By Virginia Walters

For the Peninsula Clarion

What a year it has been! Last January I wrote about the role the year 2020 had played in classic science fiction, and the prophesies of Nostradamus and Jeanne Dixon about that New Year. By spring, we were cautious about the coronavirus, but hopeful. In April, I wrote about being locked down for a month and how everyone was saying it would end before summer. Big milestones were forfeited: prom and graduation; but the anticipation was there that we would be back to normal by summer.

But that didn’t happen: no Fourth of July parade, no picnics; the summer still afforded fishing, camping, gardening and yard work, all things that can be done in isolation, so, except for social gatherings, the summer was semi-normal but by fall, we knew “it” was going to continue into the winter.

I’m sure we have all developed some new habits to cope. Some good, some not so. Like not getting dressed until noon and leaving the lunch dishes set by the sink till after dinner. Watching way too much TV. Reading all day because you know that tomorrow will be more of the same and you can do laundry then.

On the up side, though, I did cook a little more, just for fun and learned to Zoom and Facetime (which may or may not be good). We got in the habit of wearing a mask, and only go to the grocery store once a week. The gasoline bill is way down. And, we listen to Sound Off each morning.

Before March, my mornings were pretty busy. By 9:30 we were off and running to whatever thing was doing that day. We seldom had an hour to listen to the radio. I listened to Sound Off in the old Ty Clark days after I retired. Not every morning, but often enough to keep up with what was going on in the community and to know the general feelings about issues affecting us all locally. And also to Paul Fisher and Karen McGahan through the years, off and on, as time allowed. This is the first large amount of time I have devoted to morning radio and I must confess, Duane Bannock has become my new best friend. Sometimes I agree with him, sometimes I don’t. His audience is widespread and very diverse. I’m sure some people listen just so they can disagree with him. He is that kind of personality,

He got us through the local elections with good humor and a nonpartisan agenda. He is a self-described “right-wing nut job.” (Actually, I think he is a closet Libertarian with a definite list toward starboard). But during the political season he presented both sides and all candidates equally. His position is well known on most issues, but he asked fair questions and offered his guests ample time to explain their positions. Some returned more than once.

And after the debacle on Jan. 6, my respect for him has grown. He came to the microphone on Thursday with a very decided opinion of the day before and presented it thoughtfully. Then, knowing there were listeners who did not agree with his assessment, in the next hour he quietly gave over the microphone to a dissenting opinion without comment, making sure all sides were represented and given voice. That is class.

I am ready to kick back and glory in a brand new year. It is getting lighter every day. A vaccine is available for those who want it if you wait long enough. The winter has not been as terrible as it could be (so far). School has started modified in-person classes again, and we are four days into season 46 of Who’s the President.

I have no expectation that the new administration will change anything, but at least they will use woke language and be inconsequential with class and composure, which seemed to have been the most important things missing from the prior administration. The final episode of season 45 where all gender specific nouns were forbidden on the House floor seemed to foretell the direction of the new season, then when the trailer came out promising 50,000 charging stations for electric cars on our highways, I was convinced. After all, we are only suffering an economic collapse and a pandemic. What would you do?

We have just spent 10 months of two steps forward, one step back. While we are somewhere ahead of where we were in March last year, I don’t expect much progress toward what we need and want because the politicians (both sides) will be too busy beating a dead horse.

Meanwhile, everyone keeps reminding me that the Mad Max movies are set in 2021.

Virginia can be contacted at vewalters@gci.net