. All we can do is figure out how not to let them control our country.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement especially the politics part because how much trump supporters would be loyal to trump no matter what he does. Trump supporters are rarely people who actually vote for him because of his views instead they vote for him because of how he treats the minorities and his delusional views on he made everything great, even when he said that his DNA is built different when he had covid and was cured of it. Maybe same thing can be said for some democrats and what I mean is that both parties that i see only vote for there party because is what they grew up with like around family voting for that party even me(not everyone like this) but there's the other people who actually see every political party and actually try to see what has the best views but its like this, and is focused more on the bigger parties and the other parties don't get much attention (I may have gotten off track at the end from your original topic sorry)
DeleteDon't complain about the snow on your neighbors roof, said Confucius when your own doorstep is unclean. Just for better understanding, Confucius was a chinese philosopher who died april 11 479 BC. This statement sets nicely for this current situation going on, not for just president trump by many strong leaders who are comfortable enough with the blame game. I certainly appreciate your thoughts and understanding, but is it really like this? Are the statesmen only held responsible? I believe taking responsibility is a bold step towards all sorts of betterments but not only by leaders it should come from the society itself. Living longer and staying healthy is what everyone wants. All it is the citizens who should remain in charge of their health and safety
DeleteThe year of 2020 has felt like there has been several years’ worth of moments all stuffed in one. The world why live in today is vastly different from the life we lived just a year ago. COVID has affected and is still affecting our way of life by making us think about things we never really did like washing hands after doing trivial task outside of your home. I don’t think we will ever go back to the way things were before COVID even after a vaccine is found. On the note of this country’s politics, this presidency has been the first time that I tried to stay informed as I was too young and ignorant to understand the ones before and I am floored at the humanity in some people. Growing up my mother who is a world history teacher has always told me to question what I’m told and to find truths from both sides as the victory’s decide what’s right and looking at both sides has never been more true then what’s been happening lately. I will end this with a quote that she tells her students “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I agree with your statement from the first to last sentence. Yes even if COVID were to vanished , the world won't be the same. I feel still people will have that fear of it returning or a much dangerous disease will come. This could bring a bigger division with people and probably will lead to violence if one was to be too close to another. The quote reminds me of what one of my friends and I were conversing not so long ago. It was about Trump and the virus in how he could be faking all of it. The reason he could be faking it is just so he could make a point that it isn't a serious matter to consider and how it's blown to proportion. It does not matter if the president survives, what matters is the AMOUNT of people who are losing their life.
DeleteI totally agree. Having to learn to maneuver online on these new systems can be a task itself too. Both you and the professor are all new to this, therefore, we have to have a lot of patience and time to deal with online classes. Some classes have weekly zoom meetings. During these meetings, it is very frustrating to have to hear other classmates background noise when they forget to mute themselves. Causing a delay for the professor to put out their lessons. It is very distracting to everyone. On the other hand, you may experience technical issues that can prevent you from logging on to your zoom class. Resulting in missing important information and postponing learning things for upcoming quizzes.
DeleteI agree with you. COVID 19 affected our lives to deepen this situation made as all to think about things that we never felt were important. This new virus made us take our health and safety seriously. I am sure most people never washed their hands after going out or touching staff but today people wash their hands by time. It makes us do things that were even hard for us like wearing a mask as going outside in public makes us think about our own and others' safety. Staying home taught all of us to take care of our loved ones and think about them.
DeleteI agree with this blog because how 2020 has been a crazy year, for the whole world and even the u.s been suffering a lot like how the stock market started going down when the COVID first started shutting down the country around spring-may. I think summer was the worst part especially with politics because how during June there was a lot of protest and riots broke because of decisions from the police that affected the minorities a lot and even right now Portland still is having big protest that the media doesn't cover a lot. There's also a lot of people who are loosing there lives because of the virus especially in the u.s because people here want to come up an excuse not to wear a mask and a mask doesn't prevent a person from getting covid but it helps spreading it to other people but theres people, even the president, who refuse to be safe from spreading the virus that is killing people around the world but they the same ones who think the virus is a hoax.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this year has been completely unexpected. Every day I think about how it is now normal for us to just wear our mask and people (for the most part) have gotten used to it. It is crazy that at one point we believed this pandemic would be over in a few months and now it has been almost 9 months that this pandemic has been here. It also feels like every month something new and historical is happening from the Black Lives Matter movement to now the Presidential Election in a few weeks. This year has been completely unexpected, and I am honestly still curious as to what these remaining three months will bring.
DeleteSame here. Its like when a problem or issue occurs, you have to wait once you have contacted your professor for a response that would take a few minutes if we were in a classroom setting. By the time your professor responds back to you, you forget what the issue is and have to try to remember to not take up too much of your professors’ time. It seems like it is more work given out so you can grasp all the information needed to pass the course. It can be a bit much to keep up with but will be well worth it at the end.
Delete- Personally, I agree, It has gotten to the point that do to work I am so use to wearing a mask from 5-10 hours a day. And it was something I never expected. I look back at how work was pre-covid and its crazy to think about how unsanitary we were. Now wiping down our work- space after every customer is the new normal. And before we did not. Even though us are employees are being cautious does not mean the customers are also being cautious. Upon arriving to work we have to make sure we pass our online self- screening health assessment, get our temperature checked upon arrival and some customer still take their mask off and can possible give us the virus carelessly.
DeleteI agree that 2020 is a crazy year because it's too much happening in the world. Every time I watch the news or go on social media there's always something about the president, COVID, and the police killing innocents, and etc. This pandemic really had messed up this world mentally, physically, and financially because there's people trying to kill themselves because it's even they're going broke or they trying to take their life out before COVID does. This year doesn't feel like a normal life to me, even when I go outside or stay at home because we have to stay 6ft apart from everybody and we have to wear masks every day until they come out with the vaccine, which is the new normal now that we gone have to deal with and get use to until COVID is gone.
DeleteLike just about everyone on this thread, I agree that 2020 has been an unforgettable trip. I went from making spring break plans with my friends to halfway dying of covid in June because of poor mask enforcement in my moms job. It was like a boxing scene where the guy is getting punched so fast and hard that everything else started to blur and spin. Even with that, I still have to go to work and deal with anti-maskers that curse masks up and down, swearing it was infringing their “human rights.” Sometimes I question staying in this country for the long run.
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ReplyDeleteThe strange trip blog was interesting for me. Honestly, these past 8 mounts were strange for almost everyone. At the beginning of the virus my days were normal, but after a positive test and death that were reported by the media my parents were scared and they didn’t let me go outside the house for almost 5 month not even for exercise. My siblings and I were asked to wash our hands in 15 minutes
ReplyDeleteI agree with this blog because my mind went upside down when I heard the news about a virus is spreading around the world. I thought that this virus it just a hoax. After hearing the number of cases and deaths, instantly that this disease is life-threatening. Americans lost their jobs and schools went to distance education because of the pandemic. We are suffering together, and we need to deal with it because most likely this virus will be with us for years to come. The CDC recommends us to use a mask when we need to go outside. There are people how do not use their masks because the virus does not exist. However, people are dying because people do not wear their masks. My family made a role to not go outside upset it is necessary and wearing a mask to not get affected.
ReplyDeleteDr. Ross-Nazzal, I enjoyed reading how even though the pandemic hasn't allowed your family to be in its custom routines you managed to still find a way to adjust and make the best out of the YMCA summer camp being cancelled. I Honestly didn't believe COVID 19 existed at first. It wasn't until I lost one of my family members, who had down syndrome, to COVID 19 that I actually understood the serverity of this pandemic. I fear for my mother she's a nurse and she gets a whole bunch of test positives at the ER where she works at, so every time she feels sick I tend to get worried.
ReplyDeleteHey, I agree wholeheartedly with you and Dr. Ross-Nazzal. Similarly,my life changed dramatically when
Deletethe virus hijacked our nation among many others. I struggled mentally and physically. Mask mandates
and those that didn’t follow guidelines, among many other factors has made living in America today very
strange and bothersome. I also did not believe in the severity of covid until I saw numbers and the real-
life effect it has had, starting with its panic. I am sorry that you fear for your loved ones so much, as I do
as well and know the uncertainty, we live in. This year has done a number and through class, work,
home life, and online connection the best we can do is talk to and support each other.
The strange trip blog was really interesting to read and very agreeable, during COVID-19 it definitely was a huge change that hit us all without any warning. and its also something that just didn't really hit hard but also depressing time because it really makes you think how everything changed and how for some of us in high-school our last day before spring break was really our last day of the school year, for some High school graduates graduation ceremony wasn't something that was in the school plans and how that was really the last day that you would walk through those school hallways and seat on that classroom and for teachers as well, and other workers all computer all online wifi too slow because the over usage of it and it really hits hard and how we have to wear masks all the time and then there was toilet paper shortage and hand-sanitizer and alcohol shortage too and prices as mention in the strange trip blog prices for eggs and meat went up high and its just crazy to see everyone wearing masks and doing school online and our president not really doing much to help get reduce the amount of cases we have in the U.S, instead making other things more important than to reduce the amount of COVID-19 cases in the U.S its been 6 months and we are still here with not a lot as before but still with a pretty decent amount of high number of COVID cases and online courses is defiantly harder because whenever you have a question you have to wait for your professor to answer, you can't really ask them directly and its more work than to be in a classroom, the environment changes it feels like you don't really connect as much as you would maybe in a classroom but of courses many have different opinions about that not everyone thinks alike but for me I agree with his post and it is relatable as well maybe not I the same level but some what relatable and its not only covid affecting us all everything is going wrong, clim ate change getting worse and wildfires spreading it is just really a lot to take in.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that the QAnon was only a plot made in order to distract people. Basically they are saying that the democrats are rich and are doing a lot of wrong things. Aren't the Republicans the same way. Even the president right now could not even say whether he thinks if this is a propaganda or not. Just by simply dodging the question being asked to him during the debate is like saying that he does agree with it. The Republicans are showing that the current president is the answer to all the problems that the country is facing right now but in reality it is like they are living in a reality show. They are misleading people from the facts.
ReplyDeletethis post was very interesting to read because I feel that majority of us are dealing with the same things. covid-19 has completely turned the world around and is really testing our patience. classes had to be taken online and is a whole different ballgame from in class. I do remember being in class one day and I read up on covid-19 when it was not a big deal, like others, I did not take it very seriously until it made a drastic appearance in the states. now look at us, look at the elections that are taking place, jobs are different, unemployment is at a rise, schools are just beginning to open but at a minimal rate. it is all a big test to us, one that is going to take a while but we will if we all d our part. I replied yesterday to another one of Dr.Jrn posts, about how important it is to get ourselves caught up on what is going on in politics and the presidency. I have only heard of "QAnon" but have not done research on the topic until reading this post and man can I tell you, I am in shock and I found it very interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteThis year has been a rough year for everyone due to the outbreak of a new deadly virus. For me, COVID-19 has changed my life tremendously in the past few months. I stayed at home and only took online classes. I took some online classes in the past before, so there was not much of a problem for me. When I go out I always wear a mask, I find it’s necessary to protect myself and others. However, at the beginning of the pandemic, the American people were not used to wearing a mask in the public, yet I hope that they will face the situation just like Dr. Ross-Nazzal. Regarding politics, I have heard of QAnon, but I did not have the chance to hear anything further about it other than its name. After this entry, I have the chance to learn more about QAnon, which is a concern of our nation with all the troubles that it has triggered. This is one of the major reasons that I always hope for the United States to be blessed with a leader who will be able to keep and guide our nation on the right path.
ReplyDeleteHello! I agree with your statement and can also relate to it. Covid also changed my life. I cant remember a time now where i havent worn a mask! All of my classes shifted to online and now i'm home alot more. It is necessary to wear a mask out in public in order to protect oneself and others. There are still some who arent used to wearing masks and even refuse to do so *sigh*. I have heard of QAnon and i did not know what it wasbut now i have a jist of it. It's crazy that it has found its way to real life politics.
DeleteI believe 2020 is the most unforgettable year for every one of us in the whole world. People are suffering around the world due to this unforeseen pandemic. The death rate increases continuously, businesses are going bankrupt, schools and restaurant are forced to close. I still remember the day when the government’s order to shut down all business in 14 days was right on my birthday. When the situation has somewhat been controlled, I decided to go outside. It suddenly feels so strange to see everyone having their mask on, people standing six-feet away from each other, and social distance signs putting up everywhere. At that point, I realize that our life rhythm is turned around completely all because of COVID-19. The life we are so used to suddenly become quite unfamiliar. Everyone is “afraid” of each other. I believe this situation will prolong till the end of this year or even longer. Hopefully, the life of America and its people as well as the world will soon recover and shine even brighter when everyone can proudly walk outside without a mask.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you have said, except the birthday. It's so frustrating to think about my last day of my senior year. I don't remember what I was wearing or what I did in my classes. I only remember getting out early with early release, and sitting in my car with my friend for 30 minutes. We sat there just talking and laughing, and I also threw glitter on him. We didn't think anything of it, just a normal day till I never saw him again. It's near the end of the year and I haven't seen him since. I lost a lot of friends due to quarantine. I have maybe three or four friends in total because everyone in my family is older than 50. I can't get them sick, so I stay home a lot. This year has been very troubling for me in particular. I had no place to stay for at least a month, most likely more. Covid-19 had messed up a lot for everyone's lives but there's nothing we can do about it. The only thing we can do is mask up, stay six feet apart, and stay in contact with our loved ones.
DeleteDr. Ross-Nazzal, 2020 has been a odd or unsettling year for many people. It's nice to know that you and family have not experience anything to harsh. I want to start by saying this year has been very good to me as a individual. It's like having everything i could want in this year and looking around me to just see a disaster. I know there a lot going on around the world and in this country that is terrible. Wearing a mask when I go out is uncomfortable for me but I don't really mind it as much as before. A few close members of my family got the virus and within two weeks to a month they tested negative. I never worried about it at all, i knew that were going to be fine. COVID-19 have cause many death in our nation but i still don't feel fear toward it. Espeically after hearing close friends of my family dying from everything but COVID. So that my view on COVID but presidental campaign, I am honest very conflicted and uncertain. I will try to research more on what the candidates have done, without looking at any baised article or news. I am not very enthusiastic about politics but I believe it is interesting that Joe Biden has had interaction with someone similar to your son's problem. My own brother when was about that same as your son had a stuttering problem. I can tell that it's challegeing to not stutter by listening to my younger brother but i am sure your son will get better at it. Online school has been surprisingly well even though i am use to in person. I think i might stay doing online classes until i get my associates degree.
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