An Unforgettable Year

It has been some time that I posted here, but it was primarily due to Covid-19. Once the virus hit, many things changed that my family and I were not expecting, and things shifted dramatically.

My wife got laid off from her job, and my son’s school year changed unexpectedly. His school closed, and he was no longer attending classes. He was doing all his schoolwork online from home. He ended his freshman year in high school as an exceptional student, but it was difficult to adjust to. He also attended a summer college course online.

The summer was quite different for the entire family. The community pool that we were regulars at was not open, so we did not go swimming all summer, in fact I did not get any sort of suntan whatsoever. Our social life this year has been lackluster, and we had no guests or friends over at our house all year.

All the gyms in our area were closed for more than three months, but gradually they started opening. I have been going on a regular basis in the mornings, but of course we must wear a mask. We must wear a mask when we go shopping and everywhere, we go. It has been an inconvenience that everyone has had to get used to.

I personally am not too worried about catching the virus, but there are many people out there that get angry at people who are not wearing a mask or do not keep the required social distance. I understand how some older people feel, but I do see a great deal of unnecessary hostility.

As summer came to an end, my son went back to school and is attending classes and not working at home online, but all the students have to wear a mask and there are additional rules that were implemented due to the virus. There are still many students who continue to do their school year at home online.

College students who are back in school are also going through similar changes, and some colleges are only offering courses online. That has some parents and students angry because they still must pay a high tuition, and doing their work online is not the same as being in class. By not being able to ask a teacher questions in person, I think is a major disadvantage. The human interaction and student participation are missing.

It has also come to my attention that many teachers are new to online schooling and have difficulties with the technology. This is frustrating for the students as well as the teacher.

Since the pandemic, many companies have also sent workers home to work online, and from the news that I hear, once this pandemic is over, many people will continue to work from home. This saves companies a great deal of money and saves on rent and office space.

It appears to me that this will have an impact on workers, students, the economy, and businesses everywhere. Five years from now, when we get to look back at 2020, I am certain that this will be remembered as a year that brought major changes to America.

2020 has been an incredibly unique and frustrating year, and as we get close to the elections, there is a great deal of anger and dissatisfaction in America. There have been riots throughout the country, Black Lives Matter and Antifa showed up, and the media is very one sided on numerous issues. The two major parties have been battling it out calling each other names, and there is so much fake news out there, it is hard to determine who or what to believe.

The first presidential debate is almost here, and of course I will be watching to get a feel for both candidates and what they have to offer. What I see taking place in America currently scares me a little. No, I am not afraid for myself; I am concerned about my son’s future. What kind of world and society is he going to end up living in. What opportunities will be available to him once he graduates from college.

I believe that the best thing to do is for him to create an online business and be independent, but that is easier said than done. Plus, I do not want him to be isolated from people and just sit in front of a computer all his life.

All we can do is take it one day at a time and see how the year ends. During the holidays, as I start planning for the new year, I will decide on how and where we go in 2021.

I hope your year has been a good one, or at least better than mine. I must remind you that whatever lies ahead, do not give up. We must keep an open mind, analyze the current situation, make some plans, and put those plans into action.

Again, I apologize for not writing for the past few months, but I am back, and I will share more in the coming days and weeks. I will explain in detail what I am doing and where we hope to end up. As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, our goal is to have my son attend and finish college without taking out a student loan.

 If you have any questions or comments, send me a message and I will get back with you, and until then have a great week!

Goulash