What To Expect Next Year

 

I don't need a crystal ball to see what's coming next year. Coronavirus will still be with us. That means more masks and less family get-togethers. 

I'm tired of seeing people in masks. I will immediately turn off any tv show that uses cornonavirus as an episode plot. 

Enough already. That's not entertainment.

Part of the problem with this virus is the media. There's a lot of junk science out there and the media devours every tiny sensational side effect to orchestrate a headline. I miss the old days when journalists were real investigators. I spend so much time researching the actual truth it makes me feel like I'm doing their jobs.

For myself, I stay home more. Not for safety's sake, but because I'm tired of being corralled and counted like a cow going to slaughter at every store and office. 

The good news besides (or despite) the new vaccine, coronavirus should be gone or greatly dissipated by winter 2021. 

I find it strangely ironic that the Spanish flu lasted about two years without a vaccine. How is it coronavirus will stick around for two years even with a vaccine?

There are only two major differences between these viruses. The Spanish flu was most fatal to young people as opposed to coronavirus which is more lethal for old people. The Spanish flu also killed far more people worldwide than coronavirus, despite people from both eras wearing masks. 

Since last I checked, coronavirus killed either directly or indirectly 1.76 million globally. Spanish flu is estimated to have killed 500 million. 

I stopped worrying about coronavirus many months ago. I don't care whether people wear masks or not. I wear one when I'm indoors around people. But more importantly, I wash (or sanitize) my hands constantly and disinfect any new object coming into my home unless I don't plan to touch it again for a few days. In the end, it's what YOU do to protect yourself.

Economy: In my crystal ball, I don't have a good feeling about the economy. How hard this is going to bite us has yet to be seen. There should definitely be a sharp stock market correction in 2021, which could mean another recession. 

I hope to God it won't be as bad as the 18 month recession we suffered during 2008-2009. That one set us back years, but luckily we were still working. We're retired now, so a long recession scares the bejeebers out of me. A 6 month recession is perfectly normal and expected. 18 months of continuous recession can wipe out years of savings. It took us 4 years to recover what we lost. That hurt.

Home Front: Since we'll still be in pandemic mode, I think more people will continue the trend to garden more. I am STILL having trouble finding the "good" seeds. 😭 

If you garden, don't wait. Buy your stash as soon as you see what you need is available. Trade seeds with neighbors. Seedlings were already sky high this year. I expect them to be ridiculously higher next year.

I don't foresee another run on consumables like toilet paper and alcohol in 2021. Most everyone should have a small stockpile by now. 

I'm hoping even after this virus finishes its run that stores and restaurants will continue to disinfect as thoroughly as they did during the outbreak. As my husband so sagely pointed out: Why weren't they being this sanitary all along especially at places where we eat?

Eating and Shopping: People will continue to cook more and order out. We've dined out a few times and I gotta say, it's uncomfortable. Eating out is no longer the escapist enjoyment it used to be. We eat out less, but we tip more when we do eat out. I feel sorry for the wait staff. Whenever possible we try to eat at local establishments rather than the big corporate restaurants.

Shopping is continuing its online life. It was headed that way anyway before the pandemic. Now it's fully hardwired into our shopping process. For the most part, I prefer it, but I draw the line at groceries. I'm very particular about thumping my own melons. 

Entertainment: Going to the movies is going bye-bye. Already a few film companies are saying they'll skip the theaters and stream directly. To be honest, I won't miss theaters much. We have a giant 4k tv, a Bose sound system, and no kids to make a racket. We do have moochie dogs though so popcorn does get pilfered occasionally. 

Travel: There's another industry that's hurting. Airlines should recover quickly because people still need to reach destinations within hours, but cruise ship lines will start to collapse. Only the largest will make it if they can hold out another year. 

In the end, it's all about lasting one more year. I expected it since the Spanish Flu lasted only two years. I was a little surprised that coronavirus is going to take just as long despite all our medical advances. I have my suspicions on why. 

But what's done is done and there's no going back. I am sick of government and sick of experts with political agendas. And don't kid yourself, they all have political agendas. Together they've made a mess of things. 

It's not just the US either, but all over the world. In an era when information is a click away, we were more disorganized than the poor schmoes who had to deal with the Spanish Flu.

So here's my advice for 2021. Suck it up for one more year. 

2021 won't be as hard as 2020 because more of our resources are in place as is infrastructure. Be responsible for yourself and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. 

We've been through the worst. Now we have to pick up the pieces.

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