2020 Was Definitely a Year of Perseverance
The year 2020 started off on a sad note for me. On January 26, 2020, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year old daughter Gigi, and seven other people all perished in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. They were on the their way to a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks, California. My reason for this being sad for me, is because Kobe Bryant was my #2 favorite basketball player ever (behind Isiah Thomas for me) and I admired him. What I admired most was his work ethic, his passion, and commitment to achieve excellence no matter what. I loved his prowess as a scorer and his athleticism.
A month and a half after the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the seven people on the helicopter, the country shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was reported in the media to come from China. The NBA, NHL, college basketball, canceled their seasons (the NBA and NHL resumed their seasons in the summer), jobs suddenly instructed their workers to work from home, and schools suddenly and unexpectedly had teachers instruct their students through distance learning from home. Businesses shut down, trains and buses were just about empty of commuters, schedules were changed on bus routes and some were eliminated altogether. Democratically governed states instructed their citizens to stay at home, and only go out if necessary. When going out, wear a mask, keep a social distance of 6 feet, and wash and sanitize your hands. Republican governed states didn't encourage their citizens to wear masks, or social distance. They left this at the discretion of their citizens.
Many people lost their jobs, including me. I lost my job in June, and had to apply for unemployment benefits (I'm still unemployed).
If things couldn't get any worse, the police senselessly murdered Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020, and in Minneapolis on May 25, George Floyd was choked to death for 8 minutes and 45 seconds by a Minneapolis police officer. His murder was caught on a cell phone camera. There were mass protests and rioting in every major U.S. city everyday for over 2 weeks. The protests spread around the world as well. Sadly, the police didn't learn their lesson. Atlanta police murdered Rayshard Brooks two weeks after George Floyd, Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August. Mr. Blake was not killed but has injuries that will leave him permanently disabled. Also, in October, Walter Wallace Jr., was gunned down by two Philadelphia police officers. This shooting set off 3 days of rioting in that city.
In the midst of all of this chaos, there was a presidential election between President Donald Trump and Senator Joe Biden. Mr. Biden eventually officially won the election, after a month of countless lawsuits alleging election fraud from President Trump. It's a miracle that I was able to keep my sanity and my family was able to keep theirs as well, and manage to stay afloat financially. I hope to continue with my education and for the continued health and wealth of my family. I would like future generations to know that even though the world around may have gone mad, you can still persevere and be successful.
