The year of the asterisk

 

 

The asterisk of 2020

Here we are in 2021, finally. Optimism for a bright and shiny new year filled with promise is tempered by the tribulations of last year, which should go down in history as the year of the asterisk, often used in record books to mark anomalies.

The asterisk for 2020, however, will be a fuzzy gray sphere with studded with deadly red flowerlike spikes. Covid 19 morphed into a global pandemic and quintessential black swan event that disrupted every facet of our lives.

Fear and skepticism played tug of war as we sheltered in place venturing out only for approved reasons. The mask debate—are they crucial, or useless—rages on. In January, a woman was detained by police in Richmond for covering her face in public. Now law enforcement officers are masked.

After the lockdown in March—two weeks to flatten the curve—everything changed.

People hunkered down. Canned goods, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper disappeared from store shelves. Schools closed without notice leaving working parents scrambling for child care and teachers creating distance learning options. Ten months later, this is still a work in progress.

Of all the terrors of the pandemic, perhaps the most subtle is the fraying of community caused by cancellation of things that bring people together. Churches discouraged from in person worship moved online. In warm weather, some held outdoor services where people could gather yet keep their distance.

Our vocabularies grew as terms like social distancing, pivot, unmute, self-quarantine, and wash your hands became part of daily discourse.

We were told, in March, the lockdowns would only be for a few weeks, yet here we are ten months later with no real end in sight. As case count rises—for epidemiological purposes, each positive test is considered a case—a curious combination of cabin fever and agoraphobia has arisen. We desperately want to leave our homes but worry about going out and getting sick.  Will the vaccines finally let us get our lives back? Seems like good news is two steps forward, four steps back.

Yet here we are. Goochland seems to be holding its own against Covid. The latest numbers from the Virginia Department of Health (https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-in-virginia/) indicate that, since March when testing began, 621 cases have been identified in the county. That includes an increase of about 170 in the past month. The good news is that, since March, 34 people have been hospitalized—the last on November 25. Seven Covid-related deaths have been attributed to Goochland, the last was reported on July 28. The VDH does not report on, or even define, Covid recoveries.

Restrictions on our daily lives, we are told, are based on science and data. The science seems to change with the phase of the moon, and the data is vague.

In spite of all the uncertainty and just plain weirdness, we carry on.

The first GOMM of 2020 expected the year to be a routine continuation of 2019. The hospital, hotel, and animal shelter opened. Modifications to the Broad Street Road/Rt. 288 interchange were finally finished. The census was conducted, as was the presidential election. All were done observing Covid precautions.

Quarantines that had residents working from home and students learning remotely put even more pressure on the county to expand broadband access to all residents as soon as possible. Regulatory restrictions at the state and federal level that hobble this expansion must be eliminated.

Our LEOs and fire-rescue providers have worked tirelessly and carefully observing sanitizing, distance, and wearing masks to serve the citizens throughout the pandemic.  County staff kept local government operational. The DMV Select operated by the Commissioner of Revenue remained open serving customers from near and far.

The Goochland School Division continued to nourish the minds and bodies of students. Meal distribution barely missed a beat when schools closed. The “Sunshine Bus” lived up to its name bringing food and books to students.

Events that form the threads of the tapestry of community were cancelled or “reimagined”. The last Field Day of the Past fell victim to Covid, depriving us of a chance to bid farewell to this iconic event. The rebirth of Goochland Day was postponed for a year. There were no fireworks, observances of Veterans’ or Memorial Day, Deep Run Horse Show, Rassewek Spring Jubilee, sports, or Batteaux Festival.

Not everything was cancelled. The sheriff’s Office held “Candy, Costumes, and Cops,” a drive through Halloween event the day after Parks and Rec staged a drive through combination fall festival and Halloween party. The Christmas Tree lighting was virtual after a drive through wave at Santa at Hidden Rock Park, which was decked out with seasonal lights.

Our 2020 Christmas Mother Joy Kline and her elves found new ways to brighten the holidays for those in need.

Creativity was on display at the high school drama department staged a virtual and socially distanced version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to give a local connection to the lockdown.

Our world was turned upside down last year, and we realized what is important in life.

May your 2021 be filled with good health, love, and laughter. Happy New Year!