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Good riddance 2020

Hudson Cooper - Columnist
Posted 12/30/20

I doubt if anybody will ever feel nostalgic about 2020. For most of us it was a year to forget. I will abstain from political statements in this column but suffice it to say no matter which side of …

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Good riddance 2020

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I doubt if anybody will ever feel nostalgic about 2020. For most of us it was a year to forget. I will abstain from political statements in this column but suffice it to say no matter which side of the aisle you relate to maybe it is time to move on.

Neither will I address the terrible pandemic crisis we live in. We are all too aware of the millions in the United States who have contracted Covid-19 and the hundreds of thousands who have died. Worldwide the numbers are staggering. Wearing masks, washing your hands often and keeping socially distant seems prudent. Hopefully, the distribution of the vaccines will turn the tide.

Instead of dwelling on the seemingly endless negative events of 2020, here is what I wish for in 2021. In the big picture, I hope we can return to some semblance of what used to be normal. Besides quelling this pandemic, here are my wishes for the coming year.

I wish that I can someday soon go to a movie theater to see a blockbuster made for the big screen and not my iPhone. I even welcome the day when the guy seated behind me disturbs everyone around him by crunching on Crackerjacks and Butterfingers before slurping on his gallon size cup of sugary Mountain Dew.

I look forward to the day when I can watch my neighbor's kids giggle with delight as they scramble to get on the yellow school bus to join their friends. Children learn more than history, math and science in school. They learn to interact with schoolmates from all walks of life leading to a needed introduction to society. Zoom conferences with classmates might be somewhat helpful, but it does not teach things like what is the lunchroom trade value of a turkey and cheese sandwich.

I look forward to the day when parents do not have to be responsible for home learning. My neighbor texted me last week asking, “What the heck is a hipoteneuse and how do I spell it to look it up on Goggle?” I told him the search engine is Google not Goggle and hoped he stumbled on the correct spelling. Seniors in high school should be excited about yearbooks, prom and homecoming football games.

By the way, according to “The Idiots Guide to Trading Lunch Food”, a turkey and cheese sandwich has the trade value of a bottle of chocolate Nestle's Quik and an ice cream.

I look forward to the day when I can join thousands of fans at a sporting event. In 2020, I missed the excitement of being with large crowds in the arenas and stadiums that are home to my favorite teams.

Despite the ridiculous cost, I look forward to forking over $8 for a bottle of water and another $12 for a semi-warm hot dog that will be passed to me by many strangers seated to my left in the row.

It will be a welcomed pleasure to wait for a table in a crowded restaurant. There will be a sense of euphoria as my server says, “Here are today's specials.” I look forward to interjecting into a conversation the words, “Can you please speak up? It is too noisy in here.”

I anticipate the joy of spending a summer evening enjoying Broadway quality entertainment at the Forestburgh Playhouse. There is a sense of excitement as the theater doors open and a cast member in costume hands me a playbill. As a season ticket holder for years, those performances were sorely missed last year.

I will not complain when I must park my car in a lot seemingly half a mile away from the entrance to Bethel Woods. The summer of 2020 was not the same without being able to spread a blanket on the lawn to listen to classic rock bands, country music stars or the occasional orchestra.

Nothing compares to enjoying a summer night under the Sullivan County sky surrounded by music lovers. The good vibrations stemming from the site of the original Woodstock festival emanate up the hill to the Bethel Woods stage.

So, join me in bidding good riddance to 2020. Let us hope for good health and happiness as we turn the page to the new year. Hello 2021!

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