2020: What We Learned

There is good even in a bad year

Dec 25, 2020

For most of us, January 1, 2021 cannot come quickly enough. 2020 has been a terrible year, the global pandemic spreading not only sickness and death, but also economic devastation and social turbulence. Yet, there have been moments when a person or an event showed us the best side of human nature. Even in these bleak times, there were joys to be found, both large and small, that brought smiles to our faces and lifted our spirits.

On the grand scale, the successful challenge to develop Covid vaccines in less than a year was a spectacular achievement of medical science. And the fact that it was accomplished by teams from multiple nations working in cooperation is in itself a testimonial to the effectiveness of open-source research. Science and scientists deserve some well-earned respect.

On the political front, the United States was able, in the face of over 18 million cases and 325,000 deaths from the virus, to conduct a record-setting Presidential election. Over 158 million Americans voted- the most in the nation’s history- and the estimated turnout of eligible voters was the greatest in 120 years, 66.5 percent. The pandemic caused most states to offer mail-in voting as an option, another example of adapting to circumstances and getting a positive result. Election Day itself came off without any notable disruptions. So let’s all, regardless of whom we voted for, reflect on what a great victory for democracy this was.*

It is understandable that, in this season of loss and despair we are experiencing, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate these large accomplishments. We make note of them, but they are momentary points on a timeline of mass anxiety. We are glad we will soon be able to receive vaccine injections, but we still miss sharing this holiday season with family and friends. We have learned to adapt: “Zoom” is now a verb and many of us work from home. Most of us have never washed our hands so often. We think about people- teachers, supermarket workers, bus drivers- compelled by their jobs to not isolate from groups of people. We struggle with loss, of life and of time. We try not to be openly judgmental of the persons we encounter in the grocery store who do not wear a mask, mindless or disdainful of the fact the virus has killed a tenth of a percent of the nation’s population.

What does hit home are the small acts of kindness and courage that come to our attention, either in person or in the media. As the New York Times reported,

When Hayley Orlinsky of Chicago learned on the news in March that doctors and nurses were running low on masks amid the frantic early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, she wanted to help.
“I ran up to my room and made a little friendship bracelet,” Hayley, 7, recalled on Tuesday. “And I told my mom that I wanted to sell these bracelets, and I wanted to make money for one of the hospitals.”

Haley has raised more than $22,000 for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where she had been a patient in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Michael Esmond, a small business owner in Gulf Breeze, Florida, paid $7,600 to settle the overdue utility bills of 114 local families. The city’s economy had been dealt a double blow from the cornavirus and Hurricane Sally.

Said Esmond, “We're in an area here that's a big vacation area and our summer was devastated… The pandemic and mother nature really threw the coup de grace with Hurricane Sally."

In Charleston, West Virginia, drivers pulled over by the police for traffic violations were surprised when officers returned their licenses and registrations with a $10 gift card for Chik-Fil-A rather than a ticket. The restaurant provided $500 worth of the cards to the police to distribute. The cops decided to use them in lieu of tickets.

“Usually, people aren’t too happy when you pull them over, but to put a smile on someone’s face like that, it’s a good feeling,” said one officer.

Last week, five New Jersey teenagers formed a chain to rescue two children whose out-of-control sled had skidded into a pond. Without hesitation, one of the boys, Kieran Daly, ran into the water to lift the children up and hand them to his friends.

“I give Kieran all credit,” said one of the friends. “He jumped in without hesitation.”

If you scour the newspapers or online news sites, you will find more of these stories. For all the negativity we see in the media, we should remind ourselves that most people are essentially decent and generous. A few days ago, my wife and a friend took a young woman, a former co-worker, to lunch with the idea of treating her. The younger woman, a first-year teacher, was in town to spend the holidays with her family. The three women had an enjoyable lunch and lively conversation. When my wife and her friend prepared to pay the bill, their server informed them that someone had already paid it. When they inquired about who the person was, they were informed the person wished to remain anonymous.

“A human being is formed by nature to benefit others, and, when he has performed some benevolent action or accomplished anything else that contributes to the common good, he has done what he was constituted for, and has what is properly his.”
– Marcus Aurelius

*The chaos surrounding the election has occurred in its aftermath as Donald Trump refuses to accept the result.

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