Q04

Describe an event in the world that has impacted you this year. How? Why?

In early 2020, news of the COVID-10 pandemic was limited to the original epicenter of Wuhan, China - and then later to northern Italy in Europe. There was little indication that the United States (& the entire world) would be significantly impacted a novel coronavirus. Then, over the course of a few days in March, the world shifted and then, seemingly, stopped spinning altogether, as state and national governments adopted severe shutdown orders that restricted most economic activity, closed churches, schools, and theaters, and halted all non-essential travel. The change happened so quickly, and was so unprecedented, that it was easy to feel scared, anxious, and disoriented. My first reaction was concern for my family's health and the fear of not knowing when I would be able to see them again. And, although I remain grateful that everyone I love has stayed physically healthy, I am still concerned about the emotional toll of the pandemic, with no certainty about when we can all safely gather again. The connection to family and friends has been the biggest impact to me personally, and weighs heavily on me still. No reunion in July, no air travel at Christmas, and an underlying fear that the continued economic fallout will eventually threaten the safety and security of my loved ones. It is difficult to predict how this financial and political upheaval will change the world, but I am certain that COVID-19 is not going away, and constantly reminded of the precious gift of each day.

The pandemic has impacted our year as we hunkered down in the beginning and spent a lot of time together.

Uh...Covid? Hahahahaha..ha...ha...*sob* The political environment. How divided people are. The riots. The election that is coming up and today Trump announced he has COVID. What a crazy world.

It's hard to think of anything with a greater impact than the Covid-19 pandemic. It has completely upended our world. For me, personally, it has caused me to be laid off from my job after only 6 months, and has completely curtailed my social life, which had been very active. However, in addition to that, climate change has devastated my beloved state of Calif. and kept me from going outside, due to my asthma. I feel like a caged animal!

Pandemic I suppose - it's made life very different and there's a sense of we don't even have that limited feeling of control over our lives that we had before. There's so much that's not know and so much of anxiety all around. That in turn has led to some people becoming calmer but a lot more becoming more agitated and on being on the edge.

We will always remember 2020 as the year of the pandemic where life as we know it ceased to exist and a new normal was ushered in. How we adapted to this unprecedented and unifying event is something that we will examine and talk about for years to come.

How do you begin to talk about the impact of covid on my life? One thing that it's done is to help me settle in in the city I've been in for just a few years. There are three ways: 1) Pre-covid I spent a lot of time feeling lonely and sad about not having a social life. It was building slowly-- not fast enough. During covid, no one is hanging out with friends, and that makes me feel less lonely. I'm not missing out on things other people are doing. (I was already used to not hanging out with people very much, so what was hard for others was old hat to me.) Those local friendships are still developing, too. 2) Since I moved into the wonderful home during covid, I have had so much more time to nest and love the place more than I would if I was going out into the world more. It's great timing. 3) I've gotten a lot more involved in my faith community because I bring an awareness of technology and crisis planning that others don't.

The collective outrage following the murder of George Floyd galvanized the country and the world to demand better from the systems that control our lives and that all members of society must be treated equally. Besides joining demonstrations of vigil and protest in solitary, I took more personal steps as well. I reached out to Black friends who were hurting, shared resources and stories on my social networks, engaged in delicate conversations about race with family, educated myself (book: Why Are the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum; film: 13th by Ava DuVernay), and joined a nascent Diversity and Inclusion group at the office. I hope that these small measures help advance us on the long march towards compassion and justice.

Does anyone answer this and not say Covid? Covid alarmingly turned the whole world upside down. EVERYONE on planet earth! How wild is that. To be a part of something so massive, is a very very very very. overwhelming/scary/humbling/intense experience.

Stop. Killing. Us. This bullshit was supposed to end with my grandparents. It can’t continue to haunt our kids. We can’t let it.

I mean, the obvious answers would be COVID-19 and the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But I also felt profoundly hopeful about the peace pact between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, in no small part because it seems to have forestalled annexation of the West Bank. Holding pattern on the ground and progress in diplomacy is the best we can hope for right now. I hope other Arab/Muslim nations will follow.

I'm curious to know what people put down besides the obvious-- there's a COVID-19 pandemic that has turned the world upside-down. Impact is still impacting as I type. I think I'll have to wait a year before answering this.

The protests against autocratic governments have been unprecedented. Hong Kong protested for 10 months with 70 percent of the people in the streets at times, over a million people are being locked up in Xinjiang, Belarus has 10s of thousands of people protesting for seven weeks after a sham election, cities all over the US have been out in the streets for black lives matter for months while Trump brings out the military in unmarked uniforms. Still the autocrats in power are able to just sit and clamp down, remaining in power. These are re-plays of the Arab Spring. We need to find a way the people have a say in their governments and governments address their countries' issues at the scale they need to be, from immigration to inequality and climate change.

Well this year has had so many events but I would say that besides the COVID19 pandemic, the unrest and protests following George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's murders affected not only my work but also my feelings about the world we are living in. It sparked a deep investigation into how to become an antiracist organization at my work and gave me a sense of optimism around the number of people who were activated. I didn't participate in any of the protests because of doing IVF, which I was sad about, but I felt like I was there in spirit. I am cautiously optimistic about how the protests will change our society for the better and hopefully our election in a few weeks.

COVID COVID COVID SOcial justice Black lives matter

COVID-19. Obviously. I don't think anyone is going to not write about that. It changed all of our lives. Many of us are without work. For my part, I think the quarantine has added to my depression. Having to stay indoors gave my depression an excuse to wallow in isolation and inactivity. I became really sedentary and I am still struggling to bounce back. And of course there's been the financial impact of living with someone who is not working. To be honest, that part hasn't impacted me quite as much as I keep anticipating... although maybe it has and I am just having trouble nailing down specifics.

The George Floyd murder and the protests impacted me on different level. I am old enough to remember the Watts Riots, experience the aftermath of Rodney King and know in my being the emotion with which my Mexican American passed on stories of Los Angeles police treatment of Latinos. I was weary, angry, frustrated that I felt I could not be protesting because of COVID. I was also so very proud of my niece’s virtual activism.

Donald Trump being president has been the worst experience I have ever had as an American. He is not able to keep anyone safe and his racist, narcissistic, liar etc etc ways has made the country revert back to earlier American times. Covid has brought up and out all of the things hidden (sometimes deep) inside peoples selves and it is clear that Americans are sick and in deep need to help & healing. We are about 30 days away from the election and I can feel the state of panic inside my own self.

COVID. jeez, what a year to start this thing. i cant remember events before that.

Everyone was affected by COVID. I feel like I was affected minimally, I already worked from home. The only difference was having to school my kids at home and having my husband at home too. It was kind of nice cancelling all of my obligations and having life slow down for a while.

The pandemic, fighting racism, the messed up election—they’re all changing our country in permanent ways. Some are for the best: I hope we change how we treat others and recognize the systemic racism in our caste system. And some are not: the pandemic and election/elected leaders are exploiting the divisions in our society and widening them. I am doing my best to learn and address any inherent biases I have carried to work to a more equal and just future. I have a long way to go, and I’d like to think I started farther along the path to begin with. When we look back at this period, I want to be able to say, “I did everything I could and then some.”

covid-19! 2020 in its apocalyptic glory! Hitler is the reincarnation of Hitler! need I say more?

What event has NOT impacted my life this year???? The uprisings for social justice have been such a relief and inspiring and awesome.

The pandemic has changed everything. I feel more grounded than ever having spent so much time at home and without as many social engagements on my calendar.

COVID, but really though pretty sick of talking about COVID, so I rather focus on Black Lives Matter. I've learned a lot about the disgusting systemic white government the US has, but am proud to be a New Yorker because we've shown up for each other more than ever. From protests to public activism, we're heading in a progressive direction and the fight can't stop here!

Certainly, the Covid-19 experience has impacted all of us. I have come to realize that there is always something good in something bad. In a twisted way this event has moved us to take up our passion project for young women, something that we might have put off for a few years but is now more important than ever. I am feeling blessed and grateful for all of the support we have received around our mission.

An experience this year that deeply affected me was the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery. I was not there in Georgia with him, I had never had the pleasure of meeting him but the compounding of deaths of people who looked like me was overwhelming. I remember months before Ahmaud Arbery, when I would go out running I would always bring our dog. Not because I was afraid of being attacked but because I was afraid of the perception other people would have about my running. The day Ahmaud Arbery was murdered was like my worst nightmare coming to life.

Of course Rona impacted me like everybody else like dog the other events that impacted me with the violence against women in Turkey like the BLM moment in America the fact that equality seems like such a distance . We are entering the age of Aquarius and humanities still stuck in such foolish non-equal realities hope it becomes better soon because there's so many good things as well to god's good and so is his creation thank you

lmao

The pandemic and the racial justice protests have both caused my work to increase. I don't know that my efforts have risen to the level that the occasions demand.

The world was quarantined. It still takes me aback to really let that sink in. Those first images of people in Italy stuck in their apartments. It was surreal. but within a matter of weeks, that was us. There was so much fear, anxiety, I still have to take melatonin to sleep, nothing felt normal. Going to the grocery store and hugging my mom and dad became something to worry about how it could impact our health and safety. Every simple freedom we had was gone..and I don't know how long it will really take us to get back to "normal," or if it's even possible to be able to go back to life before.

This administration, and this election season have been dreadful. So much vitriol, mistrust, misinformation and misunderstanding. For my own sanity I have turned more to writing, listening to music/podcasts and avoiding the news/negativity.

On a good side, I am glad that Israel is making peace or starting or finishing negotiations with Arab countries, including UAE and Bahrain. On the negative side, I am so against the current President and our current Governor for so many reasons. However because of the pandemic, I am burnt out and I am not volunteering to do calls or texts this year.

The reporting of black people being murdered by the police brought home more clearly the systematic racism that exists in the US. Though I certainly knew that there are racists in this country, my understanding about how ingrained racism is in our society was deepened thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, 1619 Project, etc. It’s broken and opened my heart.

Duh, Covid. But there have also been insane wildfires, political skulduggery, natural disasters. The impact on me is an underlying layer of rage, fear, hopelessness.

Lol 2020 has been 2020. War, famine, plague, death :: this year has been a literal apocalyptic cesspool of madness. What are we supposed to even think anymore. It’s the year of the election and we have to chose between a pedo master and a rapist pedo and I don’t wanna vote for either one and I just want it to all be over with so I know who my current corporate masters are in the great beauty pageant of the United States.

The rise of Qanon - it scares the fucking shit out of me. How can so many people believe this fucking bollocks?

I started writing this through the lens of COVID-19 and how it had obscured everything else, and then of course I remembered Black Lives Matters. I'm not sure if BLM has changed how I feel internally - I feel like I can genuinely say that my views and opinions are not shaped by unconscious bias, but I suppose everyone thinks that. It has changed my consumption (mainly of books - although I read quite a lot of African literature and books by Black British or American writers, I don't read that much from the Caribbean so that's something I'd like to change) and my influences (mainly on cooking - before BLM there was a controversy about a white female writer who I love and who was criticised for cultural appropriation and low key racism. I struggled with my response to this for a while, but I'm definitely changing my appetites - ha - in terms of who I follow and where I look for recipes). Professionally, I have also made a commitment to do everything I can to a) increase representation in my sector and b) amplify diverse voices and experiences. I'm still depressed about climate change but again, I feel a bit more empowered to do something about it - primarily by trying to change behaviours at work and my own behaviour at home.

The Black Lives Matter movement has changed my life a lot. It's really made me think about things as a white person and how things need to change for BIPOC to really have a say in anything.

A lot has happened this year, but I don't think anything has had more of an impact than the pandemic. At first it was surreal and frightening. I was worried about how we would stay afloat, if my job would survive, if we could avoid getting the virus. Every venture out of the house seemed dangerous. But then things started to get better. I made more on unemployment than I do at my job. Joe was still getting paid full-time, but only had to go in half the week. I only had to work a few hours a week so we had a lot of time to spend together and to get work done around the house. When I look back I miss those days of puzzles and old-fashioneds and daily walks and beer delivery. Family dinner and cuddling on the couch every night. Getting enough sleep and just enjoying my family. Now we are both back to working full-time and Jon is back in daycare. I am still terrified of getting sick and dreading what the fall will bring with spikes in the virus and violence around the election. I like the money and family time that the pandemic gave our family, but at the same time I know that I am extremely privileged & terrified about what might happen to me or my loved ones in the coming months. I am so tired of the sense of uncertainty surrounding life these days.

In pre-covid times, it was Brexit finally happening that had the biggest impact. My job ended, my freedom of movement in the EU will end with this year. It was profound to be there in the European Parliament when they took the final vote, and join in with the singing of Auld Lang Syne. It was a moment of such sadness and defeat, after years of hoping and campaigning. When I walked past the Ixelles town hall and saw them flying the Union Jack alongside the Belgian and the Ixelles flags I cried: my identities as British and European were very much interlinked, and it touched me that my adopted country, city and commune made little efforts like these to show people like me that we were still welcome.

Covid. Nuff said.

Again, COVID. I had to leave Israel and move back home. It has affected me in every way possible.

COVID-19, of course. How? in every way -- Now thinking of every public object as a threat, people to be avoided instead of brought close, public events closed or made smaller and physically distant, '6-feet apart' as the new catchphrase, school closed save for remote learning, newfound 'Zoom fatigue,' mask-wearing in public, (politicization of masks, and following public health guidelines!), fears for the validity of the upcoming election (Trump Pence v Biden Harris) especially in terms of mail-in-ballots, which I have to use because I moved in with Maia(!) in St. Louis, we adopted a cat, we're afraid of going home for Thanksgiving and holidays, campus tours became virtual so I quit over the summer, all campus events are remote meaning less interaction with everyone on mute maybe even chat boxes closed, oh and let's not forget summer travel plans for study abroad in Greece, Spain, Israel, West Bank canceled, Spirit Squad unavailable online, SAA unclear about engagement but alas, nothing is the same.

Obviously it should be covid19, but I've already mentioned that so many times. So I'll say Donald Trump - just, whatever events with him. I was always under the impression that you go from 3rd to 2nd to 1st world country, and just improve. Now I'm suddenly aware of how things can go backwards, or fall apart - just like they must have done through all of human history, when any big civilization fell.

The obviosu answer is Covid-19. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions at times but I have settled into he 'new' reality.

This whole year...is just... Non-stop We were one of the first places (in the us) to shelter in place. There's been all the political scandals. The clashes and violence in the streets. The economy hitting friends, clubs, restaurants...The layoffs at my company. The fires. The smoke The heatwaves. I'm sure I'm not even remembering half the craziness. It's made it incredibly hard to just function. Grief, and Dread permeate everything. It's hard to believe in any kind of future right now. Hard to hold hope. Hard to keep going.

Pandemic. Enough said.

COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact. My work has changed, my contact with all my siblings has become more consistent. I have spent the majority of my time home alone, which is not generally good for me. But I do have a dog and a cat, so that is something. I have changed the way I shop, going to stores in the wee hours of the morning or late in the day. And I have realized that I struggle when I don’t have enough human contact. It has been hard. But I am a survivor!

Well, CATS (2019) came out... Also, there was a pandemic that trapped me and everyone I know into our houses for several months in fear of our lives and has heightened my anxiety levels through the roof.

Well, the obvious of course. The Corona Crisis has changed everything. It's touched every part of my life from work to my home to family to football, everything has shifted and still there is no sense of normalcy. I write this as Israel is in a national lockdown.

Covid has changed all of my habits. it forces me to live in the present as i can't predict I will be allowed to do, in terms of mobility, work, social contacts etc. We were only allowed outside for essential trips for a couple of months, but we, as a province, got our numbers down, so we are now allowed to see our friends and tour around with the maritimes. I value being able to see my friends and family and I prioritize seeing them as you never know when another lockdown is coming.

Covid 19 cannot be ignored. It has meant I have missed my trip home, do not know when I’ll see my family again, changed my birth plan completely and changed so many things in how we work and live.

Presidential Elections - I never really care about elections or the outcome. I somewhat keep my head buried in the sand... but this year with Trump and Biden has the options. It is hard to look away ... Everyone at work is pro Trump and I can't say that I am, but I do not feel educated enough to argue my point. I don't know that Biden is the answer, but I do know the world is just such a mess right now. Riots, hate, negativity ... something has to change.

George Floyd's murder. Down the street, went to eh protest right away. I haven't felt moved by a killing of a black man like that before. It woke me up to how awful our system is for everyone, especially black people and people of color. I am tired and sad about how difficult it is for so many people - also difficult to convince others how bad it is. We are a country that's on stolen land, built by slaves, and there are still so many ungrateful assholes who support the white supremacist way of life.

This question is impossible to answer in the year of our Beyonce 2020. We are living in a fascist authoritarian state with an evil buffoon at the helm under a pandemic and ever-worsening climate change; destruction and despair feels imminent. The virus has impacted me directly, physically; everything else has impacted me psychologically. The murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and other Black people at the hands of an unchecked police mafia that continues to terrorize people nightly in my city and far beyond; the ruling class's constant gaslighting of people seeking safety, their squandering of resources that could have saved 200,000 lives, their outright refusal to serve the people of this supposed democrascy. I don't eveh know how to answer this; it's all one big, threatening miasma. To quote a white man, Richard Hugo: "The principal supporting business now/is rage"

COVID19 is the first global pandemic I've lived through - and I'm sure, not the last. It caused us to lose 80% of our business this year - I was planned to fly to Australia, Vietnam, Thailand ... but all of it went down the drain. The good news? It gave us a clean slate; and in that emptiness, we came up with something (#EmpathyCircles) that was way more aligned than anything else we'd originally planned for. And now, we're finally on the track we've wanted to be on for years: training & education. And it only took a pandemic for us to get here :)

The COVID pandemic. It's crazy. Depending on the week, every country in the world is either in lockdown, or experiencing mild, extended group anxiety. I learned that I don't need so much to feel happy and content. I don't need to always be spending money or buying odds and ends. As long as I have people in my life I love, something I'm working on that I'm excited about, regular sunlight, and regular social connection, I'm pretty ok. In fact, being forced to stay indoors and NOT having a million options of what we can do every day/weekend has been a relief. I don't feel FOMO, cause there's nothing to miss out on. I can focus on the stuff I actually want to do. I hope I carry this with me after the pandemic is over (whenever that will be)

I imagine most if not everybody will be saying the COVID-19 pandemic. My trip to Israel in March was altered in the second week because of all the lockdowns taking place. In the same manner my youngest daughter's High School Spring semester in Israel was cut short. The students were given 24 hours to pack up and leave once the order was given for no gathering of groups greater than 10 people. She returned to the States the day after I did. Several yearly summer activities were cancelled which was disappointing. I could say the devastating fires in Cali but only the smoke has affected us. The day the sky turned orange red was eerily unsettling. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death knocked the breath out of me! She was a remarkable woman. Her commitment to justice was unwavering to her last breath. I feel a sense of hopelessness at her passing.

Eric Garner's death. I think it made a lot of people wake up and those people may be people who decided to do something. I feel like that something might be coming to bless me eventually.

LOLZ. Upside down and inside out with the world this year. 2020 hit different.

Tristan's passing for sure. I am still processing the impact. How can I put into words the loss of my only son at 25? He was my life, my Love, my role, my challenge, my teacher, my pride and joy and so much more. He made me selfless, he caused me to face fear, he made me step into my authority and strength, he taught me to give and love unconditionally, he pushed me to the limit and beyond, he made me laugh, cry; grow up, he made me let go and just Love.

OK, well, obviously, COVID. It is changing the whole landscape, in a macro way I could never have imagined. On a personal level, it has wholly shifted how I run my life on the daily level. We don't go out and do things; we don't travel; we shop as infrequently as we can get away with. We order online for as much as we can. I'm beginning to feel like a hermit, and the odd part is how much I'm enjoying the hermitage. I know, as ever, things will change. But it turns out I like to be at home. I haven't really done that much since I was a child; I was always one to be out and about, running around, staying busy. I like this lower level of busy-ness.

The US Presidential campaign has revealed so much ugliness, ignorance, and hypocrisy in our country that it's hard to retain faith in humanity.

Has to be COVID 19... In fact it has inpacted everyone across the globe. It saddens me that in this time of pandemic we have a President who chose to ignore all the preparations of previous administrations to combat just such a pandemic, by tossing out the pandemic playbook left for him and abolishing the Global Health Desk in our National Security Council. His actions, the actions of one man have left us all vulnerable here in the US and across the globe. Words fail me is expressing my anger-- it didn't need to be this way!

The poor response to the death of George Floyd and the many other black and brown people that were gunned down by police in 2019 and 2020 radicalized me more than I ever have been before in my life. I have shifted from a “not all cops are bad” kind of position to completely disregarding and disrespecting law enforcement. I want to take the daily examples of LEOs abusing their power and rub them in the face of other white dudes from the Midwest who don’t see the larger problem.

The fires on the west coast have really changed how we will prepare for an emergency. We are going to change our power situation so we will be able to weather that better. We are going to make sure we can haul out any animals we have here on the farm. No one is left behind.

The most obvious answer here is Covid-19, which hit like a tsunami in February/March and has been washing over us to a greater or lesser extent ever since. Life has fundamentally changed, even in the more 'normal' phases. I haven't hugged mum for more than 6 months, and I really miss it. Hanging out with friends takes serious logistical planning, all the more so now the weather and dark evenings are closing in again. I miss hanging out, I miss relaxed meals out without a background fret and awareness of where people are, I miss pottering round shops and museums without face masks and hand sanitiser and limits on the number of people. I miss theatre and live shows, I miss cinema, I miss travel... I am grateful for my family. I love them, and I LIKE them. So far they have remained safe and well. I am so very thankful for that.

My eyes were opened to our country's police brutality/racial injustice after the killing of George Floyd. Killer Mike's speech specifically impacted me. Got me questioning and discussing instead of remaining blind.

That is simple - COVID - because it changed the way we do business and live our lives and it truly affected our visits with friends and family

COVID-19 seems to be the most obvious and most impactful. It has given us an opportunity to slow down, just be, stop racing and trying to keep up. It's been uncomfortable and challenging at times, but overall it has been a gift for our family.

This presidential election got me back to campaign volunteering after almost 25 years. This pandemic is driving me to get my first flu shot ever.

The Black Lives Matter protests have inspired me. The naked racial injustice reminds me to work harder and be better and be more open (less defensive). The news of climate change has made me more interested in reducing my economic footprint.

The continued injustices against black and people of color has caused me to reach deeper than ever before into my understanding of privilege and my work to try and be a part of change, rather than an unwitting part of the status quo. I've taken a harder look than ever at white fragility, white supremacy, and efforts toward inclusivity, especially in the places where I have a direct impact, in the dance world and in dance education circles. It's been hard work fraught with doubt and several mistakes. Being open to loving criticism has been crucial. Learning how to manage that is important. I feel I have begun, but am still a novice. I feel good about taking this on, but can be capsized while I'm in the midst of it, feeling woefully inadequate, feeling ashamed where I have blindspots, feeling uncertain when I don't have an answer for the question being asked, feeling inferior for not being great at it.

For the fourth year in a row, I could say the same thing. Our country is in crisis—crises—on multiple levels. This year, we can add to the mounting catastrophes the global Covid pandemic. Then, the ever-greater wild fires on the West coast...hundreds of thousands of acres displacing tens of thousands and leaving entire communities in ashes,. Already, we’ve run through the list of names for major storms repeatedly flooding parts of the country. The death of George Floyd has us in the streets marching for justice. It all bears down on us as we clench our teeth, toss and turn in our nightmares, line up for mental health appointments, take our anti-depressants. I am right there, too, trying desperately to live meaningfully in times crushing my soul. I cannot prepare myself for the outcome of the election. I am afraid to hope, horrified at the thought of four more years of all this. I don’t know how I will cope. I only know that I will.

Just one event?!! 2020 has not "looked" good. It has been a year of multiple events: the pandemic has affected everything everyone has known; BLM has made me a little embarrassed to be white; the distinct possibility that democracy will be eroded is frightening. The ugly rise of anti-Semitism, white supremacy, militias is beyond frightening. The daily, even hourly increase of incredulous behavior by the current resident in the White House, along with all those that favor him. I truly believe that this has shown that faction of people that violence is acceptable.

COVID. Duh. Oh, and wildfires. And political unrest. And George Floyd. And Russian interference with our elections... The very possible death of American Democracy.

I guess George Floyd's murder and the subsequent social movement helped me - like so many progressive white people - realize we weren't doing enough. I thought I knew there was systemic racism and was voting for the people more likely to work to end it, but that that was all I could do. But that's not true - I need to learn to become not just not racist, but anti-racist, and actively fight the system I benefit from to more out society more just.

The global pandemic disrupted many of our plans including finally travelling and returning to east Africa. It also meant that finding a job was much more difficult and my husband struggled with his mental health. In saying that, the pandemic has created new types of jobs, given me the kind of work/life balance I was looking to have (or rather fight for), given us the time we needed to get a rescue dog and let him settle in and has helped me to slow down in life (along with everyone else so FOMO hasn't been so much of a thing).

Well, first - COVID. This has forced the world to slow down and take inventory of what is really important. Personally, I have greatly reduced who I will spend time with and what activities I am willing to do. I have made extra effort to be present with those who matter most, as well as invest in myself more.

HURRICANE LAURA. Life in southwest Louisiana will never be the same again, and it doesn't matter that most of the rest of the world has no idea what's been happening here since the end of August. We've been taking care of our own, just like we always do. Though Louisiana is almost always the butt of everyone's jokes, we are a strong, resilient, hard working people and we will come back stronger than anyone could imagine.

I feel like the obvious answer is COVID. But I think I'd talk about the racial uprising. The death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, amongst others, came to a head in June. Police brutality was at an all time high. I was tear gassed in my backyard. I felt tremendous guilt for not being on the front lines but I didn't want to risk the health and safety of my parents, I didn't think my body could handle it, and I had extreme anxiety about being around that many people. It's made me reevaluate things. I'm reading more. I feel more connected to the community I live in, and I am working on how to be a better ally. I feel more connected to my parents, and more able to share conversations that have been hard.

I just copied my answer from the last two years. It is the same answer I have for this year: 'The election of Trump to the highest office of our land still is having an impact on the TV I watch and the fear I have for this nation. He is a dispicable human being without respect for our American ideals or the citizens of this land. He does not have any core values or integrity. Hardly a conversation goes by without a mention of what's happening in our government. The republican senate is just as bad or worse. They are not carrying out their constitutional duties. They are only interested in saving their own positions. They act without regard to our country's ideals. Trump is a mentally sick man. He is evil and ignorant. He is prejudiced against anybody non-white and non-Christian, even tho his daughter converted to Judaism. The republicans are spineless and are guilty of supporting him as if he were a dictator. Thank goodness we at least we have a majority of Democrats in the House Also, Trump is a white nationalist, so, when I am very proud of being Jewish.' Now we have new worries with RBG gone...

COVID, of course. I haven't been able to visit people.

Even though M and I are still working, the pandemic did cause us to restructure how we work. I no longer go into the office. We eat lunches together as much as we can. We cut off work by 7 so that we can eat dinner together and read or watch something before bed. We make sure to get up and eat breakfast and do the NYT crossword every morning before "going" to work. It's a different way of doing work/life balance, and one that I've really come to like.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Ye gads, lockdown was a nightmare. Being cooped up inside all day was not great for my mental health. Those daily walks were the highlight of my existence for so many months. I really hope the government sorts its shit out so we don't keep cycling in and out of lockdown forever. Also the Tories won the general election last year and they definitely have made a dogs dinner of the pandemic response. If Labour had won I think things would be better.

I was watching Rabbi Greg Hershberg and he was talking about people in Africa he said that they had no clean water and hygiene products and terrible living conditions it made me realize how blessed I really am.

Oh Covid. How could it not? My word, on March 11 the NBA canceled a game. On March 12 we were sent home early from work. We never returned. It's everywhere. It's exhausting but at the same time 7 months later we are still here. The virus is still here. But people often times behave as though it has gone away. We lost a lot of money, we stopped seeing family. I couldn't imagine being friends with an anti-masker now.

So Brexit isn't the top of the headlines any more... Covid-19 aside, the events that have shaken me most has been the emerging news of Uighur genocide. Never Again is Now. But I feel so helpless. What can *I* do to stop it? What can I do to stop illiberalism in my own country? The BLM protests have rocked every country - deservedly - but I've been too scared to join protests for fear of Covid-19. I've tried to improve myself - reading more widely and diversely, decolonising my literature, and donated widely to important causes. But it will never be enough.

I carry events in a satchel on my hip, the weight of which has created a lopsided gait when I walk through my life. It's wearing away at the tendons I use for propulsion. Every step is in fact shortening the length of the journey I thought I could make. Shootings, fires, elections, deaths, appointments, votes, openings and closings. I see the church goers out on the lawns on Sunday mornings, the sermon delivered from a microphone behind a mask. I fold up the congregation when they answer in union behind masks 'Amen.' I fold them up and put them in the satchel on my hip and take another aching step down the street.

There are two things that have greatly impacted me in the last year. The first is the continued monstrous presidency of President Trump. He lies constantly, he encourages racism, nativism, and violence. He pushes for laws that worsen the wealth gap in the US, increases global warming and pollution and works to deny equal rights for all citizens. He makes me ashamed of the US in the eyes of the world. He threatens the foundation of our democracy. He is anti-scientific and promotes any crazy conspiratorial theory that he thinks helps him. He has undermined the people’s faith in our legal system, our political system and our justice system. He is a dangerous man. I feel depressed each day when I read what he and his sycophantic cronies have done. I want so badly to see him out of office. I would love to see him in jail. I don’t understand how otherwise seeming normal people can normalize the guy. The second thing that has impacted me in the past year is the Covid-19 pandemic. At a bar earlier this year (Feb) the first case in the US was announced and a fellow poker player said “I don’t see that this will be a big deal.” I asked him what he based that idea on and he said he just didn’t see it. I said that flu killed 20-60k people in the US each year and this virus spread 5 times as easily as flu. With our horrible leadership from the federal government it has killed 200k in the US and that number is rising each day. Amy and I had to keep social distance from our own kids while Russ was getting married. We have had to do so when they have come to stay with us until the 10-14 days has passed. I’ve stopped hiking with the Thursday hiking group, swimming with my buddies at the Sports Plex, stopped coaching at the Y, stopped working out at the Y, stopped getting weekly massages from Lydia, stopped shopping, stopped going out to dinner, over to friends houses or to the movies. I can take walks with 1 or 2 friends at social distance and have people over at social distance in the back yard. We have managed to cope and I have gotten a lot of house projects done but it is isolating and lonely. I feel bad for my kids as they are younger and more social. They are also very careful which I appreciate and admire. The pandemic has raised a pall over all interactions in our lives. It also has provided the president another avenue to subvert the election by pushing the disproven theory that mail in ballot are unsafe and replacing the Post Master General with a stooge that closed down many functions of the USPS including removing and disassembling sorting machines to slow down the mail delivery. Trump badmouths mail in voting while encouraging me via texts to get a mail in ballot and vote. Fucking hypocrite.

Reading last year’s answers about fires and rainforest devastation, I didn’t think it could be worse. It’s been worse. What has not impacted me? Coronavirus! Sheltering in place (And the bonding of my family with our pod-family down the street.) The Cheat-o’s racist slurs George Floyd’s death. California fires Gulf coast hurricanes RBG’s death The Worst part seems to be great divide and meanness growing in our nation

covid takes the cake. it's shut down my friends, my family, my life outside the house. It's made me afraid to go outside or get too close to people.

I am excited about the possibilities with Israel making peace with UAE, Bahrain and hopefully others in the near future. At the same time, I am deeply troubled by the rhetoric and the way that people interact when they disagree, especially amidst a global pandemic. and lack

I already wrote about COVID and I'm too exhausted to describe its impact again. So...no new specific *event* happened, just the inexorable (maybe?) slip towards fascism in our country -- I mean, I could see that was coming, but I'm shocked by how many people (35%?) are okay with it. I truly expect civil war, especially after hearing Trump's calls to action all summer and then specifically last night during the first (and last, I hope) debate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has subsumed everything. It changed my social life, my home life, and my work life. The calmer, less frantic pace has been good for me. Six months in, I am beginning to be able to have a calmer approach to life and work on some issues that have plagued me for a long time, like body image, disordered approach to food and diet. Without this calm, it never would have happened.

The global pandemic has not only upended life as we knew it but heightened the exquisite power of survival -- simply being blessed with one more day.

the pandemic caused us to cancel two long-awaited vacations to national parks and many summer concerts and events, causing some distress. although i was strangely relieved to not have to go to church on sunday mornings... i only attended mainly because of guilt, and didn't watch any services online. don't really miss it.

The event that has impacted me the most was COVID-19. It helped slow down my mind and body to truly consider what is significant within my life. I now find more purpose in life and what I value. This moment made me consider who I want in my life and what goals for myself I will accomplish. My mindset has changed and I am grateful for this.

Too many to even contemplate... earthquakes in the south of Puerto Rico, floods/hurricanes/derechos, fires across the West Coast, wildfire smoke choking the Bay Area, and of course COVID-19: dead bodies piling up in the streets of Guayaquil, refrigerator truck outdoor morgues in NYC, over 200,000 dead in the US, an economic catastrophe, long lines for food banks. Plus all the Trump-related craziness, him failing the rest of the US like he failed Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

Um.. can my answer be Covid? I know Covid has its own set of questions, but it's the biggest thing that's happened this year. I guess I could say the major explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement. I attended my first-ever protest, which was a really meaningful experience, especially since it was in the middle of a pandemic. Making the decision to go felt powerful and I didn't regret it at all. I've always felt that I need to do more, so I'm glad I took that opportunity when it presented itself, and I have to remind myself to keep working and listening, that nothing is ever enough.

The pandemic. How could the answer be anything else? It turned everything upside down and deprived so many of us of in person events for so long (and continues to do so).

Oh gosh. Pandemic - have felt hopeless, sad, lost, lonely, antsy, grateful for the excuse RBG's death - sad, made me question BLM & George Floyd - made me question what I'm really doing and feeling guilty for not doing enough

As a white person I will never truly know the pain it caused the Black community, but in May, George Floyd was murdered by cops. One of hundreds of murders of Black people by cops. Rightfully, it sparked massive worldwide protests against police brutality. It is hard to see so much suffering, and it isn’t fair that Black people have to fight so hard just to live in this world. They’re not even able to grieve or process their emotions because they have to constantly fight. It is easy to feel scared and powerless in this world, but I am trying to be a better ally, do the anti-racist work, keep learning and listening, and try to uplift and support BIPOC. It’s been time for change and well past the time for white people do be doing the hard work.

Black Lives Matter Movement. I took the time to educate myself and get more involved. I figured out my opinion and where I stand. I share my opinion and try to impact others. The BLM Movement over the past year really made me think about things in a different way. It made me realize my privilege, and what I can to do to help others. All this led me to get a little more involved in politics, including me actually forming my own opinions. Which for politics, I don't usually do.

[constant screaming]

COVID obviously. But specifically, how the orthodox community has handled it. It also severely limited my social and dating opportunities. I'm frustrated that my religious community doesn't have a united front and stance on a high standard of precaution and vigilance around preventative measures, communal gatherings, events, synagogue, holiday observance, etc. It is very hard to identify with a group that has such a significant percentage of members who are not rational and conservative about addressing the health risks. This affects my communal participation level, my inner dissonance about associating with some elements of the community, and somewhat embarrassed by the perception of the orthodox community by society at large as all being irresponsible, or at least condoning it. Very frustrating.

It is so hard to think of anything besides COVID. I know that has only been half of 5780, but it's hard to think of anything else that happened this year... President Trump was impeached, but not removed. But that felt so unreal. It was kind of like a dream. He just lies and does whatever he wants, regardless of laws or norms or anything, so it's all kind of a mindfuck.

Greta Thurnburg (misspelled, but oh, well) started a movement on climate change. This Swedish youngster made the voices of millions around the globe speak out. Sadly, 45 and his cronies are climate deniers - or at least, INactivists because it's not in their best interests. I protested on the streets because I could not stand idly by!

Stupid Covid. Wrecks everything. Can't travel, can't see family that are from different households, can't have a grad party for my daughter after she worked so hard, can't take our family holiday, etc. The world has shrunk.

The pandemic has affected us all in every aspect of life- health wise, financially, relationships, job security, etc.

Obviously the Pandemic uprooted life. Hard to witness the tragedy unfolding and so saddened for those who continue to suffer.

Other than the pandemic? Well, tangentially - I am working from home which has been good and bad. Good because I have more freedom with my time and bad because I miss the social connection/comradre with my fellow employees!!

What event in the world HASN'T affected or impacted me this year? I feel like I'm in internet/news overload. Wildfires, BLM protests, COVID of course, and most recently the death of RBG..... everything feels so immediate and so crucial to my continued happiness (or lack thereof). I really feel like the world is being torn apart. Sometimes physically, by natural disasters. Sometimes emotionally and socially, when entire groups of people are openly oppressed in my country (supposed to be the land of the free!), and the people in power, who honestly used to ignore it or sweep it under the rug, and that was bad enough, now openly support it. Having a President who delights in the dividing of our country across dozens of fault lines..... it's painful to live with and painful to think about--and I'm not even experiencing the worst kinds of oppression out there! (Though with the loss of RBG, I'm hesitant to think that my status as a woman in society won't be affected in ways I shudder to think about.)

i mean... 2020, right? Pandemic, Climate crisis, US politics, Black citizen murders... what has NOT impacted my mental health and hope and despair this year?

Covid Has changed how people interact and further devided our county into multiple classes and factions It’s a dark time for people suffering from domestic violence like myself

jfc the pandemic the fucking president black humans continuing to be murdered the earth dying - scratch that, getting killed by humans

It is so sad to watch the plight of refugees in Syria, who have been made homeless by the ruthless bombing of the Russians and Syrian regime. I'm also distressed to learn just how badly the Chinese are abusing the Uigher population and using tech to control them. This is the year of suffering for so many

The presidency is absolute insanity. It feels like the hits just keep on coming and I don't know how to fix things. I am desperately hoping we can vote Trump out in November but I am very scared that we are heading towards civil war. I would not be a bit surprised if one breaks out.

lol I mean idk like the pandemic? There's SO MUCH SHIT happening in America. Our democracy is failing. The countless names of victims of police brutality and killings of Black bodies. The militarized state. trump trump trump and the deluge of things that would never be passable by a non demagogue. RBG passing away. Gilead. How and why? Well I am depressive, numb, and resolved, in different orders depending on the day and minute. I've read a lot more about race. A lot more. A bit more about democracy. The killings. The lack of impunity. All the harassment. I guess I'm consuming more diverse media as a result, which is good. I got lucky about the timing of all of this from a historical look back perspective because now I can do go to market for a bank without being accidentally racist. We are aware and we must leave it on the field. And we'll still fuck it up. And I feel empowered at work to do the right thing as a result of the discourse and current events and because of my company's leadership. But at home it's mostly depressive (instagram, the news) or learning from a book. Which is also depressing but more nutritive. if that's a word. also I have no Black friends in the Bay Area. It must be so exhausting to be Black here. And everywhere.

I think the entire BLM movement has really honed and galvanized my compassionate and driven spirit. It has taught me a great deal more about boundaries, patience and self-care.

Definitely the BLM campaign, and the deaths of so many innocent Black people. I am now actively trying to unlearn the racism that I don't even know is there, but I have simply by being born white in a racist system.

Covid19 Fear Hatred of people who are careless and then hating myself for *that*

HOLY CRAP WHAT HASN'T? The collective effect of daily life in this country, this year, has worn down my inner resources in a way that the past three years somehow hadn't. With medication and counseling, I've managed chronic depression and anxiety fairly well for most of my life, but 2020 is existentially exhausting.

I felt that the signing of the peace accords between Israel and UAE is an enormous step towards a lasting peace in the region. I feel it did not get the attention it deserved but for me it brought so much hope in a somber time. I am saddened that the impact of the historic agreement was marred by people's anti Trump or anti Netanyahu sentiment instead of focusing on the prospects for peace. When the Oslo or Camp David accords were signed with Egypt, people put their political inclinations in the background to celebrate the peace. I was also impacted by the Black Lives Matter events. I was deeply saddened and incensed at the horrible racism and acts of violence towards blacks however I was shocked to see how things turned to focus on anti-Israel lobbying.

The stock market crashed in March, so I bought stock. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy it right away, but I was able to ride the wave back up. Now the question is, when to sell those more volatile stocks?

Whelp this continues to be the hardest question. There is a video of someone talking to their past self during the pandemic where the past self says “I think the Australian wildfires are going to be the hallmark of 2020” and the future self says “the what?” — that’s how I feel. Obviously the Black Lives Matter protests, starting in full force in June but continuing through the summer, had a huge impact on the public nature and urgency of discourse about racism, which I had always engaged in, but now there is a different tone to the universality of people’s willingness to be antiracist and to consider defunding the police. As a result I engaged a lot more on social media with explainers on various social justice issues, I attended protests, and I started to push through a blog about mandatory reporting in child welfare and how CPS serves as an arm of the police. We are starting to discuss abolition of family regulation systems at work. There’s certainly still momentum though it is waning in the face of the impending election.

The killing of black people by police, the ensuing protests and the investigations into police treatment of minorities. Our country has come to a boiling point and divided as never before no thanks to our president. I am very concerned about how all this is going to get resolved. In a way, I feel that this was inevitable, but it's a scary situation. My hope is that this will force the issue to get resolved, but history shows that it can take many years for change to occur. The most important thing to be done now is vote out our "president".

Well everyone was effected by Covid-19 and then will be effected again by the Presidential election of Nov 2020. Mostly, I'm surprise by how ugly people are behaving. It's making me more reclusive.

COVID19. AHMAUD ARBERY, BREONNA TAYLOR, AND GEORGE FLOYD. RBG'S DEATH. All of these things have impacted me greatly this year. Covid took away my job/passion; police brutality took away a piece of my soul; and RBG's death cemented all of the sadness. The world is on fire, literally and figuratively. And sometimes I don't know how to put out the little fires in my life.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....

Global climate change. The fires in California have been hellish. I have stayed inside because I can't breathe the smoke out there, and friends have lost their homes.

On top has got to be Covid-19. It caused us to cancel our annual family kayak trip, it cancelled so many festivals and events that we always enjoy going t0, and it has made us think about easily life can change. The second event would be the elections this year. Election years are always awful - but this year seems worse. It has created rifts in our family that if we aren't careful could divide us.

I would imagine the majority of people would say the outbreak of a global pandemic. The industry I work it was decimated, and will never ever be the same again. I didn't lose my job but my job changed. Then there was the murder of George Floyd which awakened the world to what has been happening in this country, the racial injustices of our society. Protests were so powerful. I don't think a day has gone by when I am not thinking about this and I think about it nearly all day long.

Trump COVID BLM

COVID-19 has impacted everything in the world, and in our everyday lives. It's switched how we do things and we're doing the best we can with how things are right now. At work we've been able to support educators through continued science outreach and this has been motivating and inspiring to continue the work that we do.

UH, Covid-19? I guess. The world today is crazy. I feel bad that I am white and have privilege, but I have worked really hard to have what I do... I read about people being targeted because of their skin color and I feel bad...because they are harassed, but also because I have been a victim of assholes. being assholes... I read about the man who was shot while running and I identify with his struggles about running. I have been accosted while running too...and I'm white. But I can't say that in public because I will be viewed as being insensitive or trying to remove importance from a movement. The world needs to grow up and we as a people need to stop being so petty and narrow-minded.

Definitely the murder of George Floyd. I never fully paid attention whenever a black person was murdered in the news because it seemed so often and if you don't know anything about the situation, it's easy to think, "Well maybe they were guilty of something and that's why they had a run-in with the cops." I took the time to learn, read up on systemic racism, and even start a discussion group at my workplace. It helped that I had awful racist ignorant Facebook friends that really moved me to look deeper and arm myself with facts. The work isn't over, but good thing I have the time to learn.

The renewed vigor towards finding racial justice after the police violence and deaths of Ahmud Arbury and Brionna Taylor in particular have resonated with me. I have felt a sense of what the fear is that people of color and black people in particular live with every day in this country. I have also had an experience recently of not feeling safe in my neighborhood - when a woman accosted me, questioned my motherhood, followed me home. I have never felt unsafe in my neighborhood in this way - and to know that you could be running in your neighborhood and be shot, or sleeping in your own bed - and then to not have just sentencing. This is lower than any story I had let myself hear before.

Dude, fucking Covid-19 erupted in the world. When I first heard news about it, I rolled my eyes and laughed at the mass hysteria over what sounded like a new strain of the common cold. But no, it's different. The world is different. There is the pain of so many people having died from this illness. There is also the pain of so many others being stifled, repressed, isolated, and driven into deep poverty as we try to get a handle on the spread of this virus. I live in the USA, a country that pre-Covid didn't have a decent minimum living wage, didn't offer affordable health insurance to many people, didn't have good laws around paid sicks days off work, etc. We were set up to be a Covid hot spot from the beginning. I hope this hard lesson learned will be learned - that America drops its greedy libertarian ways and starts realizing that socialism isn't communism - it's how we save ALL of our asses.

This event would be of course Covid19. Whilst their would be those focused on death, economic downturn and the like, my experience with Jill DeBourg and Red Cross helped me to see how manipulative, dishonest and soulless humans and organizations can be.

LOL SOB COVID. How could I even sum this up in one answer? I've been stuck at home for 6+ months, my wedding planning business has suffered a major hit, I have no idea when things might get remotely back to normal, and fucking Donald Trump is doing his absolute best to make everything exponential worse at all times. I have reached my personal breaking point more than once, I've been the most depressed in 20+ years to the point that I'm seriously considering going back on anti-depressants, and most of my usual coping mechanisms are unavailable because we're in the middle of a global pandemic. (On the plus side, I've taken up a variety of new and old crafting hobbies...)

Covid.

The death of over 200,000 in the US and a million worldwide (as of today) breaks my heart and pisses me off. Our federal government was ill-prepared and chose the economy over people. By denying the virus, the Administration allowed the virus to spread. Trump encouraged the deniers and people died. We are now more divided than ever -- tribal, I think.

Well, COVID-19 has been awful, but I guess I will look at this through another lens. I think there have been lots of events this year that have impacted our world. The first was the tragic death of a real idol of mine, Kobe Bryant. This impacted me, because I love playing basketball, and he is someone I really look up to from that standpoint. Another was the fact that there was the 2020 presidential election, which I've been following fairly closely. This impacted me because I have always been somewhat interested in politics, and I have been crushed by Trump's presidency.

The world pandemic. With the initial feelings and state of uncertainty, fear and chaos came the need to ground myself, reflect and go inwards. Through meditation and the practice of stillness I found a new level of serenity. It has impacted me for the better in a way where I am now more conscious, centered and positive. Like Ghandi said: be the change you want to see in the world

Lol.

Being in the Middle East and watching the US implode, I am hyper aware of the events and actions in the region so the assassination of the Iranian on foreign soil and the claim of surrounding countries blaming everyone but the US for other items is concerning to me. I am running out of interest in working with states and companies that are so disrespectful of human rights, and so so very corrupt.

Trump's existence impacts me. It is nauseating that he represents this country. He cheapens it. He is a racist, sexist, classist pig! I don't understand how anyone who is not white, wealthy, and male can support him. The final straw is the executive order about history curriculum in public schools. He wants the truth taught. In other words, he want white supremist history taught.

Not one event, but many - the deaths of great people. RBG / Kenny Rogers / Kobe Bryant / Chadwick Boseman (he gave up some of his salary to ensure Sienna Miller was properly paid. Legend.) /Diana Rigg / Grant Imahara / Neil Peart / Rep John Lewis / Max von Sydow /James Lipton

Lockdown has opened my eyes to who my real friends are, and special my family is. It has forced me to sit still without fomo (this has been and still is a journey), and has given me time to appreciate the small wonders of the world like elderflower and spring bloom. Mum and I made a lot of challa, I started a bathing ritual, and I have starting chucking things out for once! It was quite an existential epiphany, learning that my equilibrium on the extroversion-introversion scale is quite dramatically skewed towards the former. I have had to sit with myself, take to calmer lifestyle, physically, and not see people in the same way as I have been accustomed. It was hard but also soothing.

The UK government's handling of covid has appalled me. It's reinforced the corruption in this country, and the systemic racism, and inherent divisiveness of UK society. It's truly appalling. Although I think that is my privilege surfacing, of course this country is corrupt, racist and divided.

Covid 19 has made me focus on people more than ever. Before I was busy doing- socializing, classes and entertainment and Covid required drastic changes; some are for the better and others pale in comparison.

COVID-19!!! I had to learn to work from home for a few months, but I learned new skills.

Covid, elections, quarantine, black lives matter, politics, Trump, where do I even begin? I'm not sure I even want to answer this question.

The murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have pushed the need for active antiracism even further to the forefront. While I had been doing some work on my own internalized racism before, the urgency of now, along with the increased awareness and media coverage, seems to have galvanized many more people. At the same time, I find a constant tension between the continued need for antiracist efforts and the limited time I have dealing with toddlers, a pandemic, full time jobs, and no childcare. I’m doing my best to make changes as I can (speaking up at work more, changing my own purchasing habits and encouraging others to do the same, etc.) but it never feels like enough and I find the guilt I feel often drains the little energy that I have.

Racial uprising has opened up more conversations about biases and relationships. It has brought me closer to some of my coworkers and friends.

The question is more what hasn't impacted me this year in the world. Between RBG dying and the failing of democracy, and the election coming up with COVID forcing us inside and away from people we love, to the fact that we can't leave the state of California right now and everything in between, I can't imagine events in the world that haven't impacted me and changed us as a nation. I really hope for life, democracy and justice to prevail in all this, but I'm just not sure anymore.

The death of RBG. This has really cemented the slide into autocracy during this presidency and really breaks my heart that my daughter may spend her life trying to regain the rights that I took for granted.

David Attenborough‘s planet earth documentary. It makes me dispair at man’s greed and inhumanity to others and the life in this planet.

I’ll ignore Covid. My closest friend stopped speaking to me because her college-age daughter said I was unkind to her. I was stunned, and so hurt that she would abandon me so completely. I reached out a couple of times, but nothing until just before Rosh Hashannah. She invited me to lunch, then forgot and stood me up. I forgave her and we rescheduled, and she proceeded to behave as though nothing had happened. When I finally brought it up, she brushed it off with “that’s over now.” Yes, she’s right. The friendship is over.

2020 had its fair share. I think the death of Ahmaud Arbery is the one that sticks with me the most. Unfortunately, there were too many examples of innocent black lives being lost this year. Disproportionately at the hands of the pandemic. Unjustly at the hands of those sworn to protect their lives. But, although I admit, I don’t know too much about Ahmaud. The way he died innocently because he was going for a 2.23 mile run. How one of the things used to nullify his innocence was the fact that he explored one of the houses nearby that was under construction. The reason this one sticks out to me is because the act that led to his death was one I do so often. When I’m in a new place, or a familiar one, I always go for a run. It is my most preferred way to see the place I am around, to explore the nooks of my surroundings. I’ve run thousands of times before and will likely run thousands of time after. I’ve run at night and in the morning. Through neighborhoods and parks. In multiple countries, cities, and towns. I’ve gone on paths and off them. And now, when I do it, I reflect on the privilege that an act of freedom for me, and act of exploration, is not marred by fear because of the color of my skin.

Ummmm, what hasn't? There's a global pandemic. Ruth Bader Ginsberg died less than two weeks ago and Mitch McConnell can't wait to replace her with a conservative justice who will promptly close all the doors RBG opened. Trump is an egomaniacal monster. California caught on fire, as did Washington state and Australia. Everything feels scary. And we've never been more isolated from one another. I feel that, every single day.

Watching Donald Trump screw up the United States has been very depressing. The fact that the border is blocked means we don’t do our trips to Buffalo. Still not working or finding something to do with my life is very depressing

The passing of RBG really took a toll on me. She was my inspiration to go to law school and my childhood hero. I think of her caring for her husband and kids while taking two course loads every time I'm stressed about my reading. She is a monumental figure that left an even greater legacy of justice and fairness that will set the stage for anything I choose to do with my law degree. I just feel deeply indebted to her.

The pandemic has impacted me in so many ways. It caused an insane amount of anxiety at first to the extent that I had trouble sleeping and had to change which side of the bed I sleep on. At first, I was sleeping only sitting up in the living room because I felt like I couldn't breathe. Currently, I'm able to sleep regularly, although I still have little panic attacks.

RBG died. I am afraid and concerned for civil rights in the short term. Fires and coronavirus: a two-punch hit for California. I had a pandemic birthday this year, a staycation in a hotel to escape the heat and smoke. And, I am just finishing the Landmark advanced course online, and in March the Forum, both which have blown me away, and have me grappling with a big life.

The rapid spread and devastation of Covid. It has changed the way we socially interact. It's not possible to go to the grocery store without wearing a mask and following the mandated protocols. Life has gotten extremely complex since March of 2020

Now it's time for COVID, The infection rate hasn't been too bad here and I don't even know anyone who's had it. The shut down has actually been kind of nice. Once I got past the connectivity issues, I've able to do most of my work from home pretty easily, and it's much nicer to feel isolated at home than isolated while around everyone at work. I have more time and flexibility. I'm grateful to have a comfortable home where I can get outside. It's been nice to work in the yard, socialize with the neighbors outside, and not have to do all the running around. But there's the downside of having health concerns during the pandemic and not being able to get help because everything was closed and worrying about what could happen if things got worse. And then, there is so much going on in the world: black lives matter, the election, climate change, and this have left me conflicted. Do I go out and engage in various types of activism or do I stay home and not spread COVID? I was going to work on the election but now I'm totally sidetracked getting ready for surgery. I will vote, but I don't know if I'll be able to do anything else or not and still do all the things I need to do before and after the surgery, and I feel like we all need to do something. I feel really impotent. I'm also distressed by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I mourn her loss for all the usual reasons related for what she accomplished and how she was critical to not having SCOTUS controlled by the Trump administration. But I also feel very sad for her. I think of the weight that was on her shoulders, remaining on the court to prevent Trump from appointing her replacement, while fighting her illness. I can think of nothing I want more that feel at ease. For me, that means all business completed, all responsibilities satisfied, everything in it's place, loose ends. I am very sad that that poor woman, who did so much for all of us, had the burden of destiny of the US on her shoulders and was not able to die at ease.

There have been so many events in the world this year, but only very recently have they added up so much that I've been overwhelmed. Although right (the day) before 10Q started, RBG passed away, and that was a sobering and horrifying moment, it was probably the PNW fires that were the straw that broke the camel's back. There have been over 100 consecutive days/nights of protest in Portland. Portland is considered one of the "anarchist" cities in the US at the moment. And while it's not really in a state of anarchy, the downtown landscape is different than it was in the past, the city is more active in a way that is different from the past, and parts of the city feel less like home. The burning of so much forest and so much familiar territory, where I learned to drive, and where I offroaded and camped as a kid and teen, just makes this state feel different, more alien, and a little scary.

Everyone every where has been impacted by Covid-19 (Corona Virus). A bunch of people went crazy and bought all the toilet paper, all the Lysol disinfecting spay, all the Lysol disinfecting wipes, All the N95's & surgical masks and all the hand sanitizer was gone too. It has been so bad that when store restocked they had to put limits on the amount of things that one person could buy. The city literally was shut down. Only essential people were be able to got to work. Although it has calm down since it first started the fear everyone is that it will get really bad again. On the news we now see the number slowly climbing up. Lord help us all.

Covid. See previous answers.

The fires. Seeing the apocalyptic sky as a result of fires up and down the West coast really hit home that the impacts of climate change are now (not some distant thing to worry about)--and will only get worse. I am grieving the California that I grew up loving and worry that my kids won't be able to enjoy being outside for much of the year. By the time they are adults (if not sooner), this world will be an incredibly hard place to live....

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing. We have lost so much civility and decorum. I am very troubled that our justice system is so politicized. I don't have hope that things will improve, and I am fearful that the court's tilt to the right will be awful for the majority of us.

TRUMP IS AN ASS. TRUMP IS AN ASS. I am so sick of his make America great when he doesn't pay taxes here, but does so in other countries that he has businesses in. I hate the new Postmaster General: Trump appointed Dumbass DeJoy who is bringing no Delight to any one. I see the postal service going down the toilet thanks to the 2 of them. After 200 + years of public trust and service. Dicks. Plus trying to replace RBG before the election it's only been a week since she died making her last request to not be repllaced till after November's election, pissing on Mail in Ballots, everything is always "fake news" when it applies to him. I can't take another 4 years.

I'd be interested to know if ANYONE who answers this question says anything OTHER than the pandemic, the protests against police brutality, and the potential erosion of democracy and the USA as we know it. All of these are "other than that, how was the show, Mrs Lincoln" moment that obliterates everything else. To be living through all three in tandem is...a lot. Dayenu has felt like a mantra in recent months and yet despite it being enough, there seems to always be more. It's hard for me to tease out the impact of one over the others so I'll say that in tandem they've made me recognize how fragile things we've taken for granted are, for bad AND for good--that is, I think it's demonstrated that dysfunctional dynamics we've accepted around policing, racial equity, and the way politics are done can and must be seriously questioned and restructured. While it feels very heavy, this also imbues me with a sense of hope.

Both the BLM protests and the appalling use of police force that were the sparks for igniting it, the two main ones being the officer kneeling on George Floyd until he was dead or the shooting of Breonna Taylor as she slept in her home.

The anti-racism and BLM movements have deeply impacted me and have motivated me to read, learn and explore my own complicity in racism. It's hard to understand how we have backslid so severely on this issue in our country and it's vital that I do the work to make an impact in getting to a more just world.

It's difficult to think of anything but Covid. However Keir Starmer's election as Labour Leader gave me hope in politics for the first time in years

The surge of support for BLM and the fallout of police murdering black men and women weighs heavy on me because I grew up attending mostly black schools. But I am white. So, finding my voice, as an ally has been weird and difficult. The people who live in fear - in my memories and my heart- they are MY people. They're my friends and my friends kids. And I will say it again - I'm white. So, it's hard to convey how personal and wrong it feels to me to have to continue explaining why there is a BLM movement, what it means, what it doesn't mean. I have plenty family members who do not see, or maybe refuse to see what is happening and that boggles my mind. But they didn't grow up where I did. They are very insular and can only see what directly affects them. Sometimes I feel lonely in my experience, like "Who am I to say anything? I'm not black. How can I relate?" But as a woman who learned so much from my black teachers, as a mom of jewish kids, I do relate to much of the injustice and the worry and anger.

Covid is the unavoidable answer here. I missed most of my best friend's pregnancy, I missed birthdays, and holidays. My circle has gotten so small, with mum's health issues she is considered at risk, and with daily hospital visits including a covid screening it felt unavoidable. There has been no hiding from this pandemic.

Just one? Besides COVID, protests reflecting heightened awareness of structural racism, Trump already asserting that any election he doesn't win is "rigged" and RBG (my hero) dying (discussion of his nominee begins 10/12) I think the climate fires hit me hardest. The air quality was unlivable here for 10 days. It affected me mentally as well as physically. I moved further along in my efforts to prepare for a local emergency, and I became more convinced than ever that I would be sad for any grandchildren I might have. I'm sad enough that my generation and my daughters have to witness the decline of the environment and the human race.

My partner was fired in February, then the pandemic hit in March. Going through a wrongful termination has taught me much about the process of justice and change. It takes time, a lot of time, and developing your story is a process. Personally I have pushed myself to be more supportive of my partner, to see it as an opportunity for both her and me and us.

The Black Lives Matter movement. It has started many important conversations, made me change my perspective on what it means to be privileged. That privilege is not just coming from nice beginnings, but that it also means that I did not have to struggle due to my race. That simple, yet profound, concept completely changed how I moved forward.

I have felt more impacted by all events around the world this year. There have been forest fires across most of Australia and a lot of the US, there have been protests around the world for the rights of Black people who have been treated unfairly for hundreds of years, there have been hundreds of important political conversations, and it has all happened against the backdrop of a global pandemic. I have felt safe, distant, protected, powerless, empathetic, anxious and hopeful all at the same time.

COVID19 has changed the world. The impact on me has been to limit my ability to return to the US, at least for now. We may not be able to go to Australia for Christmas this year - still waiting to see if the trans-Tasman bubble opens by then.

There are too many. The pandemic. The growing polarization of beliefs and values around politics, science, racism, white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy. There has been so much overt, public violence. My own political views have changed so much. I now believe the entire police system is corrupt and needs to be defunded. I am grateful to be learning about my own racism so I can do better. I now understand the depths of racism in the fabric of the society I live in, and which has sustained me my whole life. I just feel so AWAKE now. I am gradually coming to terms with my privilege and complicity in White Supremacy. And I am also now aware that the violence I have experienced in my own life is gender-based. All of this intersectional learning is making me feel more powerful, more aware, more capable, more righteously angry and capable of facilitating change.

Holy shit! Where to start. The continued rise of Trumpism in all of it's ugly, mean spirited, racist, classist manifestations affects me daily in any number of ways. I'm saddened to have it so obvious how prevalent this white supremacist view of the world is, and continue to seek to find ways to make a difference as an individual and in contributing to groups who are attempting to fight the good fight. I'm alternatively disheartened and uplifted, chagrined and emboldened as I try to navigate these difficult times and look for ways to make a positive impact.

Black Lives Matter! I really didn't think my skin colour would be the cause of so much grief. It's just skin, we are all different and living in America has taught me more that we are not equal. our lives do not matter to the majority and it breaks my heart to think other humans can be so cruel and thoughtless towards us. I don't know why so many people hate us just because our skin is darker. I cried myself to sleep for a week during the protests, then pain of so many generations flooded out and I felt so helpless when all we want is a fair chance at life like everyone else.

Are you kidding? COVD-19!! Living near the "hot spot" of New Rochelle made this all very real. I am *so* grateful to live in New York state, with a governor, Governor Cuomo, who has been willing and able to do what is right.

We saw deniers claiming that no one was dying of the virus, screaming at nurses, driving by hospitals and yelling, "where are all the sick people", as if they would be kept in the waiting room, drinking bleach, blaming teachers for being lazy because they didn't want to restart classes, and even discussing how the elderly should "take one for the team" and be willing to get sick so that the economy doesn't collapse. I don't think I will even understand science-denying. Nor will I respect it.

Seeing the fragility of democracy under Donald Trump has shaken me. Especially because I see how smart and moral people, even those in my family, can be manipulated against their own interests.

The easy answer here is COVID. That's impacted nearly every area of my life.

Donald f---ing Trump. I never thought a person could be so awful. I never thought such an awful person could get elected. I never thought an elected official would trash our democracy and be actively supported by his party. It truly has been a life-altering event for me. I wonder what else I might have done with all the time I spent these past four years watching the news like a hawk, contacting legislators, and resisting on social media. I believe in the coming centuries Trump will be second only to H----- as a reviled figure. I have never been so disgusted with my country or so afraid for the future.

the killing of George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor. I'd like to think I was a supporter of BLM before this and understood, as best a white woman could, what was happening to Black people in this country. But I don't think I woke up enough before this. My dive into my own racism has been much bigger, at home and in my work life. And it pains me to think I should have been paying much closer attention years ago. I mean -- when I was 8 I was aware of apartheid in South Africa, and Mandela was a hero. I've lived in the US since 1996. I just focused too much on the past -- on the heroics of MLK and Rosa Parks, but I should have been paying attention to what is happening NOW and what we as white and Jewish allies can do to help and be upstanders. I have a lot of work to do, and a lot to pay attention to. My eyes are open now. I only want them to get wider.

Obviously the pandemic. It's changed everything about how we live, work, socialize. And the death of RGB on Rosh Hashanah, with an aspiring autocrat "leading" the USA. It's hard to imagine a better future, but I'm trying to remain hopeful and resilient.

Obviously the pandemic. There are so many ways but mostly it’s changed my job. I have realized how much I prefer to be around people every day. Doing therapy over the phone of video is just not the same. As much as I would’ve thought I’d love to be home in my beautiful house, I’m happier at my dingy office with all the people who come through. It’s helpful lesson for when I have more choice. For now it’s pushing me to figure out how to be productive and feel okay while spending so much time alone.

Definitely the pandemic. We are now six months into working and schooling from home, and it's not something I ever anticipated. I am tired and grateful and frustrated - all the things.

Coronavirus. Really, how? Why?

Corona, of course. I live in a kibutz, so even with all the restrictions I still had more freedom then people in big cities, but painful things still occurred. The restaurant where I worked had to close and after it opened again, 2 of my best workmates weren't back to work. Unfortunately, despite my effort to stay in touch this feeling hadn't been mutual. The restaurant reopened, but the management and atmosphere changed for worse for me, I've never again felt a part of the group and eventually left. Also another friend that I felt most connected to in the kibutz left to live with her boyfriend, because she wasn't even allowed to leave the kibutz to see him during the lockdown. She never wrote back in a proper way to my messages and I can't see a reason why she'd like to put an end to any connections she had with people in the kibutz. I love outdoors, but hiking wasn't possible in the season when I'd most love to be outside, when it's not too hot and the flowers are in bloom. And now I'm still being affected by it, because I was supposed to spend Rosh HaShana with my Tora teacher and her family. Instead I had to "celebrate" alone...

Good lord. Pandemic, protests, president. I have to name one thing? My hours got cut, then given back. I am an essential worker, but only because I work in a niche job. I became the sole working person in the household. We had to homeschool a child with terrible online schooling that was slapped together last minute. We couldn’t visit anyone. I became anxious, depressed. Had two breakdowns this year. Became bitter about how awful humans can be. We’ve been juggling jobs, children, the fate of the world all year long. It is hurting everyone.

I feel changed by the Pandemic. I resisted the idea of the safety of masks and sanitizer at first. The panic I felt when I would shop and see completely empty shelves of cleaner, toilet paper, paper towels, spaghetti, rice, canned soup, and beans was overwhelming. It still is as many of the cleaning supplies have not come back even after 6 months. I keep my supplies stocked up so I won't have that panic if it happens again. I will probably always have too much toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

This question makes me profoundly sad, because there has been just SO much this year in the world, from COVID to the BLM protests to the rise in antisemitism to the ecological disasters to the political dystopian nightmare that's forming... It makes the story of Exodus much more believable. How could ALL of that happen in a short period of time? Well, this year, we're living it. I'll be really interested to see how we feel next year for Pesach -- this year, we were all still reeling and expecting this to be a short-lived thing.

COVID-19 It's led to lockdowns, economic disaster, people reaching out to others. enlightenment about politics, and what China's capable of.

The Brent Kavanaugh hearings. It broke my heart that our political machine is so broken that a woman like Christine Blasey Ford could testify the way she did... and that it didn't matter. We are so far beyond shame and beyond norms. It's so hard to know that the lived experiences of women matter so little to those in power.

Dude. This is becoming redundant. In previous years, I would have to go through my rolodex of experiences and memories to pull out responses. But this year is different. In part because the pandemic is not behind us. It's painful to reflect back because looking forward appears no different. We can't process our traumatic grief because we're still being traumatized. It's because the pandemic has had (and continues to have) such profound and pervasive impact on our lives. We are paralyzed with anxiety, depression, isolation and the burden of social responsibility.

The only answer is Covid. How? Only allowed out of the house for "essentials" for three months. No trips anywhere, other than Marty's house. That was a good few days, but then my world turned upside down when Mom came here. I miss human touch most of all. I can't imagine living alone through all this. Why? Law and reality. My lungs are full of cysts. Covid is a respiratory disease. I could end up needing a transplant or dead.

Covid 19. Changed our world and how we operate. No longer in present. No longer hugging, traveling. moving around, going in each others homes. Sharing. It is all over computer and so separate. I have deep gratitude for having family around me, but see the sadness and hardship this has brought for so many.

George Floyd. To see so many people come together, for this man, amazing. I’ll remember how it felt to witness this, so I don’t think I need to be super descriptive

I remember the day in March that the protests started. We were sitting at home, about to go on a walk, and heard some commotion outside. Turned on the TV and saw all the people gathering, peacefully, then the cops arriving and antagonizing them. It took several days for me to work up the courage to go to a protest myself, but I'm glad I did. It made me feel hopeful, for the first time.

The wildfires in CA and CO have been agonizing to watch, and have directly impacted many people I know. Climate change is fucking real.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg dying the first night of Rosh Hashana hit me like a ton of bricks. It's the first time I cried for someone dying that I've never met before.

There is so much that has impacted me this year. One of course has been the pandemic. It got me more isolated and finding new ways to self-nourish. It also got me working from home which I really enjoy.

Black Lives Matter movement because it directed hate towards police and although there have been undeniably unjustified actions by members of the police force, not all police are bad. Prejudice goes both ways, our society needs to do a better job at weeding out unjust civil servants, so we can establish a society for all to feel safe and secure. We need to view civil servants as caring and just. I am personally fearful for my daughter as this year she began a career goal as a deputy sheriff, and her desire is to "protect and serve".

Covid - I'm finally working from home! All the hours I spent in HR battles with former bosses and employers over working just 1 day from home prior. Now, I'm working from home full time and I love it. I do my work, I do it when I want to, I'm in my PJs, I'm not around people I fucking can't stand and I'm so much happier.

WTF? In any normal year this might be an interesting question, but this is no normal year.... Let's see, Covid? The emergence of the anti-Christ? The west coast being on fire? Massive social unrest? The realization that racism is alive and well? I guess they all lead up to one important impact -- it is the time for action, those who stay on the sidelines condone and enable the status quo.

The world is currently going through a tidal wave of change... Israel appears to be changing its fundamental core and cultural landscape. Bibi has set the land on fire -figuratively speaking- and Israel feels almost unrecognisable. I feel the most emotionally distant from it I ever have. I feel ashamed, I cant bear to look (at the news). From political corruption, the disgusting shameful behaviour of sexually violent men, the joke that is the court/justice system, the abhorrent crimes against babies... I can't take it. The Black lives Matter movement started to take hold after a chain of publicised horrendous events in the states, and even though the ripples have calmed a little these days you can see that this topic is on fire at the moment. It definitely gave me a better perspective on issues I hadn't taken the time to reflect on before. The elections in the USA, between Trump and Biden... it seems implausible that the Americans will choose to let this raging orangutang rule once more but sadly it is not impossible..

Sorta meta, but this set of questions - realizing I don't have much going on worth noting, bad or good. Mostly just a hum of bullshit with little signal poking above the noise.

This question feels like a joke. The global pandemic, the surging Black Lives Matter movement, our astoundingly corrupt government, the fires out west, the hurricanes in the south, what feels like the devolution of democracy everywhere and especially in the U.S. I'd like to be able to write that it's all spurned me to be more involved and take greater action. And in some ways, I should give myself credit because I have, to some extent. I've donated money, I've read articles and books, I've listened to podcasts, I've tried to be more tuned in. I've marched in protests, I've signed petitions, I've texted and written to encourage people to vote. But everything feels more out of control, more beyond me and beyond anything that I'm capable of doing or changing in any real way. It all leaves me feeling more exhausted, more overwhelmed, and more incapable than ever.

Before Rosh Hashanah, I'm sure I would have said the pandemic and George Floyd everything that it exposed. But now, with the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg a few weeks before the election and the determination of McConnell and the Republican GOP to replace her when they embargoed Merrick Garland for months, it all just exposes how corrupt our government is and how the only principle, if principle can be the right word, is self-dealing and power accumulation. This is already no democracy. And it stuns me.

The hate groups, willing to kill peaceful protestors; the racism still so alive; the hateful president and senate leaders, and the people in our country who still think Trump is the answer - I am BEYOND understanding HOW they can overlook that he is stripping us of our democracy and taking us to hell.

COVID is the obvious answer here, and it's impact has been so far-reaching that it would take days to write about it. One of the more impactful events in the world this year was the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It happened so recently that she's not even been buried yet - she still lies in repose in Washington. RBG was a beacon for women's rights and equality. She was fearless and strong and fought for what is right. I truly believed she would survive Trump's term, purely out of spite. She almost made it. The day she died, I cried all evening. For the loss of an icon and for the loss of what she represents. Within hours of her death, Trump and the GOP were speaking publicly about her replacement. Not even a week after her death, he's made a nomination. A horrible woman, who is anti-equality, anti-choice and anti-pretty much everything that I stand for. With her confirmation, the SCOTUS leans heavily conservative, putting Roe v. Wade in jeopardy, as well as who knows what other freedoms we fought so hard for. The GOP should be ashamed. They'll stop at nothing to grab whatever power they can. Four years ago, there was an empty space on SCOTUS and the GOP refused to confirm Obama's pick. In March. Because it was an election year. But now? It's late September. Americans are already voting in this year's election. Would they consider the same standard they held back then? Of course not.

Well, I'm trying to think of something other than COVID 19. Perhaps some of the "events" would be the murders of Breonna Tylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. These events were the catalyst of my seeking more information about racism, white fragility, and implicit biases. As well as how I can be a better ally. This led me to join the NAACP. Through this membership I hope to support and use my power to lift up the voices of POC in my community.

I'm assuming all answers will be about Covid. But the truth we have all too many to choose from. Almost 4 years ago I wrote this with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency: Alexander said it best ... it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But after hugging my children (who desperately needed those hugs) and promising that I would protect them at all costs (because they were rightfully scared) and vowing that we would channel our fear into advocacy for those cowering in dark corners, too afraid to show their beautiful, diverse faces to the world, Josie curled up next to me and read me this book. In the end we are reminded, "Some days are like that." But I want to turn the page and see Alexander rise up to a new, better day! I will not leave you in the dark my friend. It only takes one candle against the darkness to bring light and hope to this new day. Like a nightlight that brings a child comfort after stories, songs, and one last snuggle, or the light on the shore that beckons the lonely fisherman from the dark and deep seas, or the street lamp that flickers on just as the darkness creeps upon us and whispers, “hurry home”. Light is comfort, light is strength, light is hope. We can wait in a dark cold room or the belly of a whale, and hope for someone else to turn on the lights, or we can seek ways to brighten our world. We bring light to this new day by our deeds, by our actions, by our commitment to work for a better world. We will rise up, we will keep hope alive, we will bring the light of justice, equality and peace to our world. we feared the worst and we were not that far off! I can scroll through my social media posts to see I've been fighting ever since, for diversity, inclusion, for equality and fair treatment under the law. And just 10 days ago the final, back-breaking blow - the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Her courage must be our marker, her tireless fight for justice must be our light in the darkness to show us the way. I cried for hours that night, but we rise like a phoenix from the ashes and we will not stop fighting until hope, peace and equality prevail.

I have to say Covid. It has not altered my life hugely, but it is affecting my job options and choices, my ability to travel, and most importantly right now, the green card process.

It’s almost impossible to measure the total effect of the global COVID-19 pandemic. For us, it was as if we travelled back from our holiday with our son and his family in Houston, returning to a different world to the one we’d left only six weeks earlier. The first impact wasn’t COVID – but rather, Mum’s fall and hospitalisation: the harbinger of months of hard work and nursing for Anne. That would have been enough on its own. But the isolation, social distancing and travel restrictions soon multiplied that burden. Anne was faced with a palliative wind-up and the harsh reality of death; I could not go across to offer encouragement to my father, suffering a different and complicated grief. Like it or not, we were forced to practise our FaceTime skills – and learn a new one: Zoom. Many critical aspects of our way of life have been affected, most quite negatively; some more positively. There is a tangible sense of “We’re in this Together” being both encouraged by government and felt in the local community. Not sure how widespread is the latter; our community is already an exceptionally responsive and civic minded one (for which we are grateful). Use of Zoom has played a definite role in increasing fellowship and connection. I understand it has also played a significant role in keeping businesses connected and afloat. The sheer vulnerability of our societies to being brought down overnight is the major impact on me. I “knew it” already – but the COVID thing is a declaration, both cogent and pungent, of the same. Humanity has no reason to feel safe and secure, surrounded by the civilisations we have built. They can disappear into chaos in a flash – without the need for all-out war. Either we have a Saviour Who can deal with all this before we destroy ourselves, or we may soon become extinct by our own hands, careless or deliberate.

There are three events in the world that have had major impacts on me this past year. 1. The COVID-19 pandemic has been life-changing. As an introvert who very much enjoys technology and has no problem being at home for long stretches of time, the quarantine was mostly rather pleasant. I miss Dad, but other than that I'm good. I did so much reading - like a book every week or week and a half. I put in a lot of work hours, but I got to spend time in bed. Without commuting, I was sleeping until something like 8 everyday. That was glorious. But 200,000 people have died and I have to keep in mind that this was really not a vacation. It was and is serious. My in-person library students come back tomorrow and I don't know what to expect honestly. 2. Elizabeth Warren winning my heart and then having to drop out of the race for president. I was at school, sitting in my library. It was a Thursday and it was the end of the day. An email from the Warren campaign flashed across my phone. I knew what it was. I ran to the teacher's bathroom, which I don't usually do. I went into a stall. I read the email. I burst into tears. I sobbed. HOW could this nation still only want to elect a straight, white, Christian, cisgendered, old man who is center and is not a game changer in any way? HOW? I was devastated. I went to She'arim and said to Judith, "I know Rachel Maddow will make me feel better about this." And she did. She went to Elizabeth Warren's home and interviewed her right away. It was heartbreaking, but it made me feel better. 3. Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death. RBG died on the day of the Erev Rosh Hashanah. I had absolutely no idea. Josie and I have been praying every single night for her healing and recovery from cancer. It was announced at services. Tracy fell to the floor. I started crying. It was awful. Not only is it awful because it means that the courts will likely tilt to the Right in terrifying ways for at least 1-2 generations, but also because RBG was a hero, an inspiration, someone to emulate. I hope every little girl learns about the legacy of this incredible woman.

There are too many - COVID-19, deregulation, fires, impeachment, an upcoming presidential election, RBG's death, nationwide and worldwide protesting of the way police treat black and brown people, watching a video of a white male in Wisconsin running around with a gun and the police thanking him before he shoots people in the street, children in detention centers separated from their parents. The Bobcat fire in the Angeles forest has me feeling as though I am in mourning for the trees. What will Chantry look like in a year? Will the trail ever again bring shade in my lifetime? Where will the llamas live? How much forest can we lose before there is no longer enough oxygen to support the current volume of aerobic life? What good is it to talk about planting trees in urban areas while losing this much forest? Part of my sentiment from last year continues to feel relevant (even if the idea of hope seems particularly hard to find at the moment): I think on some level I've always questioned how to go about my life in a world that seems so imperfect, yet for the first time this year I have also felt notions of understanding that maybe that's somewhat the point... maybe there is something to be said for hope (even if doesn't feel realistic) and trying to create some light in spite of the darkness.

The pandemic (does anyone have another answer?) It has impacted every aspect of my life. Work moved from out in the field, to working from home, to a mixture of in-person and at home. Theatre and concert tickets went unused as events were canceled. Visits home to see my parents, conventions, foreign travel were all impossible. I couldn’t just “pop in” to a store to pick up a quick meal. Amazon Echo was my connection to my grandchildren. Zoom became my Shul.

So many! COVID-19 threatens our all our lives and stability/well being. It also strains our relationships and connections between friends, family and colleagues. It's forcing distance between us all and interrupting the simplest facets of our daily lives and routines. That said, I feel quite capable of surviving for the long-haul. The murder of George Floyd, injustice for Breonna Taylor and subsequent protests rock our country and continue to make me think more critically about race, racism and my relationship to both. I am holding others more accountable while wrestling with my own guilt and denial. And while not a singular event, our politics (and coming election) remain a persistent anxiety for me....

The virus. It impacted everyone.

Besides Covid 19 ??!! Related : not being able to attend Burning Man because the event was cancelled- so then attending a virtual version on line - was surprisingly fun and interactive ( met people from all over the world as well as US citizens of course - had some typical burn experiences in that I met the same people multiple times through out the week - randomly- And believe that what’s meant to happen on playa in terms of ‘hook ups’ with others did happen after all. Including creepy people and scary people - but mostly amazing good people!

COVID. no explanation needed!

Ugh where to begin - George Floyd’s murder was devastating. His death on top of all the other black people killed by police for no reason Upset me so deeply esp since I know my privilege. I know that will never happen to me. Breonna Taylor’s death hit home even more bc she’s my age and was literally sleeping At home when killed. I just don’t understand or see a way out given how entrenched racism is in our systems and society. This was a huge wake up call just how racist and unequal our society continues to be today and disgusts me.

Clearly it has been COVID-19, but also settling in to American life again, going back to teaching, losing my dad, this year has been a doozy. I am experiencing grief, anxiety and worry for the future for my children. I want the world to be open to them, I want them to feel safe and be proud if their country and hopeful.

Ahh Covid dummy. DUH mean ya know the rules and the restictions. Why CAUSE ITS A PNDEMIC PEOPLE!!!

Um.... The pandemic created the vacuum we as a society and group of Homo sapiens needed to truly face our fractures and wounds. In the USA, this has meant an increased attention on the civil rights movement, extra judicial killings of minorities, immigrants, and conspiracy theorists. It’s been terrifying and so emotionally and socially destabilizing. My friends and I actively talk about what we’ll do when (not if) things come to a head. This isn’t my first experience being a member of a failed state, but I never imagined it would happen twice.

The pandemic. I am more focused on personal and family safety and more focused on surviving long enough to have an impact on our children's future lives. Once again, a reinforcement of the fragility of our very existence, and of the need for a community to take care of each other. I was spot on about concerns ofver the future of our financial investments.

The racist and purposeful murders of black people in the United States. This is not new, and it has always impacted me. As a black woman, I have never and will never feel safe - in any capacity, in America or around white people. They are delusional, thieves, liars, killers, narcissists, and very mentally unhealthy. I hope 2020 reveals each and everyone of them.

Political Divide - has made me very uneasy and I feel better detaching than engaging with many of my friend's views.

Bwahahahaha do you think anyone didn’t answer coronavirus for this????

Oy vey...there are so many! COVID-19 mostly, the killings of George Floyd & Breonna Taylor and subsequent and continued protests, the passing of RGB and the spectre of having much of her life's work be reversed by McConnell/the Federalist Society/the stupid-ass Republicans in the Senate.

Of course the pandemic. We left work on Friday March 13 and did not return really until the end of July. There were days that we went to work for meetings but beyond that, we were at home. Did I finish projects? No. Did I catch up on anything? No. Did I take care of myself? Get healthy? No. I just cocooned in my home.

A pandemic: Covid 19. It restrains me from spending time with people

The pandemic has deprived me of holding my grand baby - while I am deeply grateful for the technology and privilege that allow me to connect and watch them grow, I am so sad that I cannot participate and be physically close. I remember holding their small warm body during my only in-person visit - the bonding was deep, a visceral bond, recalling nursing my own children - I am missing that.

Uh, doi. Covid, George Floyd and the general dumpster fire-ness in the world has impacted me. On the one hand, there is a lot of numbness and inaction and avoidance. But on the other hand I’ve donated more than ever and shared more than ever and been to more demonstrations than ever. As the events of the world intensify my actions have risen to meet them, somewhat. I feel more educated and enlightened about police and prison abolition and the dangers of capitalism. I have become radicalized, you might say. It feels right. I also have so much to learn. But I’m making time for reading, podcasts, etc. A lot of good has come of this. A lot of abundance has come our way. It’s been incredibly full of joy despite everything.

The fires - a direct and tangible result of climate change and global warming. I’m particular the day the sun never rose here in the San Francisco North Bay. What is coming down the road? How much worse can it get?

How long do you have??? Covid isn’t the greatest event to happen to our world - it’s only the event that turned down all the superfluous noise so we had no choice but to pay attention to the truly impactful events. Trump has been the equal and opposite reaction, ramping up the impact of those events in ways we couldn’t dream even as we were imagining the worst. So really, the event that’s had the most impact on me and our society was the civil unrest spurred by the murder of George Floyd, driving all of us to act. We’ve protested. We’ve donated. We’ve had and continue to have hard conversations around the racism baked deep into our culture. The time to make change is now, and we are MAKING it. And as we speed into the last days before the election, it’s clear that the urgency - and the impact - are not going to slow down anytime soon.

The events that led to the popularization of the Black Lives Matter movement. Having had more distance from the initial uprising definitely feels better because there isn’t all the noise and panic and I can formulate a clearer, more decisive perspective. Yes, it is and has been a problem—a big problem—for way too long. I’ve known about it for years, from hearing firsthand accounts, and I had been talking about it when the topic came up. However, two things that disappoint me (besides those who simply don’t get it and say all lives matter), are when people make something about race to win an argument or paint someone as a villain when that’s simply not the topic at hand, and the BLM organization’s alignment with anti-Zionist movements.

What world event have impacted me?!? CoVid, western wildfires, social unrest. I think the biggest impact was from the BLM movement. I had always wished, as a kid, to be a part of the Freedom Riders and now I truly can be. The protest march in New Haven bored me to tears but I realized that was not the point. The organizers simply needed bodies there. But the perfect storm of events seem to be things that all of society has been ignoring or overlooking or hoping some one else would take care of and now this has crashed into our laps. We are the ones that need to repair all the damage. I still have not discovered my part, still wondering if I have the intestinal fortitude to actually step up and do more.

So many major things have happened in the world this year. I've mostly been shook by how perceptions of the same event can differ so much amongst people!

Covid-19 has affected me like it has affected the world. How I teach, how I worship, how I relate with the world has all been affected. Most notably it has affected how I see myself. I can't say I've been depressed this whole time, but I have been in a much darker place.

The murder of George Floyd on Memorial Day 2020 shook our neighborhood and city in a way that few things have before. As grief poured out over this blatant police killing the neighborhood burned in a very tangible display of the anger and passion over the pandemic of racism that continues to rage through our country. The subsequent fallout from the uprising has been both good and bad- people coming together and supporting each other in the best ways, but also the endless need that is present throughout our city (and the world.)

Besides the obvious 'rona, all the unrest and turmoil everywhere. It just feels like the whole damn country is on fire. Some of it I understand, some of it I don't and some of it really pisses me off. I think people in general treat each other terribly. It's like you can't say or do anything because someone will scrutinize your every move and tell you that you are wrong or that you don't count or they want to tell you how you should think and what you should feel guilty for. Everyone wants to point fingers at everyone else. Human decency seems to be at an all time low right now. Everyone is suspicious and at odds with everyone else. Its a huge mess.

“Can’t think of anything, sorry.” -Tal Kempler, masked and standing 6 feet away from you.

Right at the beginning of the year a school friend who was living in Philippines was killed by corrupted police. It was extremely painful to accept how something like that could happen and that we couldn’t see him again, and also extremely shocking that something like that can happen and the responsibles will not be punished. And after Covid, which completely disrupted our world as we knew it and it felt like a wake up call that might bring something good in humanity. However, the world seems to be getting even worst sadly.

Covid-19.. Enough said!

I’ve been so focused on COVID-19 stuff and fielding concerns during the pandemic that I got tunnel vision to almost everything else for awhile, even though I got involved with the BLM movement online (boosting support and fundraising.) but what really shook me what the death of RBG. It was like I woke up and really started feeling fear. I’ve never been more moved to vote on every level.

Ok, Covid aside... The attack at the synagogue in Halle. It was a reminder that after all, we are not safe.

HAHAHA. Last year, I was talking about the 2018 midterms...feels like a different time. Well, COVID-19 and the failure of the presidential administration to respond effectively (and local university's failure of a response...). In every possible way. I've spent going-on-seven-months almost entirely in a tiny studio apartment with no one but my cat. My immediate future wrt to my job is also shaky in a way that wasn't imaginable a year ago. Between this and the Supreme Court especially, I find it so hard to even imagine a future. I see two completely different visions of the world/my country depending on what happens on November 3rd, and I find one of them too terrible to even fully consider. I feel incapable of planning any kind of future with so much at stake.

I don't think there can be any other answer to this question than Covid-19, which has fundamentally and probably permanently changed our world and impacted the lives of literally everyone (and I am faithful to the meaning of the word "literally" here). We now shelter at home, I don't go to an office anymore, and my kids are in online school. We socialize rarely and have everything delivered to our home. I'm keenly aware of how our relative financial comfort makes all of this possible and I am unspeakably grateful for that. I've always worried about those less fortunate and about our planet, but it seems more profoundly worrying now.

The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg--it happened on Rosh Hashanah. It is an incredible loss for American justice, during a very decisive time in history. While I am now 39, have an IUD, and in a committed relationship I am still WIDELY afraid of frightening political voices that would like to change a Woman's Right to Chose. I am also afraid of the anti-Semitism that is growing in our nation. Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia has never left America, yet there are some who still act surprised as citizens march peacefully in the street to establish justice that does not truly exist. Not yet. We need to work harder.

Covid and Trump. I can't even begin to describe how they have impacted me. COVID is keeping me home, more aware than ever of the "have-nots" and Trump is doing the same. I've been more actively involved in politics, writing hundreds of postcards to get out the vote, constantly writing letters to state and national legislators. I hope the Democratic party can focus on what they are doing and not rely on dislike of Trump to win the election.

Does this question need to be answered. While the COVID pandemic would be the easiest response, I’ve dealt with the actual pandemic surprisingly well. Along with my wife, we’ve been able to work through the pandemic and never had to worry about money; all the while giving each other love and support along the way. It’s been the public reaction to the pandemic and the government’s handling of it, that has been difficult. With the numbers of cases and deaths mounting daily, everyone with the actual power to affect change sits and does nothing and blames everyone but themselves. I see people not only massless at the store but glaring at those who are wearing masks. For the first time in my life, I’m genuinely terrified about what will come next.

George Floyd's murder and the subsequent civil uprising has definitely had a major impact on me personally. The day Eliza and I marched in Hollywood with 30,000 other bodies in the middle of the pandemic was super striking and intense and emotional. The feeling of togetherness with the People, in a moment of mass reckoning and disobedience and instability. It felt like the whole system is coming apart, like we're finally recognizing and grappling with the rot and malignancy at the root of this country. I've always rejected American exceptionalism and superiority, but I'm now more aware than ever of our deep original sin, the brutality and evil at the very root of our nation. It's terrifying - unsure whether this country can actually continue. I alternate between thinking this is unprecedented and we're really rushing into an apocalyptic end-times scenario and thinking oh no history is always bumpy and rough and every generation thinks they're the lucky ones who get to experience the Last Final Days... But definitely in my lifetime the world has never felt more uncertain and tenuous.

I continue to cringe at the continued rancor, xenophobia and "no-one matters but me" way far to many Americans live and that permeates our government. It is now at a level that scares me as as some aspects of our government reminds me of Hitler.

Everyone's answer to this will be Covid-19, but 2020 has really been such a wild ride, that I know there are other major events, but I can't even remember them.

Covid most definitely. My job with K ended during lockdown and I was glad to be home for the first few months. It encouraged me to update my living will, along with my parents and spouse -- to have those discussions while we are still healthy.

Coronavirus. Every way, every how, everywhere.

Though there have been a lot of events with huge impacts this year, the one that has impacted me the most is is COVID-19. Because I am a teacher, I am affected every day. In March my school went to distance learning over the space of a weekend. We had no time to prepare, only hours to grab everything we thought we might need. Now we are back in the building, but with temperature checks, masks, 6 foot distancing, and separation of of the grade levels. Some of our students are virtual and some are in the classroom. Technology has been an issue, but for me the biggest issue is teaching in a different way. Some activities are not possible now. It's harder to confer one-on-one. We are doing a good job -- we have had no cases of COVID, but it's a strain on all the adults.

The pandemic, of course. Trump, of course. Crazy, crazy year this year. Enough said.

I hate the word impact as a verb. The answer is covid but that’s really all I talk about in these questions so I’ll skip this one.

Ovid-19 has impacted everything, working almost entirely from home, limiting social contacts, eliminating all live performances and plans to attend. It is causing me to reevaluate and in some cases reaffirm priorities.

The onset and spread and impact of COVID-19 is THE event of 5780 and 2020. Little else can match it. It has impacted me by significantly changing my work-style, by cutting us off from normal, healing, generative person-to-person interactions, and by deepened my awareness to a very-present, almost felt sensation of our and my relative and unearned privileges. The impacts are manifold and will continue to shift and deepen. I really can't tell how much the pandemic is really impacting me personally; we're still in a story in progress.

The passing of RBG. It may well allow Trump to sure up power and end our democracy.

Trump's reelection campaign has made me much more politically aware. I've been writing postcards and am part of a texting campaign. Got friends involved too. Hope to be a poll worker. Important to boot him out.

Where do I even start? George Floyd's death began a wave of protests in May just after our wedding. We missed a lot of it because we were driving across the country. There was such a deep sadness then, when I was actively reading about it. So much sadness. I do feel that I have begun to numb to the world in some ways. Dan just mentioned that Trump's taxes were published today and I sort of felt like, he'll find a way to capitalize on it. I'm glad I live in a sunny place so that nature can help boost my spirits on a daily basis!

The BLM movement really impacted me. It helped me to narrow in on my own worth and how I can be compassionate in a responsible way. Also, how important it is to take action and learn and grow and get out of our comfort zones. How important it is to speak up for what is right in this world.

There’s only one answer: Covid 19 pandemic. Biggest impact—physical distancing which means no concerts, theater, other social gatherings (outside of immediate family), no ensemble playing, no in-person yoga classes or meetings, no synagogue events, very limited swimming. Good news—much less traffic and less time changing clothes. Bad news, miss seeing friends in person, live book group, in-person holiday observances, even travel.

1. Covid. Changed my daily activities immensely . 2. I became more sad for the US and more angry about the Republicans who support Trump.. 3. CA fires made me weep openly for my beautiful state and for the residents who have been affected directly. 4. Camera videos showed the cruelty of blacks and whites, police and citizens and I question...are we making progress to address these issues? I don't know.

The prominence and attention given to racialized violence and trauma has made me reexamine my role in both being complicit and also combatting it, and how I want to raise my children to view themselves as possible agents of change. It makes me wonder how can I be an activist when so much of my energy and time is spent taking care of myself and my family, and if that in and of itself is a valuing of black lives and wellbeing and therefore "enough".

The pandemic, of course, but more significantly, the worldwide response to it has of necessity been highly impactful. To lose, over a short period of time, the ability to live life as we had been doing, to go to shul every week for services and a wonderful potluck meal afterwards, to dance, and so on. It's been a protracted period of mourning for that which is lost, and which, when it returns, may never be the same. At the same time (even though I've been fortunate enough to keep working steadily throughout this whole period), this time has been such a call to evaluate what is truly important, what is surface vs what is deep and essential, to turn my awareness inward and connect with deeper parts of myself. And that appears to be playing out everywhere.

The brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black Americans has had such a huge impact on our world, and on me. I'm excited to see some real change happening, like the recent de-funding of the SPD, even if it was only 5%. I feel called to help other white people process this, without causing further harm to communities of color. I'm angry that it has taken so long, and that so many have already let it slide, become a phase for them instead of a way of life.

Impacted me. Covid 19 epidemic has upended all my plans - postponed a major technical conference which would likely have beem the LAST time I would see my coworkers, competitors, mentors and friends of forty years of work, and has postponed - twice already - my fiftieth high school reunion, which I was actually looking forward to.

The pandemic has changed my life. I spend much more of my time at home, with my wife and son, which I am grateful for. I also work almost exclusively online now which is a double-edged sword. I'm happy to be able to work, but I miss social interactions with people in real life and the screen gives me headaches when I teach for too long.

The whole BLM. It means nothing more than only black people matter and all others are crap. It means people can be as horrible as they want to be and say that there actions are acceptable because they are acting under the BLM banner.

I really need the president to lose the election. He has ruined so much in this country. I can’t handle 4 more years.

Really?!? It's the pandemic! I still believe the outcomes *could* have some good

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the evening of Rosh Hashana was devastating and 45 has already chosen her replacement. She is not evening buried. While she lay in state at the capitol, he nominated her direct antithesis. If she is confirmed, the rights of women and queers are essential erased from history. There is no time to despair. We were given NO TIME to grieve before they trampled over precedent to take our rights away.

Hahahahahhahahahahahahhshshshshshshshdhtbcdmahxyskkakshd 😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭

COVID-19 is the obvious answer. And the Trump presidency is the other.

The murder of George Floyd brought the systemic racism in our country and my own obliviousness very much to the surface and has inspired me to study history from a more realistic angle.

The pandemic. I've never experienced anything like it. Nothing ever as pervasive as the virus. It seems to have infiltrated every corner of life, everywhere. How is easy: it's a virus that is fairly easily transmitted through aerosolized drops and far less likely from touching surfaces. The why is the puzzling part. The science has struggled to keep up with the virus, but now seems to have a better understanding of who it infects and how people generally become infected. The big "why" is why everyone has not gotten on board with the sacrifice necessary to defeat such a foe, and why it didn't happen early. I point to the poisonous environment created by trump and his minions of sycophantic ghouls who have devoured the laws, processes , and norms that we had relied upon as a society and nation. This renegade belief system which actively denigrates the sciences and scientists has caught on around the world with marches against masking, the only simple and proven way to impede the virus. Now the virus is being using by the christian right, Q believers, and right-wing republicans.

The pandemic for sure. But not totally in a bad way... I am lucky to be working from home until January, which gives me time that I would have spent commuting on myself and my business instead. I’m way happier not going into the office. I miss human touch and not wearing a mask around people though. Can’t wait for hugs and kisses and dancing and singing with reckless abandon!

RBG's death, I actually cried. I know what she has done for women in the US. I just hope her legacy can continue to create a pathway to inspire women across the US. I hope her policies and everything she has fought for won't change.

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has impacted me this year. It led me to wonder why all heroes must die. The answer I came up with was that heroes are humans too, heroes are flawed just like everyone else, and their mortality reminds us that each and every one of us can be a hero in the storybook of the world or just in the storybook of another person. Her death also reminded me that there are still plenty of hard-working and righteous people in the world that are willing to fight for justice.

The on-going political struggle in America has made me more pessimistic if America, as I want it to be, will ever return or progress. Stuck into two neatly divided groups: those who want a democracy, and those who want a "white America" of the 1950's.

Besides the pandemic? That's the big one. Perhaps the protests in the US, against racism and racial injustice and police brutality. I feel really heartened and inspired that it took such a hold. It's just amazing how far BLM has come and what they've managed to accomplish in a few years. I'm hopeful that there will be cultural and eventually legal changes as a result. I'm a little sad and left-out that I haven't been able to participate in protests or marches because I'm overseas.

The pandemic AND the presidential election are fucking up my shit. I'm clinically depressed, can't travel to family, and we can't touch. The magnitude of subsequent screen time is staggering to my mind and wellbeing. The fear of "when will they come for us?" is present.

COVID, climate change, American politics, you name it. It's all too much to take sometimes.

The anxiety I have been feeling over the present political scene and the clear division that exists in this country is disconcerting. It is hard for me to sing "Everything's alright..."

Of course, the pandemic. Lost my job, lost my presence with my friends, my circle. Lost my ability to focus. Had to complete shift how I teach, support, encourage. Learned some new skills but feel much more like an entertainer, not a mentor or a teacher. Lost the implicit trust in the world that I had. Now, if I let myself think about it, everyone is suspect. Anyone can be a carrier. Even the tests can't be trusted.

COVID seemed like a blessing in disguise at first. I loved having a reason to stay home from work, stay home instead of going out and socializing, to order groceries in instead of running to the store, to get calm and quiet and focus on self care. And now I'm ready for normalcy. I'm ready to physically reconnect with loved ones. I've also been reminded of how rich life becomes when we can function with nuance, and when we can honor the reality of what we want and need rather than trying to manipulate circumstances and situations to provide this without taking ownership. The pandemic reminded me that if I want to stay home and catch up on sleep, I should stay home and catch up on sleep - not wait for a catastrophe to give me a "good reason" to do that.

BLM is amazing. Watching my almost 40-year-old husband expand his world view from the eyes of a privileged white male with a low sense of empathy to someone who .. gets it .. has been amazing. My husband is officially woke. Love him for growing, learning, and accepting. He even appreciates why the rioting happened, and this is after my computer was looted from our local Best Buy's Geek Squad. <3

Well, this year it's not so hard to bring one to mind! Earlier in the year we were most worried about Brexit, which now seems a distant, somewhat trivial worry compared to Covid-19, the people who have died, the economies which have/are crashing, the jobs that are lost, the lonely people. I have been so lucky during it. Not just that people close to us have largely been spared, but I do think being able to go out to work through it and, even more, feel useful, has been such a blessing. I actually had my most satisfying work time yet (!) - although the hours were hard, I just had a really great team and we really bonded and worked together in the face of awfulness. But, one way or another, we as a world will be remembering this spring for a long, long time.

TOO MANY!! FUCKING COVID! FUCKING RUTH BADER GINSBERG DYING don't even know how that will affect the world, but I know it will ALL OF THE VIOLENCE HERE IN THE USA THE ANGER TOWARDS BIBI THE ANGER FOR TRUMP TOO MUCH ANGER. Please G!d let Biden win. We can't take much more of this. We need to find a better way.

Covid really highlighted the societal inequities in this country. This is not new news, but I especially felt my privilege while sheltering with my family, having others deliver groceries—and seeing the starkly different stats about infection rates in local low income communities.

That is like, the most redundant question right now.

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I am terrified for the future of our country. I am terrified for women. I am just terrified.

Aaiiieeeee, which one? The whole thing, the whole world, from the smallest spoon banging a pan to the most horrible tweet; from the knee on the neck to the fire, the other fire, the other other fire, and the other other other fire; from the collapsing ice shelf to the refusal to mete justice... I feel it all, carry it around, wake up smothered by it, lapse into it mid-sentence, and set my sights on it: all new instructions for repairing the world.

Everything changed when the Fire Nation (Covid-19) attacked. I ended up feeling so very isolated, because I couldn't go to church every week, and even when I can go we don't have the whole parish and we don't see very much of each other.

The pandemic impacted me. I haven't been able to visit my mom. I decided to retire. My social life has dried up. We no longer go to the symphony or to plays. We no longer have people over for dinners. We canceled Passover and don't plan on having anyone stay with us for Thanksgiving. In many ways, we have all shut down. We dropped our gym membership and now we walk in the neighborhood. One positive- we have met and gotten to know many of our neighbors and that has really been wonderful.

With COVID, climate change and awful governmental leaders, I think of what a mess people have made of this world. I think that the only answer is for individuals to make little differences for the better with the hope that the little differences will add up to a big difference.

Racial justice protests and heartbreaking news of inequality has changed me. It brought me to a deeper understanding of racial prejudice, how deeply it runs, how embedded in culture, and how it lives in our bodies. I don’t think I’ll be able to forget it. I hope not.

Brexit and Covid. In that order.

Wow. This year has been insane with so many events. The termination of major terrorist (Soleimani) was a great start of the year but the virus and all the racial tensions and crazy election. Unfortunately with the continued polarization of society, I am very nervous and spend a lot of time reading and following the news and worry about the future. Maybe in all of this, there is a silver lining looking at the major peace deals between Israel and Arabs. Maybe the world is not really coming to an end

There are so many and they are so bad. All of them have to do with the political climate, the dysfunction, the lack of civil discourse, and the complete turning upside down of the world I grew up in. We are so divided. The most recent event that crushed my spirit is the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If the republicans succeed in confirming her successor, I fear what the strong conservative majority on the Court will do to civil rights over the remainder of my lifetime.

Covid has really been more of a positive impact because it has bolstered the need for the services provided by do-over.me, the NPO, 501(c)(3) that I founded 6-1/2 years ago to provide proven. practical, professional support, on a sliding scale through a virtual format to anyone seeking meaningful employment.

uhhhhhh the pandemic?! the protests. basically a steady and i think justified distrust in leaders and electoral politics and a belief that all we have is each other. i hope i'm wrong about this but i dont see a good way forward or any belief at all that the people in charge are there for any reason except their own ends. so thats bad!

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I fear for a woman' s right to choose and for health care for all. It has motivated me to get more involved in the election to get better representation for women.

Um, Covid-19 obvs. It has changed everything. It's been like watching a train wreck in slow motion seeing USA implode, Italy struggle, hundreds of thousands dying. It's like a disaster movie where the extreme thing happens for the purposes of storyline, but this time it's real. It has stopped travel in it's tracks. It has made me realise the privilege of our parents generation who do overseas holidays every year, and just HOW MUCH people travel. I mean I knew, but I didn't know. My life hasn't changed for now, but my dreams seem smaller without travel in them. Aotearoa is once again an island, connected by commerce, but only the intrepid few travel to and from.

Besides the obvious.. the world´s leaders, climate changes, how so many paradigms are finally changing

COVID-19 probably tops everyone's list. But the recent loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has made me feel like I'm under water and I can't seem to make any headway against the undertow. Before that, the murder of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor and on and on and on... It's all too much to deal with. I can't even, as they say.

The killing of black people by police. Maybe because of the space the pandemic has provided, I felt it this year in an entirely different way, finding myself in tears with regularity. I want to hold onto this impact, because I think it's necessary to feel the motivation to make change.

The outbreak of COVID and its effects on every person have made me question about converting to Judaism as I could contract the disease. The issue would be whether I would be allowed to be buried next to Aleeza. If I am not Jewish this might not be possible. Of course there is the hope that if I die so young, that Aleeza would find someone else to keep her company through the years. But would she prefer to be buried next to that person? This whole train of thought has led me to look deeper at perhaps converting to Judaism.

again ha! but besides covid, also the coming to the forefront in our culture of our racist past and present. Thankfully things will hopefully get better, but I see a widening divide that is scary. And for a while I felt lost, not knowing what my place was in the world, what I can offer

My answer again this year is Trump. He is a blight. The increasing hatefulness has become more and more prevalent and people are dying. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's recent death was a major world event because it likely changes the complexion of the SCOTUS for another decade and makes is a much more conservative court, which means that the threats to American Democracy will not only be felt in this country, but everywhere. And, it means that authoritarian and fascist regimes--even though our SCOTUS has nothing to do with the laws in other countries--will find even more fertile ground; the rise of anti-Constitutional behavior will give berth to additional human rights violations everywhere. The other issue that I find utterly terrifying is that Trump has been so successful at (a) dismantling the federal offices charged with overseeing science and our national health, (b) creating a national narrative that calls into question the validity of science, and (c) as a result, has diminished the idea that there are scientific facts that are indisputable. This frightens me because we now have a generation of people who, no matter what evidence is placed before them, won't believe it. And that, too, is dangerous. And the blatant murder of George Floyd, coupled with COVID-19 and the fact that our national attention--sequestered and focused as it has never before been--has turned to racial injustice and systemic racism. This has profoundly impacted every aspect of American life--and organizations and people who before weren't paying attention now are. And, that has resulted in even more heightened racial tensions, the White House putting out executive orders against diversity trainings, etc. in an attempt to move the country even more swiftly towards fascism.

I think it will be the same answer for everyone, COVID-19, or something related to that. It underscored how living alone is hard. How being socially isolated is hard. How important friends are who will check in on you and invite you to socially distance with them in the back yard.

Pandemic would be the obvious answer, but I am more concerned about the refuge crisis, war still going on in Syria and people going through a never ending nightmare.

Obviously the biggest thing to happen is COVID-19. I'd never even considered what it would be like living in a pandemic. It absolutely turns your world upside down and isolates you from your friends, family, and everyday life. Los Angeles is not where I would want to live in isolation. I've missed New England heartily during quarantine. You worry for all of your loved ones and judge those on social media who don't take the risk seriously. On top of COVID, we've experienced political unrest, the Black Lives Matter movement, an INSANE president, wildfires, and now, just this week, the death of Justice Ginsberg and a potential monumental shift on the Supreme Court that could affect generations to come. 2020 has been a (w)reckoning.

The pandemic has prevented me from all the inperson events I usually do. I miss the choir and group singing at services. It's not the same singing along with the cantor. It's prevented me from seeing my grand-kids in person.

Damn. Pandemic. George Floyd murder. Breonna Taylor murder. Beirut explosion. The impact is immense on my psyche. Watching and reading about the causes of all of these has upended my view of the world I grew up in.

COVID-19: the pandemic. Does that count as a world event? It has effected everything, in more ways than countable or definable.

Oh, geez. Let's be clear. 2020 has been a dumpster fire to end all dumpster fires. Pandemic. Ever-increasing political fuckery. The loss of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. More police killing black men. Impeachment and murder hornets and raging wildfires across the globe. It has been a nonstop onslaught of terrible. I've increased the dosage on my antidepressants. I've gone to therapy every week with a sort of shell-shocked horror. I am scared and exhausted and angry and hurting. I'm permanently overwhelmed. And. And it's heartening to see people band together. To watch them march in protest. To watch them make and hand out face masks. To see them make sure that kids don't go hungry. To watch them be fierce and courageous. On the good days, that hope sustains me. On the good days I hope that the outrageousness of the terrible will be enough to goad people into action.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg died...and Trump is trying to push through a new justice. Please...dear God...do not let that happen. That is huge!

The obvious answer is COVID. But I think some of the deaths of justice-oriented icons such as Elijah Cummings and John Lewis and RBG have all spurred me to increase donations toward racial justice initiatives as well as learn more about what I could do to improve things. Already, that's factored a little more than previously in my teaching. It's interesting that, both years, I've focused on things that touch this sense of justice.

Everyone's answer, surely, will be the Covid pandemic. ... I caught the disease in March, while on a business trip in March. Although relatively mild (ER trip but no hospitalization), I was quite sick for two months and did not fully recover for four months. ... The lockdowns and restrictions meant that all my other planned events (mostly business) were also cancelled: Poland, Prague, Barcelona, London, and some in the States. My cashflow was completely borked, and I had to reinvent my business model yet again... once I was well enough to be able to think!

Looking at my last years answer - cavanaugh was barely the tip of the iceberg. RBGs death is so scary. Trump is so scary. I’m scared for our country, regardless of who wins the election. I’m scared for my Mexican Jewish kids. In particular my daughter.

hahaha The pandemic has been so altering on both good and bad levels. It has hastened some things and slowed down other things for examination. I have been meditating for awhile and wanted to deepen my practice. I have become more intentional and want to continue that trend. I want to find value in what I do for living so I can provide for my family and myself. I also want to continue to examine my motives and do the things that are most impactful to my overall wellness and serenity.

I think this year my view of the world has narrowed down to just the United States and how our citizens and leaders are responding to the daily events. I see how citizens in China, Italy, France, Spain and the other countries were affected by Covid 19 and how many of them rallied. Then I watched and listened to our leaders and saw how their stupidity was not being countered. Their actions, stupid and otherwise, will affect our lives for eons. Our voices are being drowned out by bigotry, pent up anger, almost cult like responses of a few. You just reel from all of the hate and evil that is out there.

omg everything. the fires, even though we didn't get the worst of it here. I always thought i'd live in california and now I can't hold that dream anymore. not in oregon either. i feel like there is nowhere I can go and there is no point in dreaming---everything i build towards can be lost. i feel stupid for saving money for a house, for trying to keep my pension. I doubt I'll even make it to retirement age and maybe not in the U.S. if I do. I also feel like I might need to run before this turns into a warzone police state dictatorship. you hear about it happening other places but then it happens here. I think I might get rid of anything that doesn't fit in one suitcase. I never thought I'd leave the U.S. (even if I did leave CA) but now I'm getting ready. I thought I was being an activist but honestly I've been more of an ostrich. The worse the news gets, the more I want to hide. I admire everyone who has been protesting but I feel so burned out and helpless. posting on social media is stupid. I don't know if being in the streets is better. my heart is so shattered there is nothing left to break.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death has really impacted me. She has been such a force for justice and for women. I had been holding out hope that she would stay alive long enough to prevent Trump from appointing another justice. Perhaps we will ultimately see that because Trump and Mitch push through a new judge and force their ranks to be with them or against them, we'll take back the presidency and the Senate, allowing some return to normalcy. A girl can hope.

I'm tired of writing about Covid. I think I'm tired because we still don't know how this part of the story ends. We don't know what happens next. We are still living in it, and next year, we will be too. Ruth Bader Ginsberg died on the last day of 5780, right before the sunset that marks the start of 5781. It is absolutely devastating that she died. It makes me scared for my safety and for the safety of our country.

I remember at the beginning of the year, watching the firs in Australia unfold. Those images were hellish, red sky, red light, everything red... I found the twitter feed of the NSW fire service and watched the alerts go by. Region after region, town after town, going from "be alert" to "prepare to leave" to "leave now" to "it is too late to leave". So much death and destruction, I'd never seen anything like it. And now it's happening again in California and I've barely even noticed. The Australian fires produced as much carbon emissions as 25% of Australia's normal annual output, in less than a month. I wonder what the figure is for California? I wonder how long we have left?

Covid....obviously. For the world, its actually been a terrible year. It started with the threat of WWIII, the Australian bushfires, covid, the Trump election, the Lebanon explosion, Californian fires..... It just keeps getting worse. But I'm focused on my own stuff so I just let it slip by...

Covid-19 has impacted everyone in the world this year. It has impacted me by part time lay-off from my job. I have to wear a mask in public and maintain about 6 feet from everyone I interact with. If you don't wear a mask, people avoid you and treat you like you have the plague. People can't see you smile. Sometimes it's difficult to read people, seeing only their eyes. Many events we'd go to during the year have been cancelled. We stay home most of the time except for work and grocery shopping. The news is depressing, Covid and politics in this 2020 election year. Social media ads and conversations are depressing. I can't wait for this to go away.

That an amoral liar is the president, and 'his' party seems motivated more by greed that integrity. and, of course, the pandemic.

Jesus Christ I feel like everyone’s answer is going to be COVID. It’s hard to think of anything else tbh.

OMG - Politics has actually made me feel ill. The upcoming elections hold both fear and hope for me. If tRump wins, we can kiss Democracy good-bye, along with decency. I fear for my son (technically my SIL) who is black. I don't let him walk alone in my own neighborhood.

Is a pandemic an event? Coronavirus has touched just about every aspect of everyone's lives. For me personally, it has mostly isolated me at home. I get out to buy food and have ordered takeout food about 3 times in the last 6+ months. Pretty much everything else I order to be delivered. I see my neighbors more, we have all taken to walking the neighborhood. But I see my co-workers pretty much not at all. The manager I work under shares his video during meetings, but due to bandwidth requirements and out of respect for those who don't have good connections, the rest of us remain hidden. The lone exception was a virtual baby shower in August. We all turned our cameras on, and it was a joy to see everyone, even if they buffered and the audio was reminiscent of Max Headroom. The feedback I got from attendees was that it was good to see everyone. See. Everyone. One of my customers (I'm a NASA contractor) has children who live near me. She was visiting her sons, and on a whim, dropped by my house. She texted me that she was going to leave me something on the deck, and I practically broke a leg to get outside before she left. We stood 15-20 feet apart and chatted for 30 minutes, and it felt wonderful to have this in-person interaction. When she left, my mood stayed buoyed into the next day. I am not *suffering* in isolation, but it has become apparent to me that seeing people in the flesh has a quality that I had not previously considered. I can do 'this' but I prefer 'that.'

Trump. and right now we're all terrified of what will happen with the election. It looks as though he'll steal it any way he can. And this latest Supreme Court Nomination is terrifying. Oh G!d he's awful. And his supporters and their guns. Makes me want to curl up like a trilobite.

Um. Covid for sure. Also the state of politics across the world is a bit scary. Though once again, I find myself quite 'checked out' and 'uninformed' about the world at large. I think that's a problem, but I don't care enough to face it head on. Whoops.

George Floyd’s murder and the movement that’s followed. It’s made me realize how little I understand about the Black community’s experiences and how important it is to keep learning and stay vigilant so as to not become complacent about social injustices.

The pandemic? Or is that too obvious? The thing that has made going to the grocery store a big event. Or thinking multiple times over if I really want to go out. Or making doubly sure that I wash my hands as soon as I get home. Or making sure I always have a mask in my pocket. If it's not the pandemic - it is the fear I have reading the news from the world. Reading about people who are in power and who are spreading hate, and it feels like there is nothing that can be done to change that. It is the people killing, and there are no reprecussions. It is the governments locking people away, and there is no way to save them. It is people spirialling and there is nothing to be done --- or at least it feels that way. I want to hope that there can be something.

COVID. Has impacted my life in every way. Being home with the kids, lockdown, my research being impacted, the fears of it lasting forever and the fear of not wanting it to end when life goes back to normal. The fear that life will go back to it's stupid regular self where we care about the wrong things and don't remember the lessons of the pandemic - that what really matters is people and relationships and enjoying the beautiful moments in life that are there all the time but which we don't take the time to notice because we're too busy working and being preoccupied.

Many. The protests of police brutality have spurred me back into teaching protest safety, and I'm scared for the safety of my friends protesting in bigger cities. I'm not scared for my own safety, not because the police are decent here, but because I'm willing to be hurt for the cause. Maybe if a conditionally-white person was injured, white people would listen. COVID, of course, has impacted everyone. Every day feels like a struggle because of the constant fear and anxiety. Fear of catching it, fear of losing my significant others to it, fear that it's never going to end. I hope when I read this next year, I'll be able to say these fears are for naught.

Before getting to COVID-19 or the movement for racial justice, let's remember the various events in the world that have happened - the raging fires in Australia, Kobe Bryant's death, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (a lot of death this year), the rise in antisemitism, the peace treaties between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, and the fact that it is an election year. I'm sure there are things I've missed. 5780 has been a wild year. The movement for racial justice, which has been called the civil rights movement of this generation, has impacted me because it has spotlighted the need for each and every individual in this country to self-examine how they have contributed to institutional racism. So, this of course impacts me as an American citizen/resident. I think the movement speaks to me also because it is a movement calling for self-reflection, analysis, and action. The call to be anti-racist - doing the work to understand what the means and why its important - can be seen as a secular/social/political call for atonement - a national Yom Kippur, that is well more than just one day. How can we reflect on our past behavior and actions? How can we reflect on our relationships and the impact of those? How can we make real change in our lives to better ourselves, our community, and our country? This is the call for racial equity and justice, and the charge we have during these 10 days of awe and reflection.

Calamities all round has made me realise that every breath is a gift and to get on with the job.

The pandemic, of course, and the steady worsening of environmental disasters. The pandemic keeps us on the brink of being without enough supplies stored up in case of a sudden new lockdown. But getting things from store pick-up doesn't feel completely safe. The constant sanitizing of things, keeping a full tank on all fronts, the wondering how we'll know if it's safe to go places. A restaurant meal is just a dream at this point. Plus the daily barrage of news of stupid things the president has done, each one worse than the last. And of course worrying about getting the virus and dying alone.

The protests in the wake of George Floyd's death showed me that it's possible and worth it to fight for change. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, like nothing will ever get better. Obviously this was an awful thing to happen, but it gave me faith in other people to push for change and do the right thing.

An obvious one - the pandemic. It has impacted me in numerous ways, as it has the entire world. Lock downs, toilet paper shortages, less contact with people, no onsite office work, inability to travel - all of it. At first it was bit of a novelty but it is apparent it is an ongoing issue and will have ramifications for years, in ways we probably don't even know yet.

The 2020 U.S presidential election has been a focus of mine for the last 2 years. It feels like America is at a crossroads. The country must decide what it wants to be. The stakes are high. We see the consequences of the 2016 election. Will America continue down the path of fascism, white nationalism, and economic inequality? My mind cannot fully consider that possible future. I have donated money to multiple political campaigns and causes for the public good. I also want to contribute with action.

The Covid pandemic is the event in the world that has most impacted me this year by preventing me from visiting my sisters and family members in the UK and from visiting family members in the US. It is September 2020 as I write and it still feels unwise to travel especially in this country where Covid is still so widespread and out of control. I feel very angry at our administration for its chaotic response and lack of responsible response to this situation.

These riots are really making me mad. Why it has to be about race or even about the police. Not all white people are murderers. Not all police are bad. There's good and bad everywhere. It seems like a big excuse to burn, loot, and murder. The picture of the little girl on FB that said she was responsible for Pearl Harbor made me upset, then it read to think about that...and it's true. An innocent child playing on the beach has no ties or actions that tie her to anything political or racial or anything. She's just a kid. What's more, if a black person agrees that burning, looting, and murdering is wrong - then they really aren't black or their integrity is in question. It's like they lost the right to agree to disagree. Color shouldn't matter. Aren't we all God's creation, aren't we all just trying to make it in this world? Why is it being made out to be something it is not. The real enemy doesn't have skin on them, we don't war against flesh and blood - but against rulers and principalities of this dark world.

COVID-19. But perhaps not in your standard way. Being forced to work from home, getting creative about how to see friends and lead my life in a responsible manner (to keep others safe), eating good and healthy food, exercising, being in closer touch with the basics of what makes me truly happy, has transformed the way I will always think of what's important in life. It has also allowed me to pursue a deeper relationship with both myself and my loved ones.

RBG I had to get off Facebook. I had to stop doom scrolling because with her gone it just feeds more problems and we get deeper into the hole. I was hoping - so many of us were hoping - that she'd hang on. I'm fucking sad and disappointed and very pessimistic. I'm worried that voting early will give Republicans too much advance notice on where they should focus their fucking criminal election-stealing efforts. They did it 4 years ago, they'll do it again. This hasn't affected just me, it's everyone. POC who have been asking for FOREVER for "maybe please stop killing us and treat is with respect" will be treated worse, and it'll be supported up high. Women... Even people who would say horrible things about her have no idea how harmful their favorite bags of shit posing as human politicians are to their own interests. I hate this. And I looked at last year when around this time we were getting impeachment results (trash) and people were viciously attacking Greta Thunberg for caring about our planet and I was tired then too. It's exhausting to be so tired and so mad.

the covid epidemic impacted me like everyone else to some extent, because it is extremely contagious.

Pete Buttigieg ran for President as the first openly gay man and won the Iowa caucuses during the Democratic primary. It was profound to be represented as a gay man for the first time on the world political stage and that people didn't care he was gay, more that he was a mayor of a small town.

The obvious answer that most people would put is the coronavirus pandemic. However, a newsworthy event that directly affected us was the introduction of mandatory, all-expenses-paid hotel quarantine for Australians returning to Melbourne. I had been willing to pay around $3000 for this (which I think is now being charged) but was very pleasantly surprised that I did not have to. This encouraged my family to fully support the Victorian government's efforts to quash the pandemic, even though this has not always gone smoothly.

To say that the murder of George Floyd has affected me directly is an overstatement. I have friends and family in Minnesota have had to deal with witnessing the pain and aftermath. I have friends and acquaintances protesting actively and indirectly for police reform. Yet, it has affected me greatly as watching people I know and care about take sides in this horrific act, and it only makes me question so much about these people and this country. It hurts to even consider how things may never change.

I mean there's no way I could ignore COVID-19 or the uprisings that resulted from George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's deaths (among others.) I've felt really helpless in moments this summer because I wished I was doing more to help the fight for black lives. I always told myself - somewhat wishfully - that I would have been a freedom rider in the 60s. but realistically other life events and situations take priority over social justice causes -- it's a catch-22 because the work is grueling and doesn't generate much money (or any) but it is so valuable and exactly what needs to be done for society to move forward. It's a constant battle to do more. I'd say that's impacted me even more than COVID because it's something I'm so passionate about. and against the backdrop of the pandemic it was even harder to feel like I was participating enough because I would not attend the larger riots and rallies. However, that's really an excuse because deep down I am afraid of the violence that results at those events -- all too often -- and due to cops inciting it, not peaceful protesters. So I have mostly done my part by leading racial justice conversations through a volunteer group, and attending occasional book club or media events. It's hard though; there's only so much time and attention I can give to zoom calls and webinars without feeling really burnt out. What I'd like to do is start listening to them rather than watching but with discussions like that you obviously want to engage. It has just been a constant push and pull morally and I feel like when I'm working I'm in the wrong place even though I somewhat enjoy what I do. It's hard to not feel like my heart is heavy every day with compassion outweighing any passion I have for doing other things. I know that my antiracism work has to continue and that I have to be a leader because I am one -- even if my anxiety often makes me feel like I'm not.

Covid-19...selecting a woman to be the VP nominees...the craziness that is dominating the world of politics. How do you choose just one? Truly the death of RBG hits me the hardest. Not because of what it means to our future...it's because of the noble life she lived. Smart, funny, articulate, compassionate. Traits most of strive to achieve for a day, a moment, she achieved in her lifetime. She really has been a role model for all of us. And has paved the way for so many women to succeed. She will be missed.

Two obvious answers: the Coronavirus and the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburgh. The pandemic has kept me away from most family and friends for the past 6 months. I am incredibly lucky in that I have a great place to live, friends to walk with, internet and enough money to buy whatever I need. Still.... The death of RBG is just the "icing on the cake "of the horror of Trump, and his efforts to stack the Supreme Court in such a conservative way that so much of what I care about could disappear. The idea that RBG was just the 2nd woman on the Court, a Jew, and the first woman and Jew to lie in state after her death speaks volumes to what a force of nature she was. I only wish I could emulate someone like her!

🎵Cornavirus! It's gettin' real! Shit is gettin' real! It's gettin' real! 🎵

Like most everybody - Covid-19 has had a detrimental impact on just about everything. No socializing with friends, no pleasure travel, no restaurants, concerts, movies. Plus an underlying slight anxiety about the uncertainty about the future.

The 2020 wave of the BLM uprising. I've gone to more BLM/anti-police protests than I ever have, and consider police abolition to be necessary. Before this year, I hadn't thought that extensively about police abolition.

The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. I feel like someone who was protecting me is gone. It's almost like losing a parent again. She did so much to protect our rights and counter some of the hateful destruction of our democracy that the current administration seems bound and determined to carry out that without her I feel like one of our most important champions is gone. At the same time I feel like her death has lit a flame. It's up to all of us to fan the flame and feed the fire, keep it going and demand justice. Demand that the constitution be upheld. Demand that our rights not be stripped from us. I'm praying that she remains an inspiration and leads many who would have sat on the sidelines to raise their voices and join in.

The pandemic is the obvious answer here, but I'll go a level deeper. I feel like we are being battered from all sides by the effects of climate change and human encroachment into and disruption of the natural world. The wildfires, the constant stream of major hurricanes and flooding, we have clearly disrupted our world. And now we have to determine a way to slow the damage and ideally turn some of this around. Otherwise, not only will the world be a much crueler place for future generations, it will be one that is challenging and unpleasant for our generation as well.

Bushfires in Australia over the summer were brutal. I felt a heavy cloud of dread over me from November to February, breathing in smoke every day and seeing images on the news of wildlife being burned. I attended one of the climate rallies and it was very moving to see hundreds of thousands of people there. I felt a sense of desperation and impending doom, and fear for the future, and anger at the government.

It has to be COVID 19. For me, it caused me to close my business. This fall would have been 10 years. Instead I've pivoted and am trying a new career path. Thankfully my spouse is employed and the CARES act and my state have given people like me a small helping hand. If we were relying on my income for survival, however, we'd be in deep trouble. The pandemic has been a mixed thing for our family. It's been really hard on our youngest child, who was back at school and enjoying a busier social life, but it's not all negative. She discovered a joy in reading that she's never had before because of all the quiet time at home. Our eldest has enjoyed being able to be home while going through a major transition in life. My husband misses his being with his colleagues, but not having to spend hours in the car commuting each day (along with his workaholic tendencies) has meant he's been able to get more rest and be present with our family in ways he hasn't been for years. We lost a member of our extended family to the illness early on and that along with other factors prompted us to take this seriously from the start. It's hard, but I'm grateful we've had the resources and fortune to hunker down the way we have.

COVID-19

All of the visible violence toward people of color has made me viscerally aware of how deep our racism problem is in our country.

Same as the last two years! Trumpty dumpy (I hear myself, that’s not very accepting!) continues to impact me. He is a constant event. It would be great if the media would ignore him, if other politicians would stand up to him, and if when he bullies someone they would walk away from him until he was able to converse instead of bully. And this is a presidential election year. I’m feeling a lot of fear about it while also praying for a right & best outcome. If Biden & Harris win & if the Senate can turn blue I’ll be able to relax... hopefully!

Just the pandemic. It turned the whole world upside down. It messed up the economy, took people out of jobs. Pretty dramatic!

Too many to choose from! The pandemic, the BLM movement, this country's slide into a dictatorship, fires in California whose smoke was visible on the east coast... And in less than two months, we will have the election insanity and who knows how THAT will play out.

It has to be two-fold. Covid-19 is the major event of this past year. Of course it's been scary, disrupting, and so frustrating. But it's also been a devastating magnifying glass for racism and poverty in America and in the world. The other overarching "event" is not really an event. It's the continuing neo-fascist control that Donald Trump exercises over the Republican Party and the fear he instills in the minds of so many misguided Americans. Fear of people unlike themselves, fear of change, fear of liberal ideas of a society caring for each citizen. This past year has been depressing, degrading, saddening. I've lost faith in my country and its ability to to self-correct. Now with the vacancy on the Supreme Court, we could be taking major steps backward that will last for decades. I'm in despair.

The insane preoccupation that the US political leaders and news media have with President Donald Trump. Their efforts to demonize him as the cause of BLM, climate change, wildfires, Covid-19, means they have no methods to combat these issues they presided over before he was elected, and no intention of ever doing anything meaningful about them.

The most recent is the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I was so afraid of this moment when I woke up on November 9, 2016. I am so hurt and angry about what the Senate is doing. Obviously the Pandemic is the huge thing hanging over this year. It touches everything.

Like most of us I guess it would be the pandemic. Trips to Omaha, Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin were cancelled. A yearly trip to the beach with friends was postponed (hoping to go in October) and a trip to Rhinebeck with three other friends was cancelled. So many disappointments. Add to that the inability to see friends and family and just go about daily life like we used to makes COVID the event which has impacted my life the most.

Everything is marked this year by before COVID or after COVID. Before COVID I didn't plan things like going to the store, meeting a friend, working or buying stuff. In the time of COVID every step out of my house involves thinking. If I go to the store, are their to many cars in the parking lot? Should I drive to another store or give up and go home. If I want to met someone, is the weather good enough to us to meet outside, can we find a place that makes social distancing work. COVID means that we have had to give up parties, cookout, and celebrations. COVID means that going to church means clicking on to a zoom page. COVID make anything outside my house a cause to pause and thing about what is possible or impossible. In short COVID colors everything I do in this new COVID world.

Uh, the impact of Coronavirus. Yes. It has impacted me, sequestering me at home. How is this for me? Well, I am internal anyway so being alone is not that challenging. In fact, not being distracted by places to go gave me more time to do my deep practices regarding grief and all the accompanying emotions that arose. Now, in September, I'm a little tired of using Zoom to see my clients. I'm quite busy with more clients than I have ever had, 2 yoga classes where I have to move my monitor into the room where I can teach, and 2 meditation classes. I was able to begin a Virtual Meditation class immediately after the shutdown occurred in March. Fifty people came to the class for a couple of months, and then attrition began as work for some occurred and timing was off and some were just done I suppose. Nevertheless, I'm still holding space for the group (25 or so) each Monday morning, and I am so blessed to be able to do that.

Well, that's a no-brainer. COVID changed everything! I miss being able to go places, to be with friends without worrying how far apart we are. I'd like work to go back to normal without constant cleaning!

Well, a lot of things obviously. But probably RBG's death has had an enormous impact on my mental health. I'm just really ready to stay in this country forever. America is.....doomed. lol

Besides the extreme impact of COVID-19 and the restrictions placed locally, nationally and globallly, I have been impacted by the fires in California this year. More mentally in that I have been made aware of how fragile our environment is and how devistating it has been for regions near us. AQI so unhealthy that businesses shut down, schools closed, and least of all, I can't exercise or work in the yard. The personal impact is minimal, but the awareness is significant.

Climate Change which is on-going. This year my home state of CA in USA is on fire again, With luck my son and I won't loose our home again as in 2017 which we both have PTSD still from. These severe planetary climate changes  will continue globally for the next 50 years at minimum if all humanity addresses needed change; If not many more casualties from every species will continue. Humanity will not be exempted from the penalty of its insensitivity. Humanities negligence effects me as it affects all of us. As an artist the lack of direction present in my work as less concrete representationalism. An artist depicts many thing much of the time artists present the future. There has been little of my work that is concrete in nature...

Probably the same answer as many - the pandemic. While I have many protections and have been able to roll with it, it did change how I saw my year, it has an impact on my mental health in terms of stress, anxiety, and loneliness, it increases my rage at the powers that be that botched the response so severely and have been so anti-science, and is incredibly worrying in terms of the long term impacts. It is also so scary to have no idea what the future holds - I don't think there is going to be a "returning to normal" after this - I think the world has changed permanently, and probably not for the better.

The size of the majority of the new government, became it showed how far down the path of folly this country has travelled.

Of course, the pandemic. But also George Floyd's death. BLM. And the outrageous number of corona deaths among Blacks and Latinx compared to Whites. And the political nonsense that is Trump. To narrow it down, it would have to be the lockdown we went through because of corona. That impacted me significantly - I got to choose what I wanted to do and was able to see that the way I had been living my life pre-pandemic (stacked schedules, lots of social events, dinners out every sat night, lots of clients...) wasnt the best way for me. I began to feel, say in April, that the lockdown life actually really suited me! Whaaat? It was the dream of an introvert! I was home and didn't have to interact and could read and be and do. So I started reading a ton more and subscribing to many more news sources (hello, The Atlantic! hi, Wash Post!) and dove in. I learned a lot about the virus and how and what to do. I also was reading other books (Untamed, Daisy Jones and the Six),and then as racial inequities became apparent and then George Floyd (and Aumand Aubrey and Breonna Taylor) were killed, the BLM wave was a tsunami. Couldn't be ignored. Had to learn. So I started reading. White Fragility, Begin Again, currently reading How to be an Anti-Racist. More on the list. Many more. Attended a few race-education seminars and talks, started listening to podcasts. All in efforts to learn. The more I read, the more I saw I didn't know any of this history. I was blown away and am continuing to learn the history of Black life and racism. Its a long journey and I love it. And also meditation and stoicism. Reading Awareness with Peter, after we read Prayers of the Cosmos. Trying to "wake up!" All good. I really owe my realizing how much I enjoy this much reading and learning to the pandemic and lockdown - I feel more knowledgable and even more aware that I have a long way to go - which is a beautiful thing.

The death of George Floyd and subsequent awakening of so many to the inherent white supremacy of our society have moved me greatly. I am enraged and committed to help bring about change. Racism is a white man’s problem and we need to do our part to fix it.

COVID. Definitely Covid. It has caused tremendous anxiety and panic attacks and has changed how I feel about people and our leadership. Not just the republicans but the democrats too. I don’t trust people and so look down at those that refuse to wear a mask.

hahahaha okay after two years of not being impacted by the world, this time I got one. Covid has restricted my social options because random unsuspecting people can fall gravely sick, there, happy ?

COVID-19. Need I say how? Need I say why?

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted everyone on the planet.

COVID-19 has required us o work from home. I didn't realize how much I like my co-workers or having a place to go. It has been especially difficult because I am in a tiny one bedroom apartment that I share with my son. He sleeps in the living room. So there is no communal space. Just us trying to muddle through, he had planned on moving to Japan to work, that ended with the pandemic. The good thing is that he and I are talking more and it I am doing my best to cherish it because I know he will eventually move on to his own life. The build up to the empty nest has been extended and I am grateful for that.

The world falls to pieces slowly. They said "Not with a bang, but with a whimper" but here we are in a long primal scream. No whimpering, but on-going banging. We try to hold things together, do the things we have always done, care for each other, grow food. But we don't know what is coming, and we can't know what is coming. I feel scared for myself and the children. I can't promise them a future. I know the world is on fire, the ice is melting, species are disappearing and it all feels horribly fraught. In the 80s as a kid I worried about environmental collapse, and it feels like here we are. No amount of saying no to straws will make a difference. It was never about the fucking straws and people let themselves get distracted. We need to stop participating in a culture that is a cancer and values constant growth. I think alot about the idea that sometimes the only choice you have left is refusal.

Everything is about COVID. I haven't been impacted as hard as others, I guess because I'd already stripped my life back to it's smallest pieces with minimum debt. I already was working on a project which I have now completed and I was already a bit beaten about my life. TO be honest, COVID has been an opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief as others collectively experience challenges. I have luckily had great life experiences as a result of COVID, shared time with family, connected with a core group of friends, and stayed fit. COVID has smashed teh economy but increased the value of stocks. Smashed livilihoods but opened out eyes to each other and a collective empathy for those who have also suffered across the globe before this pandemic occured. I have become determined to learn new things, to build knowledge and watch less. I have a new appreciation for language and the litte things in life like jiust seeing people and getting out for a drink or food.

BLM - I feel like I actually learned and took time to research this year and advocate for those who cannot. It has stepped me out of my comfort zone but I have grown a lot and am ready to fight for others.

Definitely COVID. Being in events, it completely derailed my year. However I am so incredibly grateful and lucky to be at the company I am at. I still have a job and I feel mostly secure in the position. My husband has been lucky to be able to work mostly from home as well.

Of course, 2020 will always have been the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. (hopefully just the one!) It's hard to overstate how much of an impact this singular event has had on the entire world, myself included. In a matter of weeks, life as we knew it changed dramatically. Gatherings of people and physical intimacy were halted, with no clear sense of when they could return. That uncertainty, moreso than the quarantining, the social distancing, or the closing of establishments, is what made the situation painful. Gradually, we found ways to reintroduce intimacy, sometimes accepting risk to do so. But really, it hasn't been the same. Collectively, we all know that things have not returned to normal, and the occasional moments of beauty and joy are always tinged with a worry that we are at risk, a knowing that we can't yet let our guard down. It must also be stated - many, many people have had it worse than me throughout this. Thankfully (so thankfully) I have not lost any family members to the virus, and I am in good health. But every one of us is affected in some way. For me, it's meant a long bout of unemployment and a setback on my journey of career exploration, and all the anxiety and self-doubt that comes with that. What the pandemic has taught me, or at least is in the process of teaching me, is that I have to find a way to seek out joy and peace amidst all the darkness. That struggle is a part of life and will always be present, well beyond the pandemic. Nothing is ever all good, or all bad. I'm doing my best to be grateful for where I am and what I have in my life. The pandemic has helped to put some of that into perspective for me; it has exposed my many privileges. As of writing this, we are still a ways off from an effective and available vaccine. It could come this winter, or next spring, or longer. My hope is that whatever the case, I will be able to power through the darkness, the uncertainty, the self-doubt, and not let this moment stop me from enjoying my life.

The Covid Pandemic has really turned my world upside down. Now we live in fear, the world is polarized based on mask wearing, and I miss my friends.

Hmmm, tough one... let me think... Obviously COVID is the one. On top of it being an insane virus that has killed way to many people and crippled economies everywhere, it also really fucked up my plans for this year. Having just moved to a new place, I had planned to get here and meet people to find work, to make friends, to explore the region, and more. Instead, I've been mostly stuck inside our apartment, found it super hard to meet people for friendship or work, and haven't been able to explore too much because COVID has prevented me from getting a carshare membership or from working even remotely enough to think about getting our own car. What a weird year.

I'm on the East Coast, so was not directly affected by the fires on the West Coast, but have a dear friend, who I've known since early childhood (our parents were friends) who lives in Oregon. I was terrified that she would be harmed or killed, as there didn't seem to be a good way to evacuate.

Watching the downward spiral of our democracy this past year has broken me. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be fearful to live in our country, but that's where I wake up this morning. People I respected have let me down, called me a Nazi, and brushed it off b/c they are "patriotic". And this president has not only allowed it, he's encouraged it. I've become more angry, more paranoid, more depressed, more enraged, less willing to listen to other viewpoints, less willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. And I don't see it getting any better. I'm not sure where our American community has stopped being human. Where they only want to help people who think/love/act/pray/look like themselves. Where we step on others to get ahead - not raise everyone up so we all can rise. I'm scared, and feel helpless to do anything to stop it.

The pandemic changed everything. No travel, especially. Strangely, the lack of choices relieved some of my anxiety. Another event is the fire season. I had been thinking about moving from San Francisco, but now think about moving out of state.

Our president is disgusting, racism is real and has been here all along but we are just now shifting within it (some of us anyway), the earth is dying more rapidly, our economy is broken. The world has been one impactful moment after another this year. So heavy and frightening and painful.

Besides COVID, the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the movement for Black lives have shaped my conversations, community-building, workplace, and partnerships. The verdict to indict 1 of 3 officers and unrelated to the police murder of Breonna shaped the 2020 CU conference. I was grateful to be witness to the reckoning.

This entire year has been one giant lack-of-a-content-warning! The pandemic that rocked the world; the racial uprising and protesting and looting and vandalism and violence all over the city including in our neighborhood. The whole world is unstable. For the first time in my life, I've wanted to own a firearm to protect myself. For the first time in my Chicago life, I've found it scary to live on the West side.

COVID (how can this not be the number one answer). It has ravaged my business, we are barely making it.

COVID-19 and the distance it has forced between people has impacted me in ways no other world event has.

Covid 19 has changed the world. I cannot think of the world news I have heard in the last month. The United States is having a time of it. Covid has disrupted so much and our economy is doing well at the stock market and tanking in the business sector. I am concerned about the waste from all of the gloves, paper towels and hand sanitizer being consumed. I feel that the unintended consequences will be substantial. With the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and riots, the Black Lives Matter movement has also changed our world. Many of us are examining our thoughts and behaviors in new and more reflective ways. Companies are making changes to names and icons that were previously dismissed as being not worth the time. In 6 weeks, there will be an election. I have no idea what is going to happen. I never dreamed that Donald Trump would be elected as president. He is still one of the most repellent individuals of my lifetime. But those that do not want to examine their privilege or consider the needs of others or whatever makes them get behind this man and stay there when he is deplorable, they have not gone away. I was afraid for the country before. I am afraid and amazed at the lack of moral center in our political system as well as our justice system.

Its not just one event-- but the continued murder and lack of justice for the Black community. I am at a loss of words-- outrage, lack of hope, not understanding how it can happen again and again. It feels all-consuming. And then I feel the guilt. Because I can still sleep safely in bed, and live my life. How can I be overwhelmed when I'm on the periphery and don't have to live in fear? Whenever I am tired, I know I must fight harder. I don't get to be tired. I've been complacent far to long. I have to fight-- otherwise I am just as evil and to blame.

Where to begin? Clearly, the most impactful is the tension around the presidential election and the mechanizations of Trump and his allies. I fear not just for m country, but for the world. The other big thing is tied tightly to Trump and his policies - Climate Change. We have reached the tipping point in some parts of the world and are so very close in others.

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg! I believed she was the last hope for the protection of a SCOTUS that was not bought and paid for by conservative dollars. SCOTUS is not so very corrupt and I think that the US is about to fall just like Rome, Greece, and Great Britain. It may just be America's time. I don't think the conservatives are going to really have much to celebrate when all is said. They will become victims of their own injustice!

Covid-19. It changed the world and not always in a good way. Many people have sort of allowed their fear to take over and allowed all the negativity to come out.

I can't even with this question, so I will simply quote Smash Mouth: "My world's on fire, how 'bout yours?"

The death of George Floyd, and the opening up of showing injustice and police brutality, has put me in a state of anguish and mourning. I know personally the trauma of abusive police, and I am maddened by the evil that is allowed to openly persist in society.

There are many, and they affect us all. It's interesting to note that my first instinct was not to write about Covid, but to write about Joe Biden becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. I am a survivor of sexual abuse and having to choose between two sexual predators (one accused, one absolutely a proven abuser) is mindboggling, and also makes perfect sense given how we treat sexual abuse (i.e. the patriarchy and its tentacles) in this country.

This shit show presidency, and all of the effects of it has given me a sense of urgency and outrage about injustice and inequality in our country.

Besides the COVID pandemic, I think the recent death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg as both saddened me and left me in more fear of the impending election. The stakes were already so high this year - why does 2020 have to keep upping the ante?!?!

The death of RBG. Watched her service in the Rotunda this morning. Her life and the implications of her death on the future of the country are the bookends of my youth and old age. As a woman, I am far better off because of her life’s work for justice and I’ll be far worse off because of the politicization of the Supreme Court in replacing her. What does it say about a country when the president is rightly booed while “paying his respects” as RBG lies in state or that the Senate majority leader doesn’t dare show his face at the service for a member of the Supreme Court. We’ve crossed a line. Will we ever recover?

COVID-19. Racial injustice in the US. The Trump Presidency. The world and especially this country feel like a dark and terrible place right now- and I'm more privileged then most. I really hope this is different come next year but I'm not holding my breath.

Covid obviously. I think I've learned to trust that everything will work out in the long run and to try and stay positive.

Ruth Ginsburg passing away. She was an icon for equal rights if not only women but every minority. For trump to not even honor her accomplishments by waiting until after the election to nominate the next supreme justice is just unthinkable. I was such a strong advocate of ERA and gaining the right to have an abortion. I used to stuff envelopes, call people and answer questions at our local office. To see Roe vs Wade overturned will set the rights that women have finally accomplished Back at least 50+ years!

Everything closing due to the pandemic. It was tough. But it also brought me life. As weird as that sounds having people around me allowed me to heal in ways I never thought was possible.

Coronavirus Pandemic. Turned the world upside down. Closed schools, restaurants, airports, etc forced people to stay at home. made us miss our family and friends more than ever. made us ever so reliable on technology

The goddamn pandemic has impacted everything

I suppose most of the answers to this say "Covid," and certainly that's true. But I have the added distinction of living in eastern Canada, where the largest mass shooting in our history took place just a few months ago. We've lost our innocence in so many ways because of this - the sense that this is Canada! Things like that don't happen here! Except that now, they do. And equally disturbing is that many Americans have popped online to say, "Yeah, you're not so good now, are ya?" Or words to that extent. For some people, instead of sharing our grief, the murders of 22 people were an opportunity to take potshots at a country that has a reputation of peacefulness and kindness. That was really troubling.

The whole world shut down in March. I brought my laptop home on Friday, March 13th and have not been back to the office. Learning and working went remote. Within weeks, the air quality improved dramatically around the world. The water in the Venice canals became clear. Animals were seen in places they hadn't been before. The earth began to heal, and to prove to all the naysayers that we can make a difference by how we behave. Beyond the blessings of the shutdown for the earth, the cost to Americans has been enormous. More than 200,000 people have died, most of whom did not have to die of COVID except that 45 didn't want anyone to "panic". He told Bob Woodward that he knew in January that it was airborne and deadly.

COVID-19 Revolution to reckon racial injustice 2020 Election It's a lot. I'm feeling the heat more and more. The election is LOOMING like a tidal wave. I don't know if that wave will raise us all up or destroy us.

So many! I'll go with RBG's passing. It was heartbreaking. It felt like all the hope was sucked out of the air when I received that message. It felt like the progress we made was all at risk and that no worthy replacement existed. I feel a bit better now and am ready for the fight ahead but most of all I know that my daughter's life was made better by RBG and for that we should all be thankful.

The Black Lives Matter movement and protests to make more visible how structural state and police violence is being perpetuated, and how in recent months it seems like more places around the world are understanding and joining the collective call for justice. I really admire BLM and have followed this movement for a while, and recent events have reminded me of how important being politically active is, even if locally, because the reach of a movement can grow or mean something elsewhere too.

Uh... COVID-19? Enough said.

Death of RBG. Whole adult life. I graduated college 1972. Roe v Wade, 1973. My own credit card. Denied credit upon divorce. Discover. Denied job because I was young female.

The death of so many black Americans at the hands of police or white persecutors is horrifying. The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement is vital and energizing. Newly aware of white privilege, from which I benefitted unknowingly, I struggle to figure out how to help change our society.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

It hasn’t even been a week and I think about RBGs death. It is such a mitzvah to die on Rosh Hashanah and it is all so horrible that we are left with fear. So horrible to know that she knew what would happen. That they would try to fill her seat so quickly. To know that her legacy would be impacted. She was so strong and so sharp and apparently kind and gossipy and a mensch. Being on zoom for services and seeing everyone react made me feel a sense of community that video services usually don’t. To see everyone else’s shock and grief. As much as they try to take her honor away, I think we are still grieving her righteously.

Hard to avoid the obvious elephant in the room that we cannot leave. Being in New York City, we experienced the onset of the pandemic first and harder than most other regions in the United States. People here took it seriously, however, and the results speak for themselves. My friends in Florida are still complaining about many of their establishments still not open, whereas here in New York many of our institutions have re-opened.

An event in the world that has impacted me has been COVID-19. It was and is scary. It's highlighted privilege. It's shaped my life and my generation. Humans are adaptable but I never thought we'd have to adapt like this.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg dying. It's put everything into a tizzy. It's making me hate Republicans in a very unhealthy way and it's stressing me out.

covid. It sucks. And the world is in pain. And Trump horribly dealt with it. So now we have to figure out where our world goes from here. Im scared for how we recover. And it's not just covid. Its covid, its the death, its the collective trauma we all now have. It's the fires in California, the hurricanes in the gulf, the hurricane force winds that brought power outages here for upwards of a week. So scary and sad. And of course the killing of George Floyd and the implications for all of our lives. I'm holding so much anger for the amount of healing our world needs and isn't getting.

GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND THE CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT ASSHOLE-IN-CHIEF'S EPIC AND SEEMINGLY DELIBERATE MISMANGEMENT OF IT ALL. MORE CLIMATE CHANGE. BLACK LIVES MATTER. A TERRIFYING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T SEEM TO FUCKING SHOW ANY DECENCY OR HUMANITY.

There are too many to choose from even just from March. Covid has changed my life in many ways. Exasperating an existing anxiety problem that I had previously been unaware of. Homesickness. Not being able to see my family this year, probably not until next August, making it 2 years since we will have seen each other. Not meeting my nephew Erikk who was born December 29th 2019. Becoming anxious about being outside/going outside/being too far from home, after a strict lockdown here in Barcelona, where I didn't leave the house for 43 days at one point. Loving Marta more through this time.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died right before Rosh Hashanah began. It felt like a gut punch. Especially now that Trump is almost definitely going to fill that seat with a conservative with just weeks before the election. The unfairness is infuriating.

The passing of RBG. How? Still processing. Why? She is iconic.

The pandemic will be your number one answer from everyone, except those who exist in the twilight of right-wing misinformation. Second, would be that exact same rise of fact-resistant, redneck fascism in every day morons and the greedy religio-oligarchs who control them. Now there are at least seventeen compete overhauls in human society that would need to take place in order for us to even begin to get back on track. I don't see it happening. Sure, keep fighting, but you'll continue to witness the slow agonizing death of our American democracy, and world stability. I'd bank on the next young generation to fix everything, but you can't pry them away from video games, social media, and weed. They seem fragile, with little stamina, or ability to coalesce into a unified front. Most of them aren't even fluent in their own language. But they know enough to realize we gave them a rotten deal, so they escape whenever possible. My greatest mourning will be watching average people have the epiphany that we only have twenty decent years left on the planet, and that they were the reason for our own extinction.

UM YEAH LET'S THINK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE WORLD??? Maybe the COVID-19 global pandemic? Or the police murder of George Floyd that sparked a revival of #BlackLivesMatter and a global uprising? The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg that might overturn every progressive creation of our government? Maybe the wildfires that have ravages California and made my folks think about moving? I don't know how all of that can be condensed into how it impacted me. I think it led me to follow my gut a little bit more - all bets are off, it's 2020! But this would be a better question for next year to see how this one truly shaped me.

LOL, COVID-19! How: Self isolation and working from home. Actually, getting off easy compared to many people. Why: Because someone cooked up something really bad and it got out or was released.

COVID-19/coronavirus/pandemic The whole world changed, trying to avoid getting sick.

Talk about extraordinarily painful! The political landscape in the US literally makes me sick to my stomach. The integrity and legitimacy of our government is under daily attack, the degree of hypocrisy, incivility, lying and cheating, so dispiriting. I find myself imaging the country falling into a world that is a cross between Nazi Germany and The Handmaid's Tale.

2020 has been a year filled with major events. All the racial unrest prompted by the murder of George Floyd is a social reckoning. It has certainly made me think about my perceptions. The response or lack thereof of our racist, self-centered idiot president over this deadly pandemic has been horrific because he is too interested in reelection. Our governor is a sock puppet of the president and does nothing to protect Floridians. The US has lost most of our global standing thanks to this guy. I am deeply dismayed in the state of things

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death affected me deeply. The potential for having a conservative justice appointed by DT horrifies me.

Oh boy...so many events this year: COVID pandemic, BLM movement after George Floyd and Bronna Taylor's killings, the election year, and Justice RBGs recent passing are the ones that come to mind as most impactful for me. In each of these I have seen my privilege and have been reminded that I can choose to live complicity in my bubble. Yet, I have felt a greater sense of urgency and need for action. I have asked more of myself in terms of what I can do and how I can raise to boys who can use their privilege now and into adulthood to better the world around them and correct the injustices they see.

Global Pandemic. I mean really, is there any other answer to this? It's made me a stay at home mom, teacher, chef, cleaner, emotional support provider for kids desperately missing their friends and regular routines of school, soccer, girl scouts, etc. It's ruled out efforts to return to work and heightened our financial insecurity, anxiety and depression. It has also helped us to do more with less and to be grateful for the community, luxuries and comforts we do have, most especially our health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit me hard. The quarantine, the work-at-home environment, the loneliness I've felt by being apart of my parents and brother is truly heartbreaking. I was also deprived of seeing my friends, and many of them left me alone.

Wildfires on the Left Coast. Killed my cycling mileage goal.

Well, Covid, obviously. But the current state of our own country has affected me more. The division, violence, hated, stupidity, lying, carelessness, callousness. And then RBG died, and my heart sank 💔

Besides the obvious? I feel I was losing a lot of the anger because good things were happening and I was becoming able to connect better with other people. The impact of losing that stability brought back so much anger, though I feel I've been using that brief stability to channel it more proactively.

Definitely the COVID-19 pandemic. I have been fortunate that I haven't become ill and I have been able to work at home. I started to work at home in early March and haven't returned to UMass since then (now going on 7 months). nevertheless, I have been busier than ever. For example, I gave one lecture to the medical students and then my course went to remote learning. We have all learned how to use Zoom and I rely on it everyday. I am very sad about the response of his country to the virus - at least at the highest levels - the anti-science bias and the politicization of everything. Meanwhile, people are dying and losing their livelihoods and we still have shortages of PPE, etc.

COVID of course. We're luckier than most. We were able to work from home for the past 7 months. So for us there hasn't been the same visceral impact that other families experienced. But, staying home isn't without it's challenges. I'm usually an introvert so it wasn't that hard to just be at home. And yet it still wearing on me. I miss going to restaurants, I miss going to the movies, I miss just being able to be around people...even if I don't particularly want to interact with them. I find that more and more there is a low energy around the house, a general malaise.

BLM. Opening my eyes to my white privilege. Losing my job. Covid-19. The abomination in my White House. The rising Covid-19 death toll. Losing RBG. Feeling helpless.

You mean talk about the same thing I've talked about for every other question? The one thing in the world that has impacted every single person on the planet? Yes. Covid has impacted me. I don't want to talk about it any more. I've already said how it's impacted me for every other question. It's hard. And the world is fucked in so many ways.

An event in the world that has impacted me has been Black Lives Matter, which I really believe in. I've felt disappointment, anger, and frustration that it took so many white people to wake up to knowing that Black people are treated very differently by law enforcement. I was incredulous that after Eric Garner's murder, that a police officer would again knowingly choke a Black human being. I felt surprise, wonder, and satisfaction that finally so many white people were getting it. However, white people continued to disappoint with their negative reactions to protesters, the growing appearance of Thin Blue Line flags and masks, and especially Trump's reactions to the people protesting -- kidnappings in unmarked vans and tear gassing innocent humans. I live in Rochester, NY where Daniel Prude was also murdered by police. Protesters, including my priest and other clergy, were protesting peacefully behind metal railings and the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at them. That left me flabbergasted. A colleague asked me to come down to the city to a protest and register voters. That was uplifting. But I feel impotent. That I'm doing nothing. I guess, with my white self, educating other white people, one white person at a time.

COVID, the pandemic I have not been able to go and see my family. I work remotely from home and mostly go nowhere and do nothing It has given me a greater perspective on what I want for my life moving forward

Is there anyone who isn't going to say COVID-19? I remember reading about it in China, then on the cruise ship, then in other countries. It all seemed so foreign -- not just another country, but another world! I think most people ignore things until they are happening to them or around them. When it finally came to the US, still most people were like, "it's not a big deal, it'll be fine. There's too much hype." Even still -- with the death toll past 200,000, we still argue about personal freedoms, mask wearing, inflated numbers, etc. In America, I feel like we have lost our humanity. It's an "i'm right, you're wrong," so many hiding behind their precious beliefs and thinking that gives them the right to dehumanize someone else. We also have a lot of social unrest due to the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor murders by law enforcement. It's all VERY overwhelming. So, since many Americans have been working form home, we've shifted in to this "New Normal" that some have gotten used to and some refuse to accept. Either way, time marches on and we exist. That's about all I can say for certain.

For the fourth year in a row, I wonder where to begin. COVID-19. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breyonna Taylor, and George Floyd woke the world up to racism, which has been important (and enraging to watch, frankly - the shock, as though any of this is new). The subsequent protests. My sister, at a protest, had to be taken into the capitol for hours due to gunshots. This is nothing compared to the deadly violence the state has sponsored against its citizens. Fires. Again. Smoke in the heat of summer. Ruth Bader Ginsberg died one week ago, on Erev Rosh Hashanah. And the combination of all of these: watching the world burn, while trying so hard to find the light (of which there is much).

COVID-19 Pandemic. That is all.

Covid of course. Global pandemic. I hope the world will change and will be only better place after this. Sometimes it's sad that people still do not realize this.

L'humanité est en train de détruire le monde. NOUS sommes en train de détruire le monde. Les français réclament le retour de la peine capitale, l'écologie est les questions fu climat sont ridiculisées, réléguées au ban des préoccupations sociales. Jamais le monde n'aura paru si effroyablement condamné et si riche à la fois. C'est tragique, ai sens théàtral du terme.

Besides the obvious. The George Floyd murder and the protests spurred me to look deeper at racism in America and my place in it. Obviously I wasn’t a stranger to the issues. But I read and listened and reflected more than before. We’ve talked about race almost every day for the first two months we lived together. I understand or believe some things now that I didn’t before: Police can’t be reformed. All or almost all of their functions should be replaced. More training, bodycams, or policies won’t change their behavior or the power of their unions. Slavery, genocidal colonialism, and capitalism are the pillars of the US. Black people were enslaved at the bottom of the caste system; Native Americans were excluded from it. If I really want to act against racism, I have to be willing to give some things up. I have to be willing to share power and to step aside. I have to be uncomfortable and scared sometimes. I’m grappling with this. I mostly believe that a deeper liberation for all is possible when white folks let go of power. “If you’re here to help me, [go away]. If you’re here because your liberation is bound up in mine...” But I’m also coming to grips with the reality that my comfort depends on the ability of police to kill black people without consequence. My comfort had been engineered to rely on this. That license to kill is the keystone of all the other oppressions I indirectly benefit from.

Wow SO MANY. Covid, fires, and the uprising. My justice fire was reignited when George Floyd was murdered, along with the rest of the country, and it led me to dive into my BTA and PDXCCC work this summer with a full heart and sometimes manic and/or self-distracting energy. It offered me time and space to feel useful, and offered me the beginnings of self compassion around not feeling like I had to do something every second, or even undoing the internalized thought that somehow the problems of the world are my fault. I can't do nothing, but I also can't do everything. The fires have also impacted me more than I thought they could- the smell of smoke the other day when it was just a little bit was jarring and made my body tense and start to shut down, almost preparing to be sad and inside for the next while. I've never realized how awful the smoke effects are, and I have much more compassion for my friends in the Bay Area dealing with smoke now!!

Covid - usually world events don’t have a direct impact but this one imposed many curbs on our freedom which has been unprecedented. I like to feel I am free and that I choose my own level of risk assessment but covid proved I am not free.

BLM made me much more aware of all that type of stuff. I think I now have better morals, more understanding of my privilege, and more initiative to help other people with less privilege.

Climate change.

Well, certainly the pandemic, the election, and Sabine's house fire. The deaths of 4 union brothers, and the soon death of another, all reminders of mortality. the Pandemic is bad for my anxiety, which has been bad on the blood sugar, so, Keto, here we come.

The murder of George Floyd and subsequent rallies and protests and uprisings. I've fully been a part of them here in Ithaca. I'm definitely significantly more radicalized and leftist than I was six or even three months ago. I guess the national and local conversation changed--at least that which I'm aware of--and I guess I had the space and preparation to really lean into it. I'm sure that this, too, is still a process of which I'm in the middle and probably will never reach an end.

Umm COVID. Obviously. But also this world has just been one flaming trash pile after the next. The wildfires in Australian and now California, the global pandemic, the racial injustices in America, literally everything Donald Trump says and does, it's all just too much. It's hard to hold space for it all. You find yourself just going into mental and emotional fatigue. I can't even write about it in detail because I'm pretty sure I've been in fight or flight this entire year. It's truly been challenging to just care because it hurts all the time. Man this 10Q is depressing.

The killing of George Floyd was very impactful and heartbreaking. Along with that fighting for the justice of Breonna Taylor, Elijah Mcclain, Regis Korchinski- Paquet, Ahmaud Arbery and so many other black lives lost to racism and police brutality. It awoke me to the systemic racism that works against BIPOC in the justice system, prison system, housing and so much more. It showed me how overly funded the police are and how under funded communities, housing, food supply, mental health resources are. We need to invest in deescalation, we need to face our inner racism and challenge ourselves, we need to get uncomfortable and do the damn work.

The pandemic meant it was harder to find campgrounds when moving by bike. Once we had to camp in a pullout that smelled like pee because nobody is using bathrooms.

Unemployment subsequent to COVID, which has shifted both my understanding of and relationship to work as well as my husband’s. Wildfires leaving air in Portland unbreathable for a week; we living in a collapsing climate in a collapsing empire.

The wildfires sweeping across California made me feel a lot of things, especially because it was all happening near me. The period of dark orange skies made me feel like the apocalypse was nigh. It looked cool, but you could not get away from the campfire smokey smell no matter where you went. The whole time I just felt kinda sad... all these other things were going on, but having pretty much all of the forests be on fire was unexpectedly heavy. Not to mention the people that lost everything. I wonder just how much of the California wilderness will be left untouched when its all over? What about the animals?

Well - again a fresh question, but the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the response to it has really felt like the last of so many many proverbial straws. Like we're all just waiting to die or to be sent to labor camps for disagreeing with our government or something.

So so many events. Plague, racist violence, economic recession. It's reminded me how blessed I am. I've been on the front lines of social justice all my adult life. Because of that I'm weary and hopeful. Tired to the bone and still able to envision victory.

Obviously, COVID-19. That goes without saying. Other events, I feel like the shooting here in Nova Scotia was hard to watch and be connected to. Further beyond this region, I think I am struggling to know what to write. The year was so incredibly dominated by COVID-19. Prior to that, the fall of last year, I can't recall much of what has happened in the world. There is so much happening all the time: wildfires, war, and so much more. It feels like the world is falling apart. Being witness to the power of the Black Lives Matter movement has been transformative. I feel as though we are on the cusp of important and monumental change, taking bigger and bolder steps towards racial justice. However, as a white guy, my optimism is rooted in privilege.

Again - I just can't even. 2020 sucks, and not just the pandemic. I can't even write about it.

Aside from the lockdown, I would say the whole BLM protests and movement itself, made me more aware of how I feel about social topics and helped me learn more about myself. I have realigned my political affiliations. I am no longer a democrat. I am not a republican either, but I tend to agree with conservative views. I believe that the democratic party is a wolf in sheeps clothing, pretending to care about marginalized people. However, when looking at the Bay Area, which is one of the most liberal places in the US, it's hardly a utopia. There is segregation based of race, very little black people living in SF now, when they were living there and the ones that still are, majority are poor, we have severe economic inequality, many homeless/mentally-ill/drug-addicts wasting on the streets and our local government does nothing. It seems to me that the dems pander to the people, and people are gullible enough to believe that the dems are good and republicans are bad and therefore the DNC is their only option. Mass media is ultra-liberal as well and panders to this audience with a strong left-leaning bias, which to me is gaslighting. For example, when mass media tells the public that the cops in Breonna Taylor's case had the wrong house, killed an innocent person, etc. they are grossly ignoring the facts. So now that the officers involved were not indicted because they did nothing wrong, the public goes crazy, but they don't even know what the facts are. They have their heads buried in the sand thanks to the dems and mass media.

The situation in this country continues to worry me more than anything else. It is critical that we get this monster out of power and start to heal. The pandemic and upcoming election, and now the death of RBG, are all making me pretty crazy, constant anxiety. I cannot stand seeing our democracy so undermined. The rising anti-semitism and divisiveness in the country are terrifying!

Where do we begin? COVID? George Floyd? Hong Kong? The Uighurs? No single period of time has done more to push me leftward and progressive, despite approaching the age when most people start to get more conservative, than this one.

RBG's death - sadness, fear, respect, worry

In June, the Black Lives Matter Uprisings took the US by storm. In the middle of a pandemic, and in the very early stages of my new life in Denver, my partner and I took to the streets and to digital organizing hubs to amplify the movement. The movement made me face what I didn't want to: I'm not well suited for social media organizing anymore, since social media is so hard on my mental health. I've since taken an indefinite hiatus. I really don't miss social media, and I don't see myself going back. I'm also continually challenged to build my emotional distress tolerance so I can remain actively engaged even when feeling low. It's a process, and I'm making progress one step at a time. At protests, I wore the BLM shirt my best friend gave me In 2018. It felt strange and heartbreaking to know how many names were missing from a shirt made 2 years ago.

The video of a white police officer kneeling on the neck of a black man until he died was shared publicly, and it sparked a huge global movement to start reckoning with our institutionalized racism. It feels different than it has before. I've marched against this since I was 12 years old, but I never felt this momentum before. The progress is slow, very slow, painfully and tortuously slow. But I do believe there is progress. It's like a giant the size of the world, turning over in her sleep. It feels like it will never happen, but I believe it will. The movement to deal with this on any level available has infiltrated my workplace, which has been fantastic, because I know my old job is behaving horribly during all of this. It has changed my use of Instagram, which I am still at odds with: I still believe in that app as a source of art, and that's all I ever meant to use it for. But now that I see it being used to help protesters organize, and for people to share wrongs they've witnessed in order to hold the villains accountable, I see its use in that way, too. I still haven't decided how to move forward, so I mostly just stay off of it. I lost a dear friend of color for a couple of weeks because I got swept up in the feeling that I had to constantly be posting anti-racist actions, as a white person. She told me it wasn't just me that caused her to leave the app. But we slowly kept keeping in touch, and eventually, we worked our way back to our friendship. This is hard for everyone, including the people who want to do right but are having to relearn what that means. It has also made me realize that there is nothing wrong with what I had been doing before this in my anti-racist practices. This is the same lesson I've learned before repeatedly with social media: just because I don't post about it doesn't mean it's not happening. Posting about it shows others that you are doing the hard work, but doing the work itself is the most important thing to do. Also, it is strange to say this, and I don't mean to disregard any lives lost from the virus, but the situation of being in a pandemic and everyone being given orders to stay at home provided the freedom to people to go out and march en masse. If that video had been released during regular functioning business-driven society times, I don't know that our momentum would be so strong. I am thankful for every step of progress we make, and I mourn for the incredible number of lives that have been lost this year.

COVID 19. Well... it changed everything. I lost all my jobs and was then isolated with my boyfriend and his brother. My boyfriend and I got to practice living together and now we're cohabitating permanently. It's going well so far. I've learned to be okay with relying on someone sometimes (my boyfriend is the breadwinner and provider financially).

Describe: Corona-virus pandemic. 200,000 deaths in USA. How: I'm sheltering in place due to high risk medical co-morbidities and age. I think that's the way it is said, not certain. Why? I am in an apartment complex where most of the residents and their friends or families aren't wearing masks on the property or in common areas including the laundry room. Today I am also heart broken over learning about all of the birds falling dead out of the sky, probably due to starvation from the combination of drought and wildfire smoke and the big early freeze that many died from, already being weak with hunger.

Well obviously the whole world is affected and impacted greatly by covet. Aside from that, I would say the repeated senseless murders of black people by the police has been an alarming yet unifying event. I hate that it continues to happen, but I'm glad that people are starting to unify and mobilize. I can only hope that changes will come.

Well, naturally the Coronavirus pandemic. I lost my job, my friends have lost their families, and their jobs. But strangely enough the quarantine time gave me the opportunity to really think about my life and what I wanted and what I was willing to do to obtain it.

The pandemic impacted my travel plans. As I write this, I was supposed to be on Italy's Amalfi Coast on a 12 day vacation. But the trip was ultimately cancelled. It impacted me as I lost the one thing that I always look forward to every year.

Wow. Well, clearly the COVID-19 pandemic. I started working from home in March and because of maternity leave, I don't anticipate going back to work in person until mid-November. I haven't eaten in restaurants and seen friends and family. Also, the black lives matter protests and the upcoming presidential election. The US makes me feel sick, our toxic divisions, and the number of people who endorse Trump. It's horrifying and tragic and I can't believe this is what we've become. I'm hoping that ultimately good will come out of it. The Trump will not be re-elected and that we as a country will confront and conquer our demons. The experience of Black people (and other POC) in this country deeply sickens me. I hate our past and it is time for change. I 100% support the protests and pray they don't stop until real change is instituted all over the country.

COVID, the Trump presidency, the racial protests and conversations about race, losing faith in our free elections and the post office - all of it. Much has made me more despondent and want to pull in. I fear this is the end of democracy and that is deeply troubling.

The BLM movement has really made me introspective about my own biases and how I've contributed to the racist status quo. I hope this has taught me how to be more open minded and exercise empathy!

I don't think I can limit it to one event this year. The pandemic, the killing of George Floyd, the horrible wildfires, the massive flooding, and the death of Justice Ginsburg all seem to coalesce into a deep feeling of sadness and outrage. An urgent sense that change of leadership cannot come soon enough, and that we must keep working literally to save our lives.

COVID-19 is a world-wide event, but that has been addressed already. Another event is Global Warming and the Climate Fires in Santa Cruz, burning a friend's house to the ground, trapping us all even more at home because of the unhealthy quality of the air, ashes falling like snowflakes, a deep-orange tinge to everything, a sepia-tone purgatory...

Obviously, COVID-19 is the biggie. I couldn't visit my mother during what turned out to be the last 6 months of her life, aside from FaceTime visits. Only in the last week of her life was I able to be by her side in the hospital, and then for limited time in a nursing home. The burial was private for family and Zoom-linked for others. Shiva was via Zoom. All High Holiday services are on Zoom. At least I can get my hair cut.

RBGs death. I was really traumatized by Trumps rise to power and when RBG died I felt as I did then. A huge sense of powerlessness and loss and a feel that the American experiment is in peril.

I mean, this is the Covid-19 year that we are talking about!

I could pick either COVID 19 or the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement. We are sheltering in place and trying to fight for equality at the same time. I addressed both of these issues in question 1 and I feel like the fact that these two serious are occurring at the same time is no coincidence. Because people cannot travel or get distracted with regular life we have been able to attune to the call for justice which is not new. This fight has been going on since the the beginning of this country and it seems like now people are listening more and taking more action.

The protests have had an interesting impact on my life. I started to show up and volunteer, which I hope to continue more. It gives me a sense of community and purpose, and that my visions for mutual aid and co-creating a resilient social infrastructure are not just far-off utopian fantasies, but imminent realities being presently seeded. And at the same time, the insecurity and irrelevance of previously commonplace lifeways is glaringly obvious. Total rural/primitive escapism doesn't seem relevant, and yet fully immersing in urban living is also likely a bad choice.

Um... COVID? It has taken away all the connectivity and community that were the reasons we moved back to this coast in the first place. We are totally isolated, and so very lonely.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everybody this year. It has completely changed life as we know it. The kids are home, socialization is a thing of the past, we can't go anywhere. It's really been a hard six months so far.

The death of the notorious RBG! And the outright hypocrisy and slimy power hunger of the Republican Party to move forward with speed to rush a conservative Supreme Court nomination in FAST before Trump is not re-elected. They are so anxious to rush into fascism it's sickening. And scary.

COVID-19 has changed my life. I found out that tutoring students one-on-one in Hebrew is so much better than a classroom full of differently abled students. On the other hand, not being able to meet together and see and interact is sad!

So many things it’s hard to bring it down to one event. Social injustice protests, bright light on police brutality and excess use of force. These events makes me want to participate in police reform, make sure the minorities feel safe anywhere in this country by making changes in my community.

Wow, where to begin. Pretty sure that is what I wrote last year. The protests in the spring were pretty impactful. I hate to toot my own horn but I have always felt deeply and had the awakening that many people had in the spring a lot time ago. I never understood how our country was set up the way it was, like how in the world could people be treated SO poorly. How in the world could a white man think that he just worked harder?

Black Lives Matter protests -- decided it was time to do something about the injustice I see in the world. Got involved in the middle school's Families Organizing for Racial Justice group, read/listened to a bunch of resources on racial justice and bias.

The death of Ruth Ginsburg. Not so much for her achievements but because whilst she was achieving them she retained her humility, care for others, fortitude in adversity and a sense of humour. She reminds of what humans can aspire to whether or not I am able to emulate her goodness and integrity.

Hahahahahahahahahaha. COVID has fucked things up. A lot.

There have been so many. I write letters to the editor, I post on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. We don't deserve this president and the vast majority are suffering because of him. There are still apologists for him, but they have nothing behind their arguments in terms of logic, facts, science, etc. Without him, we would have done far better with the pandemic and we wouldn't have a shaky economy. He is an embarrassment.

Oh wow - COVID is the obvious answer, as it's affected us all. But I'll speak to the loss, just last weekend, of the great Ruth Bader Ginsberg, US Supreme Court justice. While we knew she was in poor health, her death came as such a shock. I was all the more shocked at the depth of my reaction - I truly mourned all weekend. She was such an icon, and her work had such an impact on my and other women's lives. She was an institution, a role model, a shining example of the good that can be done and has been done in our government and system of laws. And that is such a stark contrast to the ugliness and divisiveness that fills our tv screens and newsfeeds now. Beyond mourning her death, I fear for our future. I worry about the Republicans' rush to replace her. I worry about the likely roll-back of key laws that have empowered women and meant better health for all Americans. I am saddened and fearful about a possible future. RBG was one of the great ones. Her loss has left us adrift and uncertain.

FUCKING PANDEMIC. FUCKING INCOMPETENT, UNCARING, BASTARD GOVERNMENT. 200,000 people in the U.S. alone are dead and Trump is treating it like a fucking game. I am so angry all the time.

I mean.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. A plague? Yes indeed. There were some other things too, I think Australia burned down, California is burning up now. Oh right, the people burned down all the cities. Even looters by me! The hurricanes came, but the cities were already burned. The Pacific NW is full on gov't endorsed anarchy. But no murder hornets have made it here yet!!

The protests that grew out of the George Floyd murder. Still cynical about politics but have a flicker of hope that the sheer size and diversity of this movement can inspire some positive change

The pandemic has changed so much of our daily lives - from the little things, like wearing masks and washing hands every time we enter home/work, to medium things, like not eating in restaurants any longer, to enormous things, like not visiting people in person. When my father was on end-of-life care at the hospital, we had to take turns visiting, something no-one I know has ever had to do, because that's how the hospital limited contact with possible infection. It's a subtle un-moored feeling, even 6 months in. It

This is funny...what has NOT had an impact on me this year? The world is crumbling around us and it's hard to believe that any of us is still standing. However, 11 months ago, our friend took his own life and that has shaped this year far more than anything else. The loss of a friend is challenging but when a friend chooses to end his own life, that seems even more complicated. I think about him often and wonder what he would have said about the current events of this year....I imagine he would tell us to "let it ride....things have a way of coming into it....". I hope he'd have been right - that things will change and improve. There has to be light somewhere through this tunnel.

The obvious. Awakening of the collective consciousness. An accelerated course in the intimacy of knowing myself as the wounded healer. Elastic, energetic expansion of the heart space (yes! Emerald green prediction from last season). I have felt and experienced the full spectrum of human experience and a level of alone that My soul knew was coming. Beyond solitude into an eerie place of desolation, I am a fool and still have faith in loving, joyful, healthy relationships. Let it be. Let it be. I wonder what’s next?

COVID, wildfires, continued political unrest and xenophobia, more filmed racism, the passing of RBG. So much uncertainty. So much to be scared about. It honestly feels like the world is ending and the US is in the center of making it happen. I feel terrified for the world my children are getting to know.

This year has been so overwhelmingly eventful following many years of so many events, it is hard to even land on one. COVID is some ways is not it; the political attacking environment kills my soul, which seeks community and meeting.

The passing of RBG feels significant. Unsure if it feels weighted that way since it's fairly recent (9/18), but it sparked a lot emotions. Of course sadness for the passing of someone who has done decades of admirable work for justice and equal rights, but also thinking about what's to come from her replacement. I fear for back peddling of freedoms, autonomy and equality. I've felt sadness, anxiety and disappointment by the actions of leadership over the past three years, but never the fear I feel today.

I don't want this 10Q to be all about Covid, but it really has affected every area of our lives. We spent mid-March through the beginning of July holed up in the house without childcare and working from home while thousands of people died a day. Even once childcare started up in July and Jared and I could return to some semblance of our normal work schedules (though from home, and without seeing friends or most family or doing anything involving other people indoors) we are acutely aware that just like on March 12th we could lose childcare at any moment and indefinitely. We also feel stress every day sending Emily to daycare, as we don't know if she will bring Covid home and how we would all fare if that happened. We have also stocked up on non-perishable and paper goods in case we go into lockdown again. Although some days feel almost normal, overall our lives feel very dystopian.

Our son was born! It impacted us greatly by heavily altering our schedules and perspectives on the world, mostly for the better. He continues to bring us limitless joy and fatigue. We love him dearly.

The death of RBG on the last day of 5780; although she’d been hanging onto life by a thread for many months, trying I assume to live until a democratic president would be elected, she’s suffered so – with surgeries and chemo, all the while working, from the hospital, from home. RBG, you were courageous your whole life, fighting for justice for everyone, and your impact on the world and on me (and my granddaughter, Lily) is a legacy that will live far beyond you. For sure you were one of the 36 “just men” and your people, the Jews, are proud to call you “ours” though for sure you belonged to the whole world, especially with your contributions to the freedoms of and for women. RBG’s work has and continues to impact me and all women, daily. The fact that I own my own home, have credit cards in my name, am accorded the respect due me as a female human being … so many ways that I’m not conscious of, that I take for granted. For that I am sorry, and will try to stay awake in relation to my rights and PRIVILEGES as an American woman (thinking of my black and brown sisters who have gained some from RBG’s work, but not as fully as I have and do.)

Protests around police brutality toward black people. It was amazing to see such sweeping support in communities where activism doesn't normally happen in a visible way, and across the world. It was wonderful to see some actual changes in legislation in places, and so much more discussion around it. All of that gives me hope.

Just last week, on the eve of Rosh HaShannah, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. In a year when I didn't think things could get worse, they did, with the death of a personal hero and a person of monumental importance to all of the issues I care about. With the current effort to rush through a replacement prior to the election, I feel my institutionalist tendencies - and particularly my institutionalist nature towards the Supreme Court - breaking. My views are shifting, and fast. It is also crystalizing for me that it is time for me to move on from my current job. The leadership is "hogging" everything related to the confirmation battle and I literally have nothing to do - I am bored at a moment when I want to be involved in a fight for the soul of our country. I hope that by this time next year I have identified a way to move on.

The coronavirus pandemic impacted me significantly this year — particularly after I tested positive for coronavirus. It has created a lot of tension and anxiety for my housemates and I learned about who I can really count on.

There was for a long time a shortage of toilet and facial tissues. For months, we were unable to purchase products that I was not allergic to. Because of this, and because the substitute products resulted in open, bleeding sores, I had to find and use items that could be laundered. Fortunately, I already had a good supply of hypoallergenic, fragrance free laundry and dishwashing soaps. The allergic reactions and sores took some months to heal entirely.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg died on Rosh Hashanah this year, and the Trump administration seems likely to push through her replacement before the election. That will impact all of us for many years. This administration has done so many things impacting us I wouldn't know where to begin, but my answer to #1 named many of them.

fear mongering by our own admin. and inept people at the helm. FEAR DOUBT IGNORANCE RACISM CORPORATE GREED

So many... Right now, it’s the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She made it possible for me to have the career I have, to enjoy many of the freedoms I take for granted. I worry about her replacement and the continued erosion of equal rights in our country. It’s a fear I didn’t think I’d have to face, and especially troubling as a woman and a Jew.

The political upheaval in our country. It has been a long time coming, and we need and want change. Fuck anyone who thinks this country was or is great. It chews people up and spits them out. I want my country for stand for something other than hate.

COvid-19!!! I do not really have to say How or Why do I.

So many events in the world this year; pandemic, fires, hurricanes, political drama and deceit, refugee camps and now the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Knowing that the death of one small woman can effect so many lives and perhaps also affect change is truly a testament to the life she led. Yes, this is not a good time for a vacant seat but her passing means so much more. All women have lost a leader, a protector of our rights. How can we come together to continue her fight?

I don't think Covid can go unnoticed. It has been the single largest shakeup to our lives we have ever experienced. It has been stressful, scary and difficult to navigate with work and childcare situations. I don't think it's going away anytime soon.

Trump's words and actions every day, and even more the discovery that so many, many Americans are dangerously violent, racist, willing to believe any Q anon and other conspiracies of agents of evil, are open to fascistic ideas and actions and are so selfish that they don't care if their actions kill others via Covid or if their children live in a climate compromised world. I mourn for the country of my birth.

The murder of George Floyd. That changed everything for me. I was able to open my eyes to the privilege I have been afforded, was able to finally listen to the essential voices crying out about the injustice and inequity. It completely changed my view of the world, of my future, of the systems we operate in on a daily basis.

RBG Died. She fought so hard to stay alive until November. She did well. Unfortunately, that means that Trump wants to install a Supreme Court justices AND increase the number of justices to 9. They say the goal is for him to have no opposition when he steals the election.

COVID19 has basically rendered me unable to leave the house under any circumstances. I can't take care of myself, I can't see my friends, I don't feel like a person anymore and I hate it.

The pandemic. Supply chain shortages - I lemming bought cases of formula fearing I wouldn't be able to feed the baby. Off-brand toilet paper. Grocery delivery with half the things out of stock. And being furloughed from work for three weeks.

This has been a terrible year for the US political landscape, global health, climate disasters, and increasing white supremacy efforts. I have tried to maintain relationships with people with whom I disagree on these issues. One of them is the mother of my Idaho grandkids and I believe she even follows QAnon. I have not been able to understand her point of view but I do support her decisions regarding her fears for her kids’ safety, because I know how much mothers, especially single mothers, need support.

COVID-19 has impacted everyone. Everyone is depressed, we can't go anywhere. It's been so poorly managed. So much corruption in the government. It's been very difficult to watch and see all of this blatant mismanagement but not be able to do much.

Covid-19 pandemic. blimey. We have probably one of the least affected families on the planet, but it's still been profound. I was able to work from home and for the most intense period of lockdown, John was on parental leave, so although we were hugely restricted with respect to how we spent our time and seeing friends and family, we were in a very fortunate position. The pandemic has had a much deeper effect on my concern for others less fortunate, trapped in difficult households, suffering physical or metal illness, insecure work and finances, in countries without social support. It's hard to fathom how these inequalities and hardships can be resolved while the virus continues to ravage the planet and countries' resources.

If it isn't another evil thing our President does, it's got to be COVID-19 and now, as if things couldn't get worse: the death of RBG. I feel like I'm watching our country collapse, the rule of law collapse, and most likely, civil order collapse. Things couldn't get much bleaker.

COVID 19, the resulting lockdowns and BLM protests. This was an earthquakes for my psyche - everyone's actually. Also, the Trump Crisis (meaning just his existence in the oval) - All Earthquakes. The biggest result of all of this is that I realize that the world isn't what I thought it was and people aren't who I thought they were. The United States isn't what I thought it was. I have had to rethink everything. My desire to operate in the world that IS, rather than the world of our FANTASIES and EXPECTATIONS, is stronger than ever.

What, besides Covid? And US citizens being blocked at the Canadian border? So much for escaping the future Soviet States!

Omg what hasn’t happened this year? A global pandemic, the police murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and the subsequent civil rights movement (the largest in world history! Protests are still going some 100+ days later), devastating climate catastrophes ranging from back-to-back hurricanes and mass flooding to extreme wildfires and blacked out skies, and most recently the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a personal hero and Jewish feminist icon who leaves our vulnerable democracy even more unprotected. These events have all impacted my mental and physical health in various ways. I think the wildfires came the closest to home (literally) as Lauren and Tony and the kids dealt with wildfires just miles from their house in California, and Theo and I suffered the worst air quality *in the world* here in Portland due to multiple wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and California. The smoky, hazardous air impacted me the most because we couldn’t really leave the apartment for 10 days straight—apparently a record in Portland’s history, and even in regular quarantine conditions the outdoors remained a safe respite for us. I’m scared that the climate catastrophes will only get worse in the future, given how much they’ve increased the last few years. For a while I didn’t want biological children because of the ongoing climate devastation (how could I bring more kids into a world where they’ll have to scrap it out for resources like clean water and air?), and while I’ve changed my mind on that since meeting Theo, events like what we experienced this year make me reconsider again.

Besides COVID? I suppose the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the rise of #blacklivesmatter as a movement has been the most significant - it has absolutely opened up discussions in my household about race, privilege, systemic disenfranchisement, and policy, and that's a good (if difficult) conversation to have with those you love and value.

The upcoming US Presidential election. I am horrified by the impact that sociopathic politicians combined with social media are having on the democratic process. When I studied ancient history at school, I used to wonder how great civilisations were toppled. I wonder no longer, as it is being played out before my eyes.

2020 has been a shitshow, lol. There has been so much craziness. I'd say COVID and the lockdowns resulting from it have made a huge impact. On the plus side, I did enjoy spending more time at home and learning how to be happy with my surroundings and my community. In some ways, lockdown connected us more to our neighbors and forced us to use technology to connect us to friends. I'm doing more phone calls, text, and zoom that I ever have. I picked up new hobbies, such as acrylic painting, sourdough and other new baking, flower arrangements, and house plants. I've enjoyed the slower pace of life, without constantly traveling like we did last year (although it was fun)! On the downside, I'm worried about how we're all going to survive through this. Mainly, how people are going to get their jobs back and how small businesses are going to stay afloat. Lindsay stopped by (from beatnik) today to drop off something I ordered from them. How will Beatnik stay open without ANY business or path for safe reopening? It's so sad to think about how people are suffering, their families, their livelihoods. How will people feed their families? What will our communities look like if it's mostly big businesses? Even when big businesses go out, those are a ton of jobs that are lost too. It's heartbreaking to think about.

There has been a sort of trifecta, if you will. First, we had the COVID outbreak. Shortly after, as it was coming to the USA, there was an earthquake that hit not but less than 30 miles from my home. And the fires that have been tearing up the West has been nothing short of bizarre. I can't say I've ever been particularly apocalyptic in my beliefs, but...Mother Nature might be a tad pissed off. It has pointed out how frail our existence is, lest we went and forgot.

Besides the pandemic and the BLM protests and the wildfires and the death of RBG and the worthless human being of a president? Pretty much everything has impacted me this year. It's just blow after blow. At some point, I become numb. When I start to get in touch with my anger, I'm afraid I won't be able to control all of the yelling. There's a lot of anger, which tends to be my go-to for dealing with my feelings. I'm enraged, terrified, despairing. I keep myself up too late so I don't get enough sleep which means I'm not functioning at full capacity the next day and it's all a haze. The haze helps me cope with the near constant hammering of dread I feel on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure I'm in a depressed state of some sort. I mean, how could I not be? This whole year has just been...a complete upending of everything I thought I knew. I thought humans were better. But they're not. That's the worst part. They're really not. Side note - I don't mention the recession because that isn't something that has (as yet) impacted our family. My heart aches for the people and families impacted and we're doing all we can to help. But I realized that I don't mention this enormous economic issue at all and that is why.

COVID19 - what has it not affected? (I hate using "impact" as a verb/adverb.) Climate change severe events. Trump's presidency and the disregard for government. The concurrent rise in public idiocy, racism, anti Semitism, cult-like behavior and conspiracy theories. Death of John Lewis, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Police killings of POC. Police shooting of the boy with autism. 2020 is so calamitous, it's a meme.

Obviously the pandemic is the easy answer. It caused the conditions that resulted in a rupture in Jayme's and my friendship and partnership, it means I don't know when if ever I will see BTS or NYC in person again, it means I'm seeing my family more, it means I live in Colorado now and am hiking all the time, it means I had to stop dating, it means the political fractures in the country (and my family) were inflamed, it means the remaining good relationship with my brother went up in flames, it means everyone I know is at high risk of dangerous stress, likely burnout, and emotional implosion... What DIDN'T it impact on my life?

I was very saddened by the passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the others in the accident. Kobe was a part of my college years and early career as I follow basketball.

Obviously COVID, BLM movment, Elections, and passing of RBG. This has made me more skeptical in some ways but hopeful too as I've seen people step up and fight for justice and rights of those who get trampled upon.

The bushfires, the strikes, the constant breaking of records. To be a part of the momentum of everyone waking up - was powerful, and good.

COVID. this feels redundant. The uprisings. that feels redundant, and they haven't really impacted me, to be honest. COVID has impacted me in every way except for the most dramatic ways-- no job loss, no sickness, no evictions, no starvation, nothing aggressively bad.

I think the George Floyd killing has impacted me. On one hand I just cant understand how police can handle situations like this. What are they stupid? But then the riots afterwards is also terrible. Local businesses ruin or burnt. They arent the police, but suffer. I dont like the groups who cause this. I have a bitterness against Groups getting together and protesting, whether its, Blacks, women, Gays, etc. I believe they are separating the Country instead of solving problems. But its a paradox. How are they going to effect change unless they get into groups and voice their opinion. I dont like the NFL players kneeling for the National anthem. The is disrespect in my opinion and should be keep their private protests outside their workplace. I may stop watching and following professional sports. Everything must come to an end.

Black Lives Matter has had an impact because I live with a black person and we have been able to talk about the necessity of the movement.

The obvious one: COVID-19 has turned everything upside down. For a few weeks in March, when we first started sheltering in place, I was experiencing extreme hypervigilance. I was disinfecting all of the doorknobs and faucets in the house every morning. I was scared to leave my apartment, even to throw the trash down the trash chute. I was hearing dozens of sirens every day (I heard 74 sirens on the worst day). I felt like I messed this up 19 years ago and I wasn't going to mess it up again. I should have worn a mask when we went back to Stuy after September 11, but I didn't, and now I'm afraid of the carcinogenic toxins lying dormant in my body. I will not make the same mistake again.

Covid 19. It's affected all of us. But it's allowed me to reflect on what's important to me, day-by-day, simply. By just being. Not by what I "DO [for a living]." But by how I behave. How I am with myself and the people in my immediate circles. In how I spend my time personally.

COVID, obviously. The sense of something world-historical happening that we can't make sense of, but know in our bodies. It - along with the constellation of other things that have happened this year, including Trump horrors and including the uprising against anti-Black racism - has me in tears, under the surface, about 110% of the time. There's so much despair that it can't really be faced, but sits there, eroding me, and I feel this vast well of it almost daily, and it's like I will never stop crying if I start.

The pandemic. Our disgusting president continuing to be in office. George Floyd's death and the momentum of BLM. Also RBG just died erev Rosh Hashanah. What a great loss. I am scared of what that means for our country, and for my own rights

Climate change has really been weighing on me this year. CA fires are worse than ever, and we had our first lightning storm in the summer. I'm never seen anything like that, and for the first time, I didn't feel safe in my city. Homelessness in San Francisco has reached epic proportions. You can't go anywhere without running into tents on the streets. It looks worse than depression-era photos (which were also in the 20's).

fffffff... covid. has anyone answered differently? Forced quarantine with my parents. keeping them out of hospitals, then having my own emergency, then having to take my father to the ER anyway, then back and forth, my computer crashing and burning because I didn't take care of myself...but..........I learned a lot, I did therapy, both on my own and with a therapist. I stayed away from bad people bad entities because they were worse for me than Corona. So Corona in some ways saved my life.

Pandemic. Forced me to retire (as things stand now).

Bruh. But for real: the pandemic, cop murders. These have been the biggies, which I would assume are pretty universal. Both of those things have changed me in different senses, but money is a bigger one than I would have expected. I was able to get unemployment for a few months, and it was more than double what I was making at my job, so I was determined to give it away. I wanted to make sure that the people whom the government didn't want getting that money would be getting it from them through me. I sent money to people, mutual aid groups, small businesses, charities, and other groups. Then when the uprising started, I sent money to more people for smaller things--masks and medical supplies and transportation for protestors; contributing to midwife school funds; just as much as I could. But then I didn't get unemployment anymore. So now I spread out a lot less than before, but I have a job again. I am far more worried about money, personally, because things keep getting more unstable. I'm scared all the time. I'm furious, but scared. I don't feel like I have enough tangible skills for the future we're heading toward.

Covid-19 has impacted us all. Unfortunately our leadership here in the US has been terrible and inconsistent. It is much harder to socialize. It led me to break off a relationship and it has endangered way more people than it should have.

All of it. I'm reeling from all of it. Trying to answer these questions without any idea of what the world might be like next year - or if I'll even be around to read them.

Well, the global pandemic is the obvious answer, isn't it? But honestly, there are so many events right now...it seems constant and frenetic and the news of the world, or really, here in the US, is exhausting. The pandemic, school closures, the weird politicization of masks and any mitigation efforts, the protests in June, crazy weather. All of it impacts me and all of it feels heavy and tiring. Why? Because it feels like there's no end in sight and the ramifications of a president who does the things this one does scares me and leaves me in a pit of anxiety.

One event? Just one event??? Covid lockdowns have certainly had all sorts of impact: no socializing; no wine festivals; no live music; no art galleries; no museums; no movies; no indoor restaurants. But I think the combination of George Floyd's murder, BLM protests, and Confederate monument removal has hit closest to home. As mentioned in a previous answer, it seems even more poignant in the former capital of the Confederacy and has made me even more aware of my privilege and need to advocate for those who are inherently disadvantaged by our systems.

COVID-19 has changed the world and everyone in it. It has altered the way we look at our work, how we use our time. It has slowed us down and caused us to evaluate what is and is not important. For me, it clarified how I feel about work. I really enjoy my job but when I am ready to leave it, I will be fine, as will the organization I run. Personally, it has made me realize I want more time to be outside walking, to spend reading, hanging out with my family and the cat and the dog. And how important friends are to one's mental health.

Is that a trick question? Some days this chaos is energizing, some days I can't even get out of bed. Am I glad that I get to spend more time with my wife?Absolutely. That I can’t eat with friends in a restaurant, see live music or a film in a theater, travel, or even breathe clean air at times? No, not at all.

COVID-19! It's affected the entire world! I exited the rat race by force, my work dried up big time, we had to constantly think about how to be safe, still do, all decisions are colored by the lens of safety and precautions. It's exhausting. It's for sure made me realize who I want in my inner circle b/c those are the ones in my social "bubble". But even that is changeable, as we got quarantine fatigue a couple months in. 6 months later and no end in sight.

The obvious answer would be COVID. I will answer this with warming of the oceans. The hurricane season has been intense. Frequent storms has my attention towards my former home on the east coast. The West Coast fires also, worry and Concern for friends and family affected by the immediate threat and the smoke

Ah. Never get caught typing into 10Q at midnight. You'll turn into a pumpkin. The CoVid19 pandemic and the concurrent resurgence of the civil rights movement are co-events in the world that directly influenced my behavioral choices. I did go out in the streets, masked, to proclaim that Black Lives Matter, and that we want justice for Breonna, and all the other victims of senseless police violence against nonwhite people. In 2015 I joined a silent prayer vigil outside the home of Bettie Jones and Quintonio Legrier. Certainly, I thought, all of Chicago will pour into the streets when they find out that CPD showed up at a 911 call for help for a young man in crisis and killed two people. The young man, Quintonio, put in several 911 calls, as did his parents. He was having a mental breakdown and he asked for help. Quintonio's parents told the downstairs neighbor, Bettie Jones, that the police were coming to the house so that she would not be afraid to open the door. When they came she opened the door, and a police officer shot her. The same officer then killed Quintonio. The officer claimed that the broomstick Quintonio held in his hand frightened him. That was 2015. Nothing happened. Nothing changed. So this summer, when there was video footage of a police officer murdering George Floyd, and news of the murder of Breonna Taylor came out, I joined the crowds in the streets to speak the name of Bettie Jones. Bettie Jones. Bettie Jones. Bettie Jones. She was my age when the police murdered her for opening her door to them.

I think we as a nation are coming to a serious impasse. It's time we got off of our asses and starting taking back our sensibilities. Stop blaming the easiest targets, poor, people of color, undereducated etc, for all the problems we are facing as a society. We live in a country that you can own a 20,000 sq ft home and not see or acknowledge the huge percentage of folks that live with food/shelter insecurities. A Disney CEO who makes 65 mil a year, pays the majority of staff, minimum wage, no health care, no safety nets. We plow crops under because we can't get seasonal help to harvest them. The man who calls himself President has put a bull's eye on their backs., threw there children into cages. Calls them rapists and drug deals. This is just a few examples. We all know this type of thinking is wrong. I don't care what you say to me. You know this is wrong. Karma's a bitch folks. It always catches up. Maybe not tomorrow or the day after, but it's there waiting for the opportunity. Good luck in paying your dept.

The general increase of divisiveness in the world. How we as humans can believe in completely opposite truths, each shaking their head at the others for being blind to the facts they perceive. How facts no longer are facts. How we can no longer respect eachother and aim for the best life for everyone. I love dystopian literature as it holds up a mirror to the weaknesses in our society and prewarns of where and how we as a society could go terribly wrong. I've always held it to be self-evident we would not - as a whole - make those mistakes. I feel we are now in the chapter that provides a back flash for the reader of where it all went wrong.

Like everyone else: COVID-19. At first, I thought it wasn't as big a deal as the media hype was making it sound, and I actually enjoyed some of the change in routine within the first few days. Working from home and not having to wake up early to get ready and trudge out in the cold to get to the office was a welcome difference. But then days turned to weeks and I quickly realized that living alone in a state of self-isolation was desperately lonely. I spiraled into depression, anxiety and paranoia. The day I reluctantly agreed to allow David into my "quarantine bubble" was both frightening and blissfully satisfying. I needed to acknowledge how much I need face-to-face human interaction and touch, despite being an introvert who requires lots of time by herself to decompress. I also realized how much I often take for granted the little things that got reinstated after being taken away, like hugging Mom or hanging out with the nephews.

Why the pandemic of course. When will people learn how much we have in common with each other? Hasn't this pandemic showed us this? How much clearer can this be? It is truly becoming a country where the uber-rich are doing what they please and the rest of us suffer. I can't imagine that this can go on. Martial law for blue states? I really want to leave the country and hope my family will go with me.

The US political election. I am flabbergasted by the amount of vitriol that people are showing - to strangers, neighbors, friends and most devastatingly family members. Politicians in Washington do NOT care about the average citizens. They do what they do as they are on a power trip and looking to satisfy a personal driver. They do what they do for political power and personal wealth generation. To see families literally at one another's throats over political beliefs is very sad to me. To know that we are being, so easily, manipulated is very disheartening.

COVID-19 and the presidents mishandling of it, on top of his divisiveness, and fanning the flames of right wing racists, has deeply affected me. The death of George Floyd brought a visceral reaction within me, just as many other people I became activated in so many ways. I created artwork I would not have before. I joined marches and took an anti-bias anti-racism workshop. These are the things I would count as having an impact on me rather than the fact that I lost my job and for a time seemed to have too much time on my hands.

How does one choose ONE event in this year. BLM, the election, COVID, the West Coast Fires, RBG's death creating this Supreme Court show down. I'm exhausted just listing and thinking those. The impact has been tremendous. It's hard to feel motivated, but really what it feels like is being in the ocean and trying to make it from the shore to the beyond the breaks, and you just keep getting caught in the waves. I don't want to head back to the shore, I want to get beyond the breaks, so I'll keep pushing, but damn, when you can't dive under a wave and it kicks your ass, this year, these events, they're doing an damn good job kicking asses. But I come back to, I'm alive therefore I am hopeful. My ancestors overcame so much, slavery, colonization, brutality - these aren't those times and their blood runs through my veins. So I pause, I regroup and I attack the waves again. When I get beyond the break, it's going to be awesome.

RBG's death is so fresh, it's the first thing to come to mind. So many "big" things happen in the world, its impossible to find true significance in any of them - even those that directly affect you - they just pass by so quickly.

Holy shit! How do you pick just one? I can barely think further back than these last few weeks. The wildfires ripping through the Pacific Northwest - so close to Portland, where Bryan lives. The idea that he might have to evacuate - to go where? Then, for him to stay breathing the worst air IN THE WORLD! I miss him so much. I ache for him. He is being so cautious and responsible - so reasonable and concerned FOR US! It is so hard not to be completely depressed about the world he is coming of age in. We couldn't celebrate his graduation. We couldn't celebrate his pod cast launch, we couldn't celebrate his birthday. How can we make this year up to him???

It feels like this year, every couple of months there has been a world-changing event that has shaken me. No event has done so more than the pandemic. It ground my life to a stand-still, took away all my free time, changed my role from parent to teacher/playmate/etc. It also magnified this cynicism that had been brewing in me about elected officials and people's failure to care for each other. It was truly earth-shattering.

Covid. It has changed the ways we interface with others dramatically. I love communal worship. Zoom is not the same but we have found many ways to make it more intimate and overall I feel we have been successful in maintaining faith. In some ways it has brought our congregation closer.

The pandemic. It's impacted just about everybody in the world in some way, which is so strange to think about; we're all in this together. I've been working from home since March, the first time I've ever done so. I'm teaching programs online now rather than in-person in the mountains. I haven't been able to see my dad in person in nearly a year. I adopted a cat. My feelings and actions and day-to-day life are somewhat different too.

COVID has impacted me in so many ways this year. The year started with a lot of travel and with me making a renewed effort to find a life for myself and forming new relationships outside of my marriage. Once COVID happened, my ability to travel and meet new people ground to a complete halt. I was very anxious about me or my family getting sick. When I finally got sick with COVID in April I was sicker than I had ever been but the worst of it only lasted 36 hours-- it was such a relief to have it over with. It's given me a new energy to invest into my home and my family. I got a new dog and decided to leave my marriage. I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my kids. COVID has changed the landscape of everything. Traveling and making new friendships isn't as available to me now but I'm anxious to get back out there.

You mean, besides COVID? Well, there was the death of George Floyd that kicked off protests in my city, and has had people in the streets protesting (and experiencing) police brutality every night for more than three months with no end in sight. While I haven't been able to be present for various reasons, I've committed significant material resources to making sure the folk who are out there protesting in my name are getting the support, funds, and equipment they need to stay safe.

Covid, all Covid. Plus George Floyd. Of course, the pandemic has limited getting to see people I care about, and do things I enjoy. I was already working from home. I think the unrest and political upheaval is hard to get my head around, and the future feels really uncertain.

Covid 19 has changed how I work, eat, shop, recreate, travel, and interact with others. It has changed who I spend time with and how I spend time with them. I’ve had to adjust to a new way of living, teaching, and socializing.

American politics - especially combined with COVID and closed borders - have put up barriers between me and some I care about a lot. They also make me anxious more generally, as what happens with the elephant affects the mouse sleeping next to it (a common metaphor for the US as elephant and Canada as mouse). I am discouraged by the rancor, even hatred, on both sides sometimes, and the apparent absence of any way forward.

A thousand cuts! Which one has the impact? So many black people killed by policepeople. So much protest, including many white people out there in the streets. So much police suppression of protest. This morning, coming home from a far part of the metropolis, I saw a police car, a woman in handcuffs, another woman standing by with a camera. And I did not stop. Because traffic. Because everybody standing up. Because I wanted to come home. So much fire. Darkness at Noon, Ashfall, smoky lungs, can't go to the library or anywhere indoors except my and Emily's little spaces, (because COVID19) can't be outdoors either (because smoke.) This is tiresome. And then, there is COVID19. 200,000 deaths in the USA as of today (2020 09 22). 1,000,000 in the world. Many having difficulty recovering, if they survive. Masks becoming politicized. "If you don't take it off I'm going to spit on you and give you COVID" said the one-eyed man to my daughter as she pushed her baby's stroller along the street. Two days ago Ruth Bader Ginsberg died. She held on as long as she could. Now they are fighting about who will replace her, and when. Who will be sitting when this circus of an election goes to the Supreme Court? Is it then end of self-rule? I am too exhausted to take action. Used up. This morning, the big trucks piling up the homeless camp between the giraffes under the freeway. So many tents! So many people without homes! This is new. In my childhood, somehow they were not living in the streets. In my first years in the city, fifty years ago, the freeway underpasses were not full of tents, the downtown streets not tented. And now, China doing in Tibet to Tibetans what they've done in Xinjiang with Uighur Muslims: take away their herds and lands, put the people in "training camps" to learn to be producerconsumers fully integrated into China's economy. I just heard that this morning. Is there no escape?

Covid - and the absolute awfulness of Trump, Mitch McConnell and William Barr - the false attorney general of the US - he really is a spokesman and helper of trump and not the rest of the country whom he is supposed to represent - the things they come up with raise my hair - and make me continue to think - I can't think of all they'll come up with - since I/we don't think like that -

I can't imagine any even more profound than a global pandemic. Initially it was pretty terrifying to be part of the health care team that was going to be caring for patients with COVID and we weren't clear on if we had adequate PPE or what that even would look like. I feel really lucky to have worked with a team of midwives who took COVID seriously in terms of protecting our patients and each other. None of us got sick and that speaks volumes to the care we all took in following precautions. The downside of the global pandemic was having to really come face to face with the selfish underbelly of the United States. I was, and continue to be, shocked at how little people were willing to do to keep the vulnerable safe and slow the spread of the virus. It really shook my core value of love of human kind to see that my fellow citizens could be so profoundly selfish in their refusal to take small steps, like distancing and wearing masks. COVID, in combination with the murder of George Floyd, really feels like it sparked the beginning of a social revolution in the United States. I still hold hope that that social revolution will not devolve into civil war but as the days pass and we get closer to one of the ugliest elections of my life, I have grave worries on if this country can move truly move into a space of equity and justice.

The loss of John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have broken my heart/open: the lives they lived and the examples they set.

I'll mention 3 that are all interconnected: Covid19, Donald Trump and reelection, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg passing. It's amazing the way in which Covid has affected the world - shutting many countries down and creating solidarity amongst people and countries... unlike here in the US. The response from the President and subsequent efforts to "calm" the country have done little to help. He constantly pushes the onus to the states but then gets upset with the states who choose to take Coronavirus seriously. This behavior probably plays into his strategy for reelection which seems to be very fear-based... both with covid and his past rhetoric. Over the weekend, SC Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away. She was an icon for women leading the way and in her crusade to support equal rights for those who had been underrepresented. With her passing, we should be focused on honoring and respecting her life; instead, it's been politicized again as the Trump administration moves to replace her before the election.

Haven't I already answered this a few times? COVID-19. It has changed my life in just about every way possible. I'm no longer working. My wife is working from home. We haven't been able to travel. We haven't socialized with our friends. We haven't gone out to shows, concerts, restaurants and bars. I hardly play guitar any more. I stopped exercising. On the positive side, I have gotten a lot of decluttering and cleaning done in our home and yard.

COVID Not seeing family Appreciating geography is local Election of Boris Johnson Dominic Cummings going for an eye test

Do I even need to say it? This novel Coronavirus has changed my life in ways that I don't even know about yet. Watching the systems that we rely on fail so dramatically in an emergency (although Germany actually did quite well) and the politicization of what should have been a disaster that showed us how good we could be has severely shaken my already pretty dour view of the world. However, it's also given me time with A and was the impetus for me to seriously start trying to learn to face these and other disasters head on. The murder of Black people has been one of the cornerstones of the American police system since its inception, but the boiling point reached this year with the BLM movement has crystallized my belief that the policing system in the US and in most other places in the world is corrupt past the point of saving. It also lead me to examine more seriously the role I play in upholding white supremacy, and how I can continue to interrogate my biases and continue to become anti-racist.

I am viscerally changed by the deaths of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Mr. Brooks. As an African American woman, I grieve the continued losses that we experience because people of other persuasions don't feel comfortable with Black folks. I pray that this will get better, yet I brace for continued trouble.

Lol. Obviously covid19 is the immediate thought. Unfortunately there's been a million other hellish things concurrent with it. I suppose one world event that has been big but in many ways very good has been the massive protests against police brutality that began after the video of George Floyd dying began circulating. It's been.. good to see a lot of people waking up and getting going on their journeys to do better and be more actively anti-racist (myself obviously included). For a while I was pretty much glued to social media, posting as many resources as I could, sharing and amplifying Black voices/artists/businesses etc - and in some ways that felt good. Meaningful, because I was getting lots of questions from (other white) people and felt like I was circulating information they needed and such. After a time tho, it began to feel a bit like a stationary bike - so I've been off a few months now. In some ways I think maybe it's me being lazy or cowardly - I was already plugged into a lot of resources and it was easy for me to share them, remind people of stuff, etc. On the other hand, I've felt on the verge of another episode of depression pretty much all of quarantine - furloughed, stuck at my parent's house, completely isolated. Lucky to be secure and have housing and food, obviously, but not doing well. Not mentally.emotionally secure. And social media only ever seems to make that balance more fragile. I haven't felt super capable of staying so plugged in when it was only draining me, although I do feel guilty about unplugging when other people might feel like that's not an option. I've tried to be very intentional about continuing to donate as much as I can, educating myself, calling my reps and such - I know that it would be good to share these things and other opps to others in order to amplify my impact. I've been starting to feel more mentally secure lately since I've gotten some good habits in place to give my days more structure, so maybe I'll be able to get back on soon. I dont want to attach so much meaning and guilt to something as simple (or not, I guess, since I have other conflicting feelings about it) as being on Instagram/Twitter. I am working on managing meta-emotions a lot this pandemic. I hope the winter isn't too bad. I hope we can move toward defunding the police and taking care of the people around us more. I wonder how many years it'll take for me to look back on this and know which way things are going. (and yes, ofc we've somehow managed to turn freedom of speech, protesting, anti-fascism, all that into evil conspiracy theory things. That requires such long-term planning to heal people of their toxicity I dont even know what it is)

Obviously COVID has had a huge impact on everyone and everything. It has made us rethink our relationships, our careers, even our perception of "normal." Personally, it was the first time in my life that I had an extended period with no obligations. I was able to really focus on myself and my well-being: working out, eating right, cooking, reading, sleeping. On the flip side, the uncertainty of the future was sometimes overwhelming and confusing. However, this whole experience has made me value the present more, as I am no longer as sure what will happen one day, one week, or one year from now.

Like everyone, I've been glued to the news this year, which has seemed overwhelmingly bad. I don't have many memories of crying while reading the news before now, but these days it seems to happen pretty regularly. Early in the pandemic I would have anxiety attacks lasting an entire afternoon because I wouldn't stop checking the news while at work. It was such an onslaught of terrible news and frightening projections for a long time. These days it's more about events -- something awful happens that we pay attention to for one week, then the next week something equally awful or worse happens and we all focus on that. Just in the last three weeks or so, Trump referred to the soliders who died in WWII as "losers," three states were overtaken by massive wildfires, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. The last one was definitely the hardest to face; in addition to the obvious terribleness of knowing that Trump may get to select a THIRD Supreme Court justice, I'm filled with sadness and anger thinking that RBG was denied the peaceful retirement she deserved and that on her deathbed she was fretting about what You-Know-Who might to do her seat and her legacy. I've been reading a lot of articles about her and she was such an admirable person. She seems to have had a life that anyone would aspire to: a fulfilling and meaningful career, a loving and supportive spouse, varied and long-lasting friendships, and a commitment to both fitness and the arts. Although I'm very sad about the circumstances under which she passed, I do feel glad knowing she led such a rich and rewarding life. She's a true role model.

We got a dog. Finally!!! We’d been putting it off but COVID made us feel much more ready for a dog. Her name is Andie and we love her so much.

COVID obviously. But also the murders of ahmaud artery, breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Three black Americans who died because they are black. Two of them killed by police. Ahmaud killed by two racists who followed him while he was jogging, but him of on their pickup, and then gunned him down while a third guy recorded it. Breonna shot in her own bedroom, killed by police who had the wrong address for a no-knock warrant. And George Floyd, murdered on video by an officer who refused to take his knee of his neck. I'm so sick about all this. So ashamed of my country. Ashamed of Trump's America, but that he made it that way but that being this way is how he got elected. Man, I hope he's voted out.

I mean, again. Pandemic. It feels obvious. But on a more specific note, the cancellation of Pride really hit me hard. I didn't realize just how important it was to be loud and obnoxious and colorful for one day of the year, to go out and get sweaty and glittery and sunburnt with my nearest and queerest friends. I'm hoping that some form of celebration can happen next summer.

Well, Covid19 is the obvious answer. It has changed so much of our daily lives and our security with one another. I find myself giving people a wide berth when I walk by them, I have socially withdrawn, I worry a lot about my mom who (in my opinion) isn't isolating as much as I hoped she would. Working from home so much has made me realize that while I may be ready to leave my current position, and even though I think I would like to be retired, I would be incredibly bored. It has also brought my immediate family closer together, but the anxiety with my family being out and about is making me have to let go....& let God.

The loss of my favorite US Supreme Court Justice. Unless we are able to make sure the replacement selection is made after the November election the rights of women, minorities, gay, universal healthcare and the environment among other important matters look dim for our lifetime.

Not surprising, the COVID-19 pandemic. Going into 2020, I had major goals that I was hoping to accomplish, coinciding with me turning 30 in March. Once the pandemic became widespread, essentially most of the goals that I set out, had to be delayed. Some are still on hold, and it's still not clear when I'll be able to safely start tackling them.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Covid. Smoke. EVERYTHING

HAHA well the obvious one is COVID-19. This whole thing is going to be about 2020 I think since it's been at the forefront of everyone's minds and has so significantly impacted our everyday routines. I think my biggest complaint is how uncivil it has made everyone. People are so on edge right now (understandably) that they're taking it out on complete strangers! The first 2 weeks of COVID, everyone was trying to help one another... offering to get groceries for the infirm or elderly, providing masks, etc. Now everyone is so angry and unkind. Times are stressful enough... why take it out on someone else?! The world has become unrecognizable and I find it incredibly sad that people are seemingly too selfish to see that.

The pandemic changed this whole world. I don't even know where to begin. Nothing feels normal and I can't do 90% of the things I liked. I feel cooped up and crazy and frustrated and sad. But I'm making the best of it and I'm so grateful to have Liam with me. School is surprisingly a little easier to handle without constant overstimulation from having to physically go to classes. But I also really miss being able to socialize in person with other students. I wanted to network for my last semester, but that's so much more challenging now. The world is unrecognizable. I don't even want to talk about politics. RBG died on Rosh Hashanah and now I'm afraid our country/world will change even more (for the worse). The whole west coast caught on fire. Artic sea ice is at historic lows. The world is changing fast, and I'm not a fan of what I'm seeing.

This is pretty obvious- the virus that has contributed to making so many people desparately ill and dying before their time. A sort of sad depression decended over the world. Because I couldn't go out and do the things I usually did I began to realise I didn't have to- I don't need an excuse. I began to have the time to sit in the garden, experience the colours and sounds, which I loved. Things concerning the virus seemed to be improving and civilation started up again, with all the noise and confusion, but now we have dire warnings about the winter. I feel so bad about all the people who have lost their jobs, the small buisnesses that have had to close, children losing months of education. How strange that politicians think that just by shutting people away they can protect people from illness. I have spent hours reading papers and listening to webinars about the virus and how it impacts people, what people can do to help themselves, but heard nothing except 'wash you hands' and keep apart from politicians.

Covid 19. I am pretty much a home body but the lockdowns / shutdowns feel like I’m a homebody in jail. I miss being part of a bustling crowd; i don’t like all the masks because we can’t see each other’s faces. My daytime drop-in center for women and kids has had a drastic change because of Covid 19 — we can no longer invite women inside and offer them hot meals cooked on site — we’re now more like a pantry dispensary with occasional microwaved food. I miss the crowds, the clamor. I miss the ease of hanging out with my girlfriends and boyfriend.

Corona George Floyd Peace in the Middle East :) California Wildfires I feel small.

Because of the lightening strikes in early August, our fire season started a month early. A complex of fires were ignited about 45 miles away and I realized just how close this danger is. What I wasn't expecting was to be shut inside our house because the air quality was unhealthy for days on end. One day the sky never got bright and it had a deep orange glow. It felt like dusk all day long, like a solar eclipse that lasted a full day. It was eerie, spooky and unsettling. It showed me yet another effect of the climate crisis and reaffirmed my commitment to do my part. Two years ago climate change still seemed to be something ethereal that was spoken about, was affecting other parts of the world but hadn't really touched me in a personal way. The smoky skies and ash covered cars, ground and patio furniture was a rude awakening to the horrors that we face if this goes unchecked.

The event that impacted me the least was Murder Hornets. There were too many events that happened this year so far to list. Police killings of unarmed black people and the following protests; insanity from the impeached and manifestly unfit president and his vile cohorts; pandemic... It has all affected me in vastly profound and different ways. Despite it all, I've been having a year that I can't complain about. I've had the opportunity to spend more time with my 3-year-old daughter than I would have had things not been so disastrous this year.

Okay, this would be the COVID 19 pandemic. It severely impacted how my undergraduate went (I'm now doing classes at home) and had completely suspended operations for a bit. However, with technology, people are seeing a surge in their use of it + a new way to work. It'll definitely change the way we work from now on :)

On January 4, my wife and I discovered the body of our beloved cat Minerva. She was three years old. We believe that she ate something poisonous and laid down to die on her way home. We found her in the yard of a house behind ours. Minerva was active and energetic. We called her our "parkour cat" because she could run up fences, jump over or onto things, and travel the neighborhood on fence tops. She visited quite a few of the neighbors in their yards. Minerva was especially good for Chai, our 12-year-old Maine Coon cat. She made him play. When they tussled in their play, it was like watching masters of two different martial arts sparring: Chai, the sumo wrestler; and Minerva, the kung fu master. Minerva was a hunter. In the spring and summer of 2019, she killed as many as 20 birds. We hung many bells on her collar, which led the neighbors to call her the "jungle cat". It had no effect on her hunting. We resorted to keeping her inside from dusk to dawn. She adapted to it quickly. Every night around 9:00 PM or so, she would go upstairs to our bedroom and go to sleep in a cardboard box we put out for her. She tucked herself in every night. As I write this in September, 2020, a few days into the Jewish year 5781, I still mourn Minerva. I miss her every day.

I know it has been going on for a while, but the separation and imprisonment of young children on the Mexican border of the United States. I cannot help but imagine what would make me risk something like that so that my son would have a better life, and feel horror at the fact that two year olds, seven year olds, ten year olds, and teenagers who did nothing wrong but do what their parents told them to do are now deprived of basic necessities because we, the United States, have deemed them as less than human. It makes me ashamed.

I think this one is pretty obvious. If I ever forget the impact of the pandemic and the protests against unjust policing, I'm not sure what that would say about my mental faculties, but it probably wouldn't be good.

Seriously?

How can I not say COVID-19 pandemic? Everything else is subsumed by it. The fires in the west, particularly California and Oregon, have been terrifying, politics are demoralizing and hopeless, my personal growth feels static but I remain fortunate, but COVID-19 means Son's visit is an indefinite dream, vacations are weird, and life is not normal.

COVID-19 is The event of the year! The impact to me has been ok, uncomfortable, bad, and much worse - in different aspects. Getting married on zoom without attendance of any of our parents and without most of our siblings or any friends was devestatingly painful. Living for 2 months as newly weds without seeing my kids at all and with S.'s kids present the entire time (due to Covid they couldn't live with their dad for the regular 50% of the time) was difficult to hard and complicated with only some minor silver lining. not being able to go to shul and mikvah helped move me away from the spiritual growth I had experienced and attained in the months leading up to meeting and dating and then marrying. Having her kids not just living with us all that time but also being on online school was really tough. it was 100% of the days and 100% of the 24-hours that we were all under the same roof. All the social changes have also been very impactful (change itself is not something I take to easily). Also, all the politisition of absolutely EVERYTHING to do with daily life today has really impacted me greatly. I'm overall anxious about the future which I bleeive is geting bleeker and darker before it will get better. So all-in-all, a virus has become the touchstone for all sorts of intrigue, and what used to be frowned upon by society and we would have collectively attampted to fix has become our daily bread: schism, alienation and discord, disunity - all metaphorically demonstrated by wearing masks and keep socialy distant. To me it's a bad omen when decades of the sociaty's fabric simply fall away in a few short weeks and society disengages and people actively detach from one another - I am aware that it's necessary to mitigate the effects of covid and its spread but as humans we are way more resourceful than just accepting the need for separation without compansating the deficit in a much greater measure in the ways that we CAN unite and connect but that hasn't happened in the USA and I am greatly disturbed by that.

Really? I wish I could refrain from pointing out the obvious, but that is unlikely. The Covid-19 pandemic has twisted my world and my "Normal" into all kinds of knots. I mean how do you adjust to a new normal, when the new normal is indefinite uncertainty? This pandemic has had a profound impact on everyone's life and is compounded by the fact that it is invisible and ongoing. We are all experiencing ambiguous loss.

So many *important* things have happened this year: widespread protests against police brutality, the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of government aid, news of how our government is breaking down...it's very demoralizing. I've reevaluated how to put my voice out into the world - I don't post on social media much anymore, but I started a blog that I haven't shared with anyone. I also donate money very carefully to make sure I'm funding things I actually care about.

I don’t know, so much has been happening. I think the pandemic itself, but not in the virus sense, but in what it caused.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away last Friday. I’ve never felt more insecure in my freedom and for the lives and happiness of my children than now. The USA is surging towards fascism and a climate crisis that will define our existence on this planet, and yet, so many Americans are wrapped up in ridiculous distractions that are doing nothing to make the necessary changes to our lives.

I mean...will anyone's answer not be Covid this year? Half of this year has been in quarantine. It's been great for me, getting to spend way more time with my husband (up until this we spent 3/4 days apart every week, recall). So. Been great for me. But sad that my daughter can't explore the world.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s passing made me realize how one life can be so impactful on the entire world. There is no way I can be like Ruth, but there is every reason I should be more of what SUSAN can be.

I've tried as much as possible to unplug from what's going on in the world. I was finding that early in lockdown the news was just so depressing and a cause of anxiety, so I've deliberately avoided social media and the news much more than usual. Whenever something big happens, I tend to just see the headlines. To get deeper insight into the story, I listen to podcasts or read the LRB. But I'm protecting myself in a bubble of ignorance, mostly. COVID-19 has obviously impacted everyone. For me, it's meant spending a lot more time at home and being put on furlough from work for 3 months. This was a signal to me that I'm pretty much done with Torchbox and need to find another job - although it's hardly the best time to be doing that - particularly if I have to take a risk and go freelance or just resign without a new job to go to.

Ohhhhhhh man, where to begin with this one? I keep thinking I'll put off answering these until I have "more time" but here goes. The "unprecedented" year. The 2020 disaster. The current ongoing global pandemic that is COVID-19 or "coronavirus." If only I could be sure that by the time I'm reading this answer a year from now, these terms would be less familiar and ever-present than they are currently. So in early March we started hearing about this crazy virus in the news that was causing big trouble in China, in Italy, that a few cases were found to have crossed over to California... and then before we knew it BOOM it was everywhere. Life was shut down. Businesses closed. Schools closed. People were working remotely (that lasted about 3 days for me before I realized it is impossible with our current lackluster internet situation in this rural county) and everyone was scared. Within a couple weeks schools were closed for the rest of the year, states of emergency declared, nobody could find hand sanitizer and all the stores ran out of toilet paper! My husband and I made one very strange grocery shopping trip with "masks" cobbled together from folded cloth napkins and hair ties pinching our ears - very few other people in the store had them on but we were rushed and anxious and trying to stay away from other people and we used hand sanitizer before and after and questioned EVERYTHING. (This was probably late March) Another month or two later and mask-wearing had become fairly routine (well, at least for us and every RATIONAL person I know), people were fighting over everything and still hard to find anything good at the stores. On social media, everyone was baking sourdough bread and posting photos of their home workout routines while I spiraled into anxiety and deep depression with intermittent anger through arguments with friends and family members who were posting misinformation and conspiracy theories. My work did some unpaid furloughs and I quit my second job because of the stress. Race riots erupted across the country (around May) By late summer we were getting into a routine of work, attempting self-care, and checking in with family every so often with Zoom calls. We stopped going to family events and our social circle dwindled to a handful of people. I started seeing a therapist. Hubby and I actually had a decent vacation in a tiny house a few hours away on a river (lots of kayaking!) and I cried when I learned that my sister is pregnant because I cannot be there and do not know if I will get to hold my niece/nephew when they are born. (Aug-Sept) Now that fall is here and schools are finding creative ways to reopen, cases seem to be growing and for the first time, people I directly know and care about are catching this horrid disease. I feel sad and angry and just plain exhausted every single day and while some days I manage some self-care other days I just want to give up and crawl into a hole. I do not know how we're going to survive sad lonely holidays and cold winter weather that precludes outdoor activity. I don't know how long we're going to have to wait for a vaccine or how many of our friends and family might refuse to get it when it is available. I don't know who else might get sick and who could die or suffer long-term consequences before we find a light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know how much longer I can keep living like this without losing my mind. I fear that I will soon lose my job as several colleagues have been let go recently with no warning at all. The only thing I can think of to wish for is that maybe, just maybe, by the time I am reading this it will be with relief - that the numbers went down; that I got my vaccine and feel safer; that nobody I know has died; that things MUST be on an upswing by then. AND FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY LET US HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT BY THEN. If not, then maybe there is no hope....

I really don't want to say COVID! So instead I'll say, the new Daf Yomi cycle started in January and I've been doing that. It's been way better than I expected, and I'm really proud I've been keeping up on it daily for 8 months now. I've learned so much already and it's been a nice grounding habit each day.

Covid - obviously! It really has affected me this year. I live alone and the greatest difference has been my socialising with friends and family. Consequently my sense of isolation had been profound. Fortunately I have a small dog to keep me company and have been able to generate my own timetable of events.

The death of George Floyd affected me GREATLY! I could not believe how casually that police officer took a life! I have had a huge turn around in my philosophy and political views. I have taken a Yale open course on African American history and joined a group of Women who are reading anti-racist books and books such as The Color of Law. My perception of our country and our history has completely changed since Memorial Day. I am learning about how to be an advocate. I find myself ashamed many times reading these books.

COVID -19 - not able to travel or have visits from Mace and Pamela; had to cancel getting together with Sid to go to Shakespeare in Canada; Fires in Australia - had a major trip planned including a stay with the Stricklands and a visit with a friend in Kauai on way back and cancelled because of the smoke. Fires in CA

The murder of George Floyd ignited a movement for Black Lives. I had a difficult two weeks where the pandemic was really affecting my mental state and then the riots, protests and continued police violence against Black people and POC. I started to think about my own privilege as a Filipino woman and how I may not be doing as much to further the rights and safety of POC. At work we held conversation sessions on the current events and started a Lunch and Learn series on the 1619 podcast. I've spent more time learning about race and inequity both in conversation with friends and colleagues and in reading books from Fulton Street.

COVID19, is changed everything about my work, how I live, how me and my wife live, and how everyone I know live. We have been constrained and limited by this virus. We can't travel the way we want, we can't do whatever we want. There was no NCAA tourney this year. So many things were canceled this year, if there was a large crowd, it was canceled. Graduations, weddings, ordinations, so many things. 2020 will be remembered for what happened (COVID) and what didn't happen.

The biggest impact on my life this year has been the focus on race issues. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and the subsequent riots, demonstrations and movements have really reached me, touched me, made me think and consider how I live my life and how I can impact others. I've made an effort to read, to learn and to try to be more understanding.

COVID-19. Racial injustice protests. Decline of economy. Job loss. Death of RBG. The election. 2020 has packed in every bad thing one can imagine. And we still have the last quarter to go through. Will 2021 be magically better on Jan 1? Most likely not. But we can't get any worse. Can we?

So so so many. I think the pandemic (and how it felt to be right about it coming as someone who is anxious and the expected bad thing actually happened), and then how long it has lasted. I am on a rollercoaster, and I feel like I am on a plateau (not great, not horrible) and then can just fall into an abyss, and it's hard to claw my way out of it. The racial reckoning that started after George Floyd was murdered and seeing Black Lives Matter and antiracism everywhere - now we need to make sure we are living it and it's not just a slogan. Lastly, the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Feeling like she is the last thread we were holding on to felt scary, but I also now feel so so so moved to action for the next 42 days.

I'm tired of writing about Covid. So... The elections. I'm afraid for this country. Keep me up at night, destroyed my stomach, cry for no reason afraid. I know my son's generation will combat our world's problems with a grace and cooperation we can't even imagine. But can't guarantee this world will last long enough for him to have a shot. And it's not just about the presidency. My husband works for a local politician. In his mind he works for the people. And he does, putting countless hours and hard judgments in to what is best for this area. But his job affords me a close look at the politics and it disgusts me. Both sides are dirty and manipulative. People have lost their jobs on a political whim not because of how well they did or for errors but as chess pieces sacrificed for power and political ego. We don't know who my husband's boss will be. We don't know if he'll have a job come Jan 1. It's overwhelming and sad. In the end our family scarifies a lot (way more money can be made in the private sector) to contribute to our community through a system that can't be trusted.

Colvin is obviously impacted me, the school where I worked closed and I lost my job to return this fall. My kids all have lost their social world and our stuck at home all the time. I don't exercise anymore and blame no one but I am around food all the time and don't really take time for myself to lift weights. I'm very aware of my elderly parents who live nearby yet who I don't see because of the risk.

The murder of Breonna Taylor impacted me. It made me come to terms with the way I am Viewed because of my skin, no matter how good of a person I am. It further made me realize that the police aren’t who I should ever trust or call.

Pandemic, of course, but perhaps equally the final realization on my part of the role of racism in this country. It's been this way forever, but I just didn't know. I thought I was not part of the problem and not responsible for everything that had happened. But now I know that you are either working (hard) toward a solution or you ARE part of the problem.

Hoo boy. Where should I start? Not to co-opt the term radicalization from people doing real anti-racist and anti-capitalist work, but I think the pandemic and protests around George Floyd's death began that process for me. I am definitely now left of all major US political parties and pretty disillusioned with the government. I have'nt been doing enough and I will continue to do more, especially with redistributing my capital.

Covid. It has impacted all of us. For me it was at first good, because I was able to stop commuting to another city every week for my job, and to really be with my family. I was grateful for that--until it also meant the end of my job. That just happened and I'm not yet sure whether it will be, on balance, a good thing. I hope so.

I want to think of an answer that's not COVID but... COVID. I lost my job (but honestly, good. I was too stressed out at the JCC), I've had to reevaluate my relationships, I'm stuck at home, I mean there is no aspect of my life that hasn't changed because of COVID. And mostly it sucks and obviously I wish it never happened, but some positive takeaways are I got to slow down, I got to focus on my physical health (although that was happening anyway), and I'm getting more comfortable putting myself out there trying to connect with people I genuinely want to be friends with and I'm prioritizing meaningful relationships.

Oh wow. So many events this year that have impacted everyone. I’ll go with the obvious answer and say the pandemic. I’ve never really wanted to work from home full-time, and then suddenly I had no choice. For a while, I hated it. Now, I’ve grown to appreciate the perks. But I still can’t wait to go back to the office in 2021.

HA!! 2020 has truly been the ultimate disaster for the world. Pandemic, global climate crisis, racial division, violence, it's really amazing any of us are still standing. I'm so grateful for my health and safety and that of those I love, but I keep holding my breath waiting for something to hit me even closer to home.

Ha! Covid has changed everything. This is a very challenging moment that does not end. I want everything to go back to the way it was-but wonder what things will look like from here. Where do we go? What will shul look like? How do we get people to participate in new ways?

Again, the global pandemic has truly been a global event that has shifted everything in the world. Nearly no one alive has experienced a prolonged and sustained interruption to the world, maybe excluding World War II. Beyond the death and economic suffering, this pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings and weaknesses of our society. How, if at all, these are addressed moving forward is what consumes most of my thoughts.

RBG dying. What a cavernous loss. I have to hold my breath until Election Day now. Please excuse me while I turn blue and expire.

RBG's death just as Rosh Hashannah was beginning. It felt totally devastating, and my (and so many others') immediate reaction was actual terror. The people and institutions protecting this country from outright Trumpian, white-supremacist, patriarchal dictatorship are falling. This election could go either way, and chaos and disorder and even violence are likely even in the best case scenario.

Between the state of the union due to Trump, the rise of racism/nazis & this pandemic, I think that's all I really need to say. There's too much to talk about just in these aspects of what has directly effected my life & family's life. I can only hope that people get out a vote for Biden, the pandemic ends (deaths are just over 200,000) and don't get me started on how we lost RBG too!!! This question is depressing me.

COVID, right? The whole pandemic, social distance thing... forced me to stay at home, stay closer to my kids and wife much more. On one hand, this is stressful - but on the other hand, it kept me away from other interests - at some point the basic stuff, 'work', 'parenting', 'working out' became central to my life and gave me focus.

Well, I think everyone is going to more or less have a similar answer this year: The COVID-19 Pandemic. And the "how" and "why" of it is so much more than I can fit in this box.

Like for so many others, the police killing of George Floyd after too many murders of innocent, unarmed Blacks exploding into a national and international mass uprising against systemic racism and inter-related justice issues had a profound effect on me. I’ve been active since the 1960s in movements and organizations that address racism, sexism, classism, human rights, corporate social responsibility, sustainability and I haven’t felt this type of global engagement since then. I am deeply inspired by the youth-led movements that are tapping into the power of citizen activism. Of course, the confluence of divisive fear-based politics, COVID, the deaths of several great leaders like John Lewis and, on Erev Rosh Hashana, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, has created an atmosphere of tremendous anxiety. So, I endeavor to hold my mantra of “keep hope alive” with a powerful resonance.

The second half of this year has been dominated by a global pandemic. We have been mostly at home since early March. My daughter has been doing online schooling since her school went remote in early March, and my husband has been working from home since late March. Our state government has done an excellent job managing this, our national government has been a travesty. I thought very little of our national leadership before the pandemic, but even so their disregard for human life is beyond shocking.

The pandemic -- what an utter immediate shift of many facets of all of our daily lives for an indeterminate period of time. The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- I feel like it signals the death of true courage and progress in American law and politics.

Just one? OK, I'll have to say COVID-19. To begin with, we had it, and it's less fun than it sounds. Fortunately, we never had to go to the hospital, and never even used the rescue inhalers that were prescribed for us. but being that sick was scary, and that's for a start. I was furloughed and was rehired back at 2/3 of my pay. In theory, I'm working fewer hours, but in reality, the hours are edging up. Bob works for a university, and just as he was starting to go back to the office after knee surgery, the office shut down. Just as we were able to start going out again after his knee surgery, the world shut down. I haven't been on public transportation in almost seven months. We haven't been out to dinner in eight months. We've only seen one couple, keeping a six-foot distance both laterally and vertically (the stoop) and one other friend, mostly, for seven months. We did have the opportunity to socialize with our downstairs neighbors, sick when we were, so it seemed safe, but they've moved. The think about COVID is that with more other life obstacles, even other disasters, they are unique to you and people can sympathazie and offer support. With this, the entire world is in the safe leaky boat. We love being home together, but we miss our friends. We miss going out. We miss museums and movies and music. We miss entertaining. And so does everyone else. It's a very lonely type of shared misery.

Pandemic, fires, racism, voter suppression. It’s the apocalypse. I’m embarrassed to say it has caused me to pull into my turtle shell and just focus on the few things in my control, like my work. Interesting to read my answer from last year. Dear Leader survived impeachment and is worse than ever, undermining public health with indoor, maskless election rallies.

The protests and demonstrations for BLM have impacted me more than I initially realized. I am a white person who has lived a fairly charmed life. While I do think it is a complicated issue, I also think that's an easy thing to say to avoid really delving into the heart of things. Our society has programmed us to feel and think a certain way depending on where or how we grow up. The racist messages and ideologies that have become ingrained in many of our cultural mores is scary. The discussion that the movement has fostered has made me think about how lucky I really am and how messed up our society really is. I didn't grow up in a racist environment - my immediate family members have mostly been liberals; my friends were a motley crew of anything and anyone; the neighborhood I grew up in was mixed; we watched tv shows with all black characters without giving it a second thought while relating to them and whatever they were going through despite them "not looking like us". I never witnessed anyone of color being singled out by police. I have always existed in a bubble. I did a thought experiment the other night, which made me extremely anxious. I imagined my life as it was but if my family and I were black instead of white. I believe that my life today would be very different. I got pulled over many times for speeding as a teenager and as an adult, and if I was black, would the officer let me go or just written me a ticket every time? Probably not. Would I have gotten the jobs I applied for when I left my family's business and moved out of state? Not likely. I think about the number of black people I directly worked with back then - zero. I definitely worked with and for racists (openly and those not aware), but it wasn't the daily topic of conversation, and it never directly affected me, so I didn't think about it. I just knew that when I left work everyday to go home, my world included everyone. Out of the four part time and full time jobs I had as an undergraduate, I might have actually had only one of them if I was black. What do I do with this realization? I'm still struggling with it. I will certainly continue to be the open and compassionate, non-racist, optimistic white woman that I am, but I know I need to do more.

The pandemic, and the bitter partisan divide that affects so much of our society. Few relationships are immune to either stress. Though it's been difficult at times, so far I am healthy, and have been able to maintain friendships despite political differences.

Being a citizen in 21st century America! I'm mad with exhaustion. The combination of sequestration, the 24 hour news cycle, Facebook, the Apple newsfeed, family and neighbors waving their stupid flags and banners, endlessly arguing. What happened to us? My seventh grade social studies teacher, a demigod in my book, used to offer parables about social responsibility. One obliquely deals with politics in America today. He spoke about an overturned poultry hauler that caught fire and the mob transfixed by the sounds of birds being consumed by the fire. I feel the same level of disgust each day viewing the reactionary behavior from all sides of the Trump show. It's a never ending cycle of imbecility triggering outrage. Yeah, and here I am, engaged in what I despise. What a moron!

Well, the most overwhelming event of course was the Covid-19 pandemic. In my lifetime there hasn't been another event that so thoroughly changed the way we live. 9/11 came close in altering how we see the world and how we travel, but this is so protracted and disruptive that it's repercussions will be seen for a long time. It made my think about resilience, human nature, about myself and how to best move forward.

COVID-19

The easy answer is COVID. But the more complex answer is seeing how the world is reacting to the injustices that COVID brings to the forefront. Racism, unequal access to healthcare, broken systems. It's been interesting to see other countries with protests under the banner of BLM. But I think the true way to answer this is that when I first learned of COVID early in the year it was, to me, Asia's problem. And then Europe's problem. But it was still an ocean away. It wasn't really real to me until everything went into emergency response mode here. And even then I was sure it would be over soon. I have since learned the real power of a pandemic and public health. I knew the impact public health had but now I know the power. I will try not to underestimate it or a threat to public health again.

Um. Covid19? Anybody? How? It's stuck us in the middle of the desert with no air travel, no visitors, more local focus.

Several world events this year have combined to make me look and question my activism, and how I can do more. The police shootings of so many innocent black Americans, the wildfires across the world, fires and destruction of migrant camps across Europe and so many other things have made me consider, am I doing enough? I donate to charities on the front lines, I work for a climate change charity, I make conscious purchases and try to reduce my impact and support ethical companies whenever I can, but in the light of these world events.. is it enough? How can I do more? I have always felt uncomfortable voicing my thoughts in a public realm, be that in social media or in person. Concerned about not knowing enough and being challenged on my facts, or saying the wrong thing. But this year taught me that’s not good enough, it’s time to be a vocal ally as well. I want to dedicate time this year to learning more and listening more to hopefully have more impact.

There is nothing going on that DOESN'T impact me! I have been so disheartened by the concentration camps at the border that I can barely lift my head off my pillow some mornings. This is genocide in our name. We said NEVER AGAIN, and I grew up thinking we meant it. We did not mean it, not all of us.

Well obviously the COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone. School closed, churches closed, businesses closed, having to wear masks every where, plans cancelled, no travel, the fear of infection every time you do decide to venture out and hang out with friends or go out to a store or restaurant.

The entire year of the U.S. coming apart at its seams has impacted me. Beginning with the inability of the trump administration to handle the corona virus, through the summer of racial violence and protest. The shooting and subsequent treatment of Jacob Blake -- the hand-cuffing of a paralyzed man was meant not for the man, but to terrorize anyone who would stand with him, as was quickly seen by the national support for the armed 17-year-old who shot at protesters. This was the straw that broke my back, the turning point where police violence morphed into state-sanctioned violence, where I experienced an utter and complete break-down and inability to function. COVID-19 was merely inconvenient; the deterioration of our national culture is grief-worthy. The vulnerability that I feel as a woman, a lesbian, a Jew, as a person related to people of color -- that is the stuff that reawakens early nightmares.

A global pandemic changed the landscape of lives forever. Oren was in a ventilator for 50 days and we davened Mincha on Zoom for him. It made my community closer. I started studying Hebrew on Zoom with my mother in South Africa. I study dad yomi with a different person every three days over Zoom as part of Sugya Sistas. I work from my desk with meetings over Teams. I order food online. I haven’t been on a bus, train, plane or taxi in six months. I heard today that the charity I work for will be laying off 300 people. I wonder if I will be one of them. My partner has already lost his job as a corona-casualty. I wonder if Lena will start university. So much is unknown, but I know if I stay open to the possibilities in every moment, things will work out well.

Well, COVID-19....pretty much shut down life as we know it. No social life, no vacations, nothing. Then just last week, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah....the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. This country is reeling from her loss and the implications of what this president is trying to ram through the Senate prior to the election. There will be more riots than the George Floyd protests.

Well, I feel like the pandemic is the big one. It has affected me in both big and small ways. It has definitely made me question the kindness of my fellow humans. I have had to really objectively look at this country I love and realize we are like that HS football quarterback who never did anything past that one winning homecoming game where he did some kind of great sports thing, and has lived with that misplaced glory for forever. We are that guy, cue Springsteen song. I always sorta knew, but lately it is really hitting home how much time I probably don't have left with my husband. I am scared that his health is going to start declining faster now that he is limited to the house due to being immunocompromised. I am scared of the person I will be without him. So, yeh, fuck this pandemic and these selfish fuckers who couldn't do the bare minimum to keep their fellow humans alive.

heat wave, fires, pandemic, death of Justice Ginsburg z"l, forced me into another level of engagement with the world, with my surroundings, with how I build a community and with whom and how much I have not done so in my 6 years in the Bay Area.

Well there is the obvious event which is covid 19. But to be honest it is just as much a local event. Other thab that I cannot think of any. Covid has taken over our daily lifes. There are changes I quite like for them to continue on but others like reduced social contacts I would love to be back to normal.

Between Sept-March it feels like my concerns would have been “small”- turning 40, work stress, kids, J starting and getting used to school, sleep deprivation, ageing parents, home,friends. These were events of the world and common to many others, but not events in the world in the sense of the outside impacting us. We were trying in small ways to improve our environmental footprint. All these have continued to be there in different ways. Doubtless the biggest impact has been Covid - the fear, the restrictions, the concerns about family, the changes to daily life, being unable to see our parents/kids grandparents, having no time by yourself, concerns about easing restrictions and going back to work. In full lockdown when I went for my daily walk I often wanted to scream. Sometimes I cried. It was hard not to feel negatively about the circumstances that started all this and people acting foolishly/selfishly/stupidly around restrictions.

Covid, wildfires, BLM protests and crackdowns, the clusterfuck that is the president, the nonsense that happens during the primaries, losing Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The list goes on. This has been a disaster of a year.

Coronavirus has absolutely impacted me. The whole dynamic of my family has been impacted; we are all home all the time, but not actually together much. Working from home while parenting is such a challenge. I had thought this would force my husband to understand me and the kids better but it has only helped a little.

COVID-19 It has changed when I go grocery shopping (early Sunday mornings instead of any time of day), how I shop for anything else (click and collect, or online order and postage), who I see (so many of my family and friends are outside of Melbournes 5km radius rules at the moment, so lots of video calls), and how I take care of myself (lots and lots of self care!)

Yeah. Uh. That one has got to be the pandemic. I miss my friends. I miss my family. I miss my expectations for my future. I miss my hope. I miss my industry. I miss feeling safe. I miss not wiping down groceries. I miss not tracking everything I've touched. I miss not having to ask where you've been in the past two weeks. I miss feeling like this will be something we get past. I miss knowing my friends wanted me alive. I miss trusting the American populace. I miss the world. I miss the world. I miss the world.

Outbreak of pandemic has impacted me a lot. Negative impacts on both the financial and emotional arena. Because of the lockdown.

Ay yi yi . . . COVID has had the biggest impact on me ever. I've already talked about it, but it is staggering how disastrous this has been on our family, and we haven't even gotten sick. When we get sick that will really be something to contend with. Wildfires too - a month so far of not being able to breath and exercise. It's rough.

I don't think my answer will change much from the first day; the pandemic has completely changed any plans or visions I've made for myself. One thing that has impacted me a lot is working from home because of the pandemic. For a good five months, I was incredibly unproductive. I made excuses that it was the anxiety and uncertainty of trauma of the times, which is partially true. But I now realize, it is resentment towards my employer and the heartless actions they've taken in these times to preserve upper management bonuses, at the cost of the welfare of several of my coworkers. But something has happened recently, finally getting focus and attention from stakeholders in the organization who are actually trying to help us and recognize how short our resources have been, that has energized me. I have gotten over the slump, the fear of working hard and being successful, defined as making sure my reports have what they need to be successful, and I know that all I have to do to get something done is start--that's the hardest part. Sure, I have slip-ups, like right now; I'm supposed to be preparing for several meetings this afternoon, and instead I'm writing this, but I don't feel the panic of procrastiworking as strongly. In general, I know I can recover. The week isn't "ruined," the day isn't "ruined," by a slip-up.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has just passed away. I'm absolutely devastating, and simultaneously terrified. I'm angry that Justice Ginsburg had to continue to fight and stand for what's right when she has cancer. I'm furious that the future of basic human rights were placed on her shoulders. There is absolutely no reason as to why the state of our democracy must reside in one person staying alive. I'm furious. Undeniably sad. Scared.

Trump’s evilness has increased my stress

Covid-19. It has brought out more than just the fact that we humans are not prepared for a virus such as this. It brought out the haves, and the have nots. It brought out the fact that the powerful consider the meek expendable. It has brought out the fact that we need to be more aware of the environment, the climate, and how all life intersects on earth, yet to those who are only concerned about large corporations and their bottom lines, they are willing to destroy everything to make that money. Human compassion verses human greed is on full display. The violence that seems to impact people of color, and the disappointment in the militaristic arming of the police. Plus, the difference in how white armed vigilantes are treated verses peaceful demonstrators is revealing.

Haha. Is this a joke question?

Trump's neglect of people and the earth sickens me. I rage that he is and has sold us to corporate interests, ignoring what could be good and positive for us. And then the pandemic raging here drags it all down further. He poisons every single issue and now RBG. I'm discouraged, angry, sick of his selfish consequences.

The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement has made a large impact on me this year.

Aside from COVID-19, I think the next largest issue has been the death of George Floyd and the BLM movement. In response to the worldwide outrage to police violence, I think many people, including myself tried to more rigorously examine our own biases. I finally read, "Stamped from the Beginning" by Ibrim Kendi. Although I have always considered myself an antiracist, I nevertheless have discovered that I held a number of racist ideas. I was shocked by some of the figures in history and was unsure how to make sense of that information. As an educator, I am wrestling with the fact that we sometimes create programs and think about educational outcomes in ways that either are inherently racist or end up being racist in their implementation. The Trump response to the BLM protests over the summer have been equally shocking, disturbing and terrifying. I feel like the moment to change our planet and our way of experiencing the world has passed, that COVID opened the door to a reevaluation of our priorities but instead we went the opposite way. Very sad.

Itll have to be covid for the whole world this year. Being in a lockdown with changed priorities, new normal. It's made me more aware of what is really important to me, to understand that sustainability needs very little of outside people, products or even experiences. It forced me to look inwards at what is that I need at a basic level to survive in all aspects, minimum number of clothes, shoes, friends and activities.

(Like, this year in the Gregorian calendar?) January - #WW3 is trending on Twitter. YIKES. February - Something weird is happening in Wuhan... I wonder how it'll play out. March - PANDEMIC! DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200. Also, I lost my job... because of the pandemic. April - September (shelter-in-place and wait for a stray meteor to fix this mess so we can start again)

Shelter in place due to covid-19 has affected everyone. I used to work in an office but now I’m working in my bedroom. I was in the kitchen for about five month but was able to get a standup desk. I spend so much time inside that I often forget to bring a mask with me, so I have a spare in the car and another in my backpack.

Is there anyone who is not answering Corona virus?! Wow -- the whole world has changed, from our daily interactions (or lack there of) to the whole structure of work and the economy. As for me, the biggest impact was that I had to come home two months early form Israel. I had three interesting months still on sabbatical but at home -- a lot of gardening, quiet contemplation, Zooming into classes, and then, online dating that led to my new love. So for me, it's all been amazingly fortunate -- unlike most of the rest of the world.

Pandemic pandemic pandemic Everything I’d different

Other than COVID? Other than our monster president? Other than RBG dying on erev Rosh Hashana? Other than the multitude of dumpster fires we're in the middle of? It's scary there are so many.

Did anyone not answer Covid? It's uprooted everything, even if by comparison to the worst off, I am doing perfectly fine. The stay at home order has disrupted my sense of self, which relied so heavily on occupying various physical spaces: home=leisure; the office=work; the commute=private contemplation; restaurants, bars and movie theatres=my social life and fun. I also feel deeply for those that I know and those that I don't who are having a much harder time with this (losing jobs, homes, etc.). I'm tired all the time. And my hopeful optimism about the world is now cynical and apocalyptic. My only goal now is to buy a house - just so that I can have some property to feel grounded by.

COVID. It brought home the limitations of the human mind -- how it's so very hard to spend energy and resources on prevention, as opposed to the much more satisfying actions around remedy or repair. If we are to survive, we need more maturity and self-discipline as a country...and a world.

Obviamente, la pandemia es lo primero que se me viene a la mente. Conocer de tanta muerte en el mundo entero, de la crisis que sufre cada familia porque pierden a uno o más de un pariente, porque no tienen para alimentarse, etc. Son situaciones que, como a muchos, conmueve.

Of course, major even has been the Corna Virus Pandemic. Also same as last year: Trump is dis-assembling American Constitutional Democracy as well as dis-assembling consumer protections, environmental protections, worker rights, exacerbating financial inequities, racial inequalities and maintaining access to guns whatever the risk and especially to military style automatic weapons. I fear that elections are imperiled, and anticipate serious consequences regardless of who wins.

This is a year where many events in the world impacted many people on a personal level, myself included. It wasn’t like there was the news, and then there was ordinary life, and those were two different things. I’m sure my fellow 10Q participants will explain the nature of these events, so I think it is more important to explain the feeling. I saw a six word memoir of this year that was “The world has never felt smaller” and I completely agree with this. Even though I am unable to travel, I have never felt more connected to people from around the world because almost every country is confronting the same massive issue at the same time.

Trump's lies. I really believe he is approaching senility. He jumps off track, belittles opponents, lies, uses the office for his political gain. I cannot believe that the US is second rate to the whims of this despot. And how smart, educated people think that he can solve any problems. Even his financial acumen leaves ethics and morality in the dust.

A car accident just as Black Summer was ending, which lead me to buy an apartment using the insurance money to supplement a small inheritance that was given to me for the purpose of buying a house. I assumed that I would remain carless since I couldn't afford a new car now and didn't particularly want to drive again. The apartment is on public transport, has car share and e-bike facilities, and will be ready next October. Then COVID-19 hit, and my housemate had to drive me everywhere. Public transport suddenly seemed poisonous. Then my mother gave me her old car because she became unable to drive (I swapped it for my mother's older one, so we could sell the new one and split it among the siblings and avoid fuss over money). Then my other grandmother passed away and suddenly my mortage is looking very different. I feel profoundly lucky and think often about how I can leverage my (eventual) new position to help others and my community. At the same time I only have about $300 a week to cover all my expenses after rent. I have significant assets that are all tied up. I also received these assets because my grandmothers, two vital figures in my life, are aging and passing away. I've spent a lot of this year thinking about intergenerational privilege and being a settler and the mechanisms of family.

Covid 19, work/travel restrictions, "why" you ask??

The BLM movement has opened my eyes to my own racism and how it has affected me and those around me. I am grappling with my Whiteness and beginning to understand how white privilege has given me a leg up in life.

The 2020 Salt Lake City earthquake was a jarring reminder that I live in a dangerous building in a dangerous place. My reaction in the moment — freezing in place and muttering to my husband, “This is it” — was proof that I am nowhere near prepared for “the big one” when it hits.

All of this covid garbage. The world is upside down

Like everyone else, the COVID pandemic has affected my life and the life of everyone I know. Also the wildfires in California this late August/September have us days of unbreathable air. I think about how different my children’s experience of high school is from mine. I had a sense of infinite possibilities. Their future is already constrained by massive national debt, civil animosity, increasing wealth inequality, decreased investment in public education, and an ever worsening climate with more natural disasters and crop failures and sea level rise and public health crises ahead.

The US election news. I have learned more about the US and their political system than I ever knew before. I also am learning more about the caste system which seems to me to be the basis for the political divide.

Covid-19 is the main thing this past year that has happened in the world that has affected me. I have not contracted the virus that I'm aware of but it has changed everybody's life. I am just about done with all this mask wearing mess. My thoughts on it are that it should have just been allowed to run its course just like flu and/pneumonia. and I believe the vaccination for covid-19 when they come out with it should not be mandatory. I know of people who are in nursing homes and are being held as if they're in prison because of the code of 19. They are not able to have contact visits with their own families and this is very detrimental to their emotional and mental well-being, and I think really defeats the purpose. a person is not going to die unless it's their time to die and it doesn't matter what you are or are not exposed to. This political mess where the Democrats are attacking Trump from every angle has got me just as upset as it did last year. And this black lives matter and antiva crap is enough to make a person want to do something immoral and unchristian like. I'm tired of having it cramp ed down my throat. Those on the left have gone from trying to force political correctness on everyone to something far worse. I cringe to think what this United States will be like if Biden wins but I will not allow that to cause me fear either.

Um... Covid?

You mean besides COVID? Is there an event besides COVID-19 being declared a pandemic? Were there other events that happened this year? It's really hard to remember other events besides this one, because it stands out like a sore thumb Ok So i was in the airport coming back from Sand Diego. And you knew. Everyone was edgy and scared and kinda staying away from each other. And the airport was empty and echoy. And already I knew that this was happening. That the world was shifting. I could feel the world moving under my feet. It felt like 9/11 when I knew that the world order was reorienting itself. I remember hearing the the speech from the WHO on the tv at the airport, half an hour before getting on the plane. And I felt those first stirrings of fear thats become so normal. I also wondered for the first time if I would see my parents again (which thankfully I have, but still. This was when I started to wonder). I went to the store on the way home to panic buy, and look for vegetable freezer foods, because the doom was looming over us. We went back to work for two days before starting to work from home. I havent seen my friends in 6 months besides my quarantine group. I saw my parents when they came down in August and we couldnt hug until the last day. And my dad and i cried as we said goodbye.

And the buzzword of the day is.......Covid-19. Yes, a world event we sure could have skipped. A reality in self-preservation.

I dont want to say corona cause thats all we've spoken about this year. an impact in the world that has impacted me was the animal cruelty, or production of meat. I just watched 16 mins into A documentary called dominion and I am never eating meat again. I am heart broken and completely disturbed. I love animals too much and nothing is worth putting an animal through any sort of pain I feel sick

Cone on! We are living through a worldwide Panemic! I never could have imagined this scenario: lockdowns, mask wearing, no shopping in person, no eating in restaurants, no visiting relatives and friends. We cannot travel freely without a 2 week quarantine at our destination. We ate seeing big and small businesses go bankrupt. People are lising jobs. Many are working from home - and finding that It works. Kids are remotely schooling and for some, it works. The worst part is that we have a POS for a President who is not interested in saving lives but only in his own re-election.

covid for sure- it has made life challenging, relationships more important and work more meaningful!

RBG just died on Erev RH. I'm frightened and trying to have faith in our checks and balances. Trying to hope Pelosi can stall the vote on whatever dangerous fascist TweetyTurd wants to railroad through. Will this truly be the end even IF we can vote in a Democrat for president? IF we can hold an election? IF we can get That Thing out of the White house without our military upholding its oath to the Constitution, not the Commander-in-chief? I am Polyanna and Chicken Little at the same time.

Coronavirus. It has totally changed how I spend my days, how many people I see, how I interact with my friends. It's changed the development of my relationship. I don't commute to work anymore. I mean... It's the big one.

Ha. This is a good one this year. Where to begin! I lost my job and my school program. I have no unemployment income, I work part-time from home and take home about $700 a month or so. Because of COVID, and because I live in the US, where the government has let over 200,000 people die before they let the stock market fall again or something. They sent us $1200 six months ago and that's it. I just got on food stamps but they send the card for it in the mail and the government is slowing the mail down to try to steal the election in a couple months, so I don't have it yet. My stepmom lectured me on how everything was going to be okay. I think it's my fault for letting her believe I've been okay all these years instead of struggling to hold a decent job, go back to school, and get my health under control. It's a miracle I'm not dead by suicide already. I tried to ignore the news last year. Now I read it every day so I can keep myself alive - if I didn't, the part of me that thinks my terrible life is my fault would've destroyed me by now.

I think, like many people, the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many other Black Americans have really opened my eyes to how complicit I was. I feel like I am "woke", but as a white person I have so much more to learn and do to fully dismantle racism and racist spaces. I am so excited that I joined MADSA just this week to hopefully make changes and get more educated and involved in actually doing something to help the USA become better.

My school closing due to Covid and working from home like 90% of the country but I suppose this one is not supposed to be about corona. BLM is the next most common popular answer and it really hit home with the death of Rayshard Brooks as the cop that killed him used to be stationed in Grant Park. The protests were intense and ongoing in the middle of a pandemic. It was awesome to see ppl marching but also a little scary. I was worried about the kids, rioting, bad actors coming to atl to take advantage of the moment but fortunately none of that really happened. It made me realize how pivotal this year has been for changing America and how this is a unique time we are living through.

Omg!! So not sure if I need to say covid!!? The black lives matters movement - brought to light how tired I am of racism!

I don’t think you can get around COVID for this answer. It postponed the Olympics, shut schools and country borders, and caused extreme loneliness globally. There is a thought that we haven’t really fully comprehended how we will deal with the collective trauma of the year. Additionally, this has become a politically divisive issue. People who won’t wear masks think that it infringes on their freedom and refuse to acknowledge that COVID is “any worse than the flu”. Leaked documents in the last few days have shown Trump knew that COVID was fatal and downplayed it for months. I need to pray more for this upcoming election.

One would think that COVID 19, the pandemic which has now killed more than two hundred thousand in the United States alone and millions of people worldwide, would be all that was mentioned here. This combined with the Trump administrations abjectly criminal response should be all the impact any of us could withstand. The Republican majority in the Senate sits by allowing the criminal response along with the corruption of all our governing bodies, the Supreme Court, CDC, DOJ, EPA, DOE, just to mention a few. All the while crimes against humanity are committed at ICE detention centers against our immigrant brothers and sisters. We are on the brink of becoming a fascist regime, with Trump now threatening to stop the election of Joe Biden who leads in the polls. It is hard not to feel helpless with this dismantling of our decency as a nation, and our democratic institutions of government. And as we face each day, with mounting depths of grief, we have yet to survive an unprecedented hurricane season and catastrophic wild fires in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. I have never felt so ashamed of America and what it means to be American. In the midst of all of this--people have risen up by the millions across the globe to protest police brutality with the death of George Floyd-an African American man who was murdered by police officers, recorded by bystanders and seen on all media platforms. We can no longer hide from the brutality of the police and the systemic racism that has led to the deaths and incarceration of countless innocent Black and Brown American Brothers and Sisters, simply because they were people of color. In this there is a glimmer of hope--as we unite across all ages, cultures and beliefs to support Black Lives Matter. At this time I don't know if we will survive this election cycle as a democracy. At the same time that voter registration and the commitment to vote is at an all time high, the Republican Party and Trump continue to criminally curtail, block, and intimidate voters who most certainly will vote against the Trump administration--Personally I am numb, my tears have dried up and it is all I can do to put one foot in front of the other, work, take care of my husband, keep my household running, hold it together. I don't feel like I am doing enough and yet it is all I can do to just get through the day. I am trying hard to hold fast to some kind of faith, hope that we the people will overcome. On the Eve of Rosh Hashanah Ruth Bader Ginsberg crossed over. The courageous one is taken from us. I search deep for such a commitment, a commitment I once had but feel no longer. In many ways I feel lost-I am bereft.

How can I not say the covid pandemic? It is changed everything from how I work, to how I connect with people, to how I spend my free time... It affected how I got married, how we travel, and blessed me by giving me a lot more time alone with my new husband.

Covid19 has been a major disruption event in my working, family and personal life. Worse part I can’t see how we can plan any travels or normal activities to see our overseas family

Covid-19 has impacted nearly everything it feels. We sheltered in place. We watched as the virus spiraled out of control. I lost faith in my faith community as I was met with conspiracy theories and a lack of trust in science. I grew distant from God. I developed a clinical anxiety disorder and began medication and therapy. I attempted spring homeschool with 4 kids - 7, 5, 3, and 15 months. My husband worried about his job. I worried about his health. We haven't seen my family in 9 months. I have been on two dates with my husband in 9 months. We are homeschooling for the 2020-2021 academic school year. We created a pod. I miss my friends and family and time away from my kids for a girls night out. I miss social connection. Politics has divided friendships and family relationships temporarily. The love is still there, but the conversations are too difficult. We see things through different lenses. Our truths and news contradict one another. The energy it takes to fact check in conversations is exhausting. It's like our togetherness is on hold until things settle down. This breaks my heart.

There’s no way to pick just one. I’ve lost most of my work due to COVID. The racial justice uprising has me newly dedicated to antiracism. Smoky air kept me inside for 10 days this month. I am nervous about the election, but hopeful, too. 2020. What a year.

OMG of course the Covid 19 pandemic! It's changed our way of life and greatly affected our emotional and mental health. We are sequestered from each other, often alone and without connection. This is terribly hard for us all. This has affected everyone but mostly our healthcare workers who give so very much to their patients. I think that Trump completely mishandled, misled and lied to the American people and caused the death of 200,000 Americans thus far - something that clearly could have been prevented had he followed prescribed pandemic protocols and left the pandemic experts in place at the CDC. Trump is a criminal. He has committed crimes against humanity.

The event with the biggest impact on my life, as I'm sure is true for many, is the COVID quarantines. The trauma of the disease and the quarantine is ravaging and throwing fuel on already unbelievable fires of divisiveness and partisanship in the nation. I'm heartbroken by the number of deaths, and the overall trauma that has been caused.

Covid-19 I have learned to slow down and smell the roses with so many restrictions. My hope is that the world will feel smaller and everyone will feel and act more connected through this crisis.

Covid 19 is everyone's answer. I took one tack where all my pals complain about gaining the Covid 15 but I used the time to really focus and work out vigorously, to watch portion control and cook only good nutrition and lower fat meals. I am down 15 as a result ... but it is a daily battle to stay at that level or even harder to get even thinner.

The pandemic, the fires, and the politics. But honestly the fires are what finally got to me. The smoke and ash are literally in your face. I cough, I can't go outside, and I feel like I'm in solitary. The pandemic makes life hard and complicated but I have workarounds. The news is scary but I manage to turn it off. But the smoke makes me feel trapped and anxious with no good coping strategy.

For me, COVID-19. I was luck enough to not be impacted by hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, or earthquakes. It has made me stay in one place, not travel, miss family and friends, and be very stressed and depressed.

So many! The pandemic, of course, has altered nearly every aspect of life. I can't choose one event in the political world because there is one nearly every day and sometimes many in a day. I feel depressed, worn down, and more lacking in hope than I have ever been in my life. From around thirty onward, I regarded myself as resilient. I don't feel that way now. I feel fragile and I hurt. The loss of 200,000 lives so far in this country alone breaks my heart so that I can hardly bear it. 9/11 changed my worldview forever, but my optimism reasserted itself. I find myself more pessimistic than I have ever been. Still, I understand that I am blessed and I consider it my personal responsibility to join with others to fight wrong. The circumstances we live in have only strengthened my resolve to live a life of Tikkun Olam.

The increasing repression and movement toward fascism by the Trump administration have moved me toward more activism, albeit mostly from home due to the pandemic. I created two videos with a friend, contacted County Democratic Party Committees in swing counties in FL, started phone banking for local Democrats in swing counties, increased my donations to swing State Democratic campaigns and the Biden campaign, and increased my volunteer time to help preserve voter rights.

Covid19, George Floyd's death, presidential election--all of these were so polarizing. I feel like we are descending into civil war like Serbia etc. The majority of people there, I have learned, were not part of the polarization, didn't want war or divisiveness, but they were pulled in regardless and ended up with a scarred and broken country.

Oh god. There are so many negative things I could talk about, Trump-wise - from his handling of covid to what are essentially concentration camps at the border; from RBGs passing just a few days ago and the obscene republican reaction to trying to dismantle USPS and alter the election results....what truly has impacted me the most is the BLM movement. It’s truly horrific that cops for literal generations have gotten away with literal murder with no consequences whatsoever and I’ve been donating and trying my best to educate other white peoples about what it truly means to be anti-racist and how we can show up and support the movement. Matter is the minimum and this should not be a partisan issue - human rights should not be a partisan issue.

The death of RBG on Rosh Hashanah, the impeachment but lack of removal of Trump, and the realization that racism is so deeply entrenched that we will not get out in our lifetime. Or the next, likely.

Climate change and the societal responses have impacted me. Not impacted as in affected me circumstantially, but affected me spiritually and us all culturally. It is inspiring that one young person and a whole lot of social media attention can mobilize all that human energy toward change. Yet all that energy cannot shift the political approaches. I have been and continue to carry immense grief, tempered by faith and hope, countered by power and capitalist greed. My response has been to follow, participate, talk about it incessantly but with less and less drive to stay motivated because I think we are too little, too late.

The black lives matter movement revolution. At least I would call it a revolution. I have participated in Black Lives Matter marches since the beginnings of its foundings, but never has there been this much widespread attention. I have felt a lot of sadness, for the hundreds of lives taken, for their communities. I have felt a lot of anger, about the people who say 'all lives matter', and criticize the BLM movement for being a group of violence-inciting rioters. I have felt some hope, with my generation being so active in the movement for change.

THE PANDEMIC; CORONAVIRUS!!!!!! Literally our entire lives have completely shifted due to this pandemic which blew up in march when we all were sent home. The world had somewhat of an idea of corona in late January but the virus hit countries like China, Italy and England in February. No one in history has ever experienced a global pandemic of this magnitude before. It feels like something like this should NEVER of happened in the first place because we are so technologically and medically advanced. We are constantly reminded of this virus every day and in everything we do. The fear of contracting this virus is so real due to the contagious nature of this disease so we are all constantly paranoid when someone simply coughs or sneezes. We cannot hug people, we can't hold hands, we can't stand close to other people, we can't have large gatherings, almost all classes are virtual (zoom university), we must wear a mask to cover our noses and mouths, the list goes on and on. It has taken such a toll on our mental health, constantly weighing us down. At times, it feels as though there is no hope or alleviations from our fears. I hope that in the coming year, the world will begin to heal and that this pandemic will end.

COVID. Which has really impacted everyone, but in different ways. It's impacted me because I'm visiting my family less, I'm working from home, I don't visit friends frequently (just via Zoom). It has made me feel very small. It has made me change routines, but also has meant I get to spend more time with my roommates and doing crafts. I feel like while the changes are a mix of things, the overall has been a net positive.

Without question, the Covid pandemic, in so many ways, from how much time my family is at home to my Jewish life, to planned events in our lives that were cancelled or moved online. And there seems to be no end in sight.

UH COVID. Seems impossible to think of anything else. It has impacted so many aspects of daily life - I see all my clients remotely via a telehealth video platform, which is totally workable and I'm grateful, but I also miss sharing a space energetically and the nonverbal communication that a screen cannot capture. I've definitely noted an increase in my own anxiety, manifesting as fear, irritability and a desire to control what I can (and things I can't). I'm fortunate that COVID hasn't impacted me more on a persona level. I am certainly adjusting to societal aspects like social distancing and lucky to be able to afford to eat out and support local businesses. I miss concerts, public transit, seeing my friends more often and being able to hug family. More recently, RBG's death has impacted me. I let myself cry and feel sadness, grief, awe and fear.

Oh lord, what event hasn't had an impact on me either directly or indirectly? COVID has shut down our entire country. Racial justice has turned my city into a news item and has put a laser focus on the work that I do professionally. The election terrifies me and I wish I was doing more to make a difference. On and on and on. . . unfortunately the news has been so prevalent in all that we do.

Coronavirus! Literally we can't answer with anything else but this! Now I live in jail, I'm agoraphobic, my hopes of ever having a love life or any kind of life again are dead in the water, I live in fear, and everyone could die horribly or be disabled for life due to this. I haven't even had anything REALLY bad happen to me yet and I'm insane and damaged.

I can't decide if saying COVID is too obvious or not, but I'm going to go with it anyway. COVID caused me to lose my job, but I found a new one that pays almost twice as much. Unfortunately it means I haven't touched another human being in approximately 6 months now. Cheddar is great, but it's not the same. I also miss my family. I saw them for my birthday, which I'm grateful for, but I was masked most of the time and practicing distancing to the best of my ability which was important, but depressing.

Trump being President is a disaster. His leadership is mean-spirited, immature, petty, and petulant as well as vile. He gives me no hope and fills me with dread for the future. Ruth Bader Ginsburg dying now is a calamity.

The failures of Donald Trump. As of today, 200,000 people have died from the pandemic. People that I thought I knew, can’t even have a conversation with me because they act like they’re in a cult. He is so despicable, that I have actually become much more political because of him. And I am hoping to get the word out that everybody needs to vote to vote him out.

Oh, where to begin. The easy answer is the pandemic, but that has impacted the entire world, so why should I count myself as any different? No, the most life-changing event was the killing of George Floyd by the police. It was atrocious and unconscionable. And it forced me out of my stupor and into action. I have taken a brief pause as my own life forces me to, but it has certainly stoked the fire beneath me to help right the wrongs in this country.

The death of Chadwick Bozeman floored me. He was 43 years young and had access to all of the best of the best in medical care yet still it was not enough. I’m married to a 45 year old man. I see how cancer depleted Chadwick and I do not want that for him. It makes me scared to know that screening isn’t covered until the age of 50! Even though evidence is pointing that even 40 may be too old, especially for african American males. I just think that life is precious and at any moment we could all be facing a different perspective than the one we Went to sleep with the night before. Take care if each other and yourselves

Well, the obvious answer is Covid. It impacted me directly because it robbed me of time I could have spent with Dad. I don't think it could have prevented the gallbladder attack that ultimately led to the pneumonia that killed him. It was hard to communicate just on the phone because he was so hard of hearing. And I think the isolation had to have been a factor in his willingness to fight his way back. But who knows? He was 94. His health was declining. I'm glad mu brother was there when he passed. So Covid had a direct impact on me. I miss him so much. He was the best man I know.

The continuing Trump presidency affects everything. It's allowed hate speech to become normal. But he's a symptom, a symptom of continuing extremism on both sides. There's a lack of compassion and kindness. Covid either makes it much worse, e.g. the politicalization of masks, or better, bringing out the best in people. It comes down to people caring for themselves or recognizing our communal responsibilities.

The COVID 19 pandemic has had a direct impact on me. First, we have been limited in the amount of exposure we are able to have with the outside world, then most profoundly, I was laid off from my job due to the pandemic.

Ha. Well Covid has been front and center, but alongside all of that, the BLM movement and the rising anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism has been really front-page. And politics have been a shitshow, to say the very very least. It's hard not to become numb to it all, especially when nothing seems to be changing.

Hard to pick- Covid - changed our world forever. Divided us as a country again. Fearful for our lives. Shocked that people can be so ignorant. Follow a man so blindly who just makes things up as he goes along. Scared of Covid and what could happen. The death of RBG is devastating to us as a country, as Jews, as democrats, as women. People again are so mean, divided, ignorant, angry. I decided last night I want to move. Will I still feel that way in a few months? We shall see.

I feel like these will start getting repetitive: Covid shifted everything. It’s altered the end of my graduate school experience, my reentry into the working world, my relationships, my social life. This digital and distant life we’re living has been unprecedented. I had established a life I very much enjoyed, with it’s bustling social times and active nature, and I took pride in it. It’s depressing to feel so far from it and either unmotivated or worried to reengage or attempt something new.

Too many to count : Australian bushfire, COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement all have made us think and creeped into our conversation and daily life in one way or another.

1) The murder of George Floyd. This woke the world up for some reason, when we should have been awake for years and years. However, I think it's because people were home with time and energy to give, which is a good thing in the grand scheme of things..better late than never, I suppose. Part of that has meant that the Jewish Emergent Network did a really cool "Confessions of the Heart" over the course of Elul -- I found it very insightful and powerful to think about racism through a Jewish lens. And, as was so correctly pointed out to me in the community processing conversation, it is a new part of intersectionality that I let myself pretty much ignore. I still have questions about how that work around anti-racism and intersectionality play out in my day-to-day, but it feels really important to me and I am really grateful for the opportunity to delve in. 2) Coronavirus. This one is pretty obvious, of course. I left Israel without saying bye to people. I arrived in America without saying hi to people. It has been a really hard transition and I don't know what it will be like to going back to expressing my extrovert-ness, and I don't know what I will want afterwards, and I barely know who I am now. I am already nervous about starting full time work in a week and a half. This has changed the world, put my friends in stressful situations, highlighted my anxiety around the health of my family, and generally thrown everyone off. I am grateful that I got a job during this crazy time, but am still very affected by it in terms of how my isolation is manifesting and what decisions I am making at this time. 

COVID-19 is definitely a global event that has impacted me in every way. It's impacted my work, my music, my family, my exercise, my wellbeing. Every part of everybody's lives has been impacted in some way by this virus. That is both a comforting, and a terrifying thought. What really upsets me, though, is when people tell us that we haven't been impacted. We are so lucky that we're teachers, and thus we've been paid our full salaries throughout the restrictions. I agree that there are others, such as my parents, who were hit hard and now have to rebuild their businesses. Why is it, though, that this seems to make us less important than them? Are we not permitted to feel any kind of disappointment, because they're worse off than we are?

Covid19 impacted the WORLD and connected us for the first time with everyone. It lasted for awhile, that incredible sense of connection, but truthfully, it seems to have worn off. other places in the world are experiencing extreme famine, suffering other natural disasters, dying in larger numbers. The list goes on. My refrigerator is full, always, embarrassingly so. This isn't right, and yet, this is so. Also, Covid19 has opened a portal to change that is in fact happening. This time of change includes the groundswell for racial equity, for Black Lives Matter, for being conscious of climate change as the fires burn up the west coast. The change is not all positive, change never is. It's a shadow time as much as anything else. And I have just maybe 10-15 years left of my life. This is not how I expected to spend it.

COVID19. Lost my friend Andrew to the illness. Otherwise, it sharply narrowed my world to immediate family and few close friends for limited outside socializing, eliminated most favorite entertainments -live music, theater, movies, group events, travel. Made me become more comfortable with regular stretches of time alone, encouraged me to read alot more, walk the dog more, attend more educational zooms/mtgs for self enrichment, increased the long conversations with friends, deeper and more involved that usual more superficial conversations .

I think everyone will answer covid-19 covid has impacted me in so many ways. Having to wear a mask everywhere I go. Having to sanitize everything including myself. Being scared to even go out to eat. Not able to go anywhere fun or see my friends especially my family! I miss my family so much

The pandemic has affected me very much, as it has most people. I felt shock at first and an inability to fully grasp the changes it was bringing as we stayed indoors, washed groceries, feared contagion everywhere, and contemplated the unknown future. We still don't know what will happen or how long this will last, but things have plateaued and we are finding a way to live our lives, making the most of the "new normal," still with the hope that the situation will improve.

The death of Kobe Bryant was incredible. It felt like 9/11. For some reason everything just stopped and I actually cried.

I think everyone’s answer will be covid... and mine will be, too. I was expecting and I had all these plans for a fancy baby shower, a trip to Italy, and so on. Instead of all of that, we just stayed home. I had a zoom baby shower, and we’ve had to be very careful about taking bill out. Even having the grandparents and other relatives over has been somewhat stressful due to the spread of it. Our lives changed completely and I had the strangest, most isolated pregnancy and maternity leave.

The Discovery of the Cuyamungue Institute in Santa Fe, NM and the practice of ecstatic trance postures!

Covid. I don't mind the lack of travel or nice vacation spots. I actually kind of liked April when my office was almost shut down and I had time for projects at home. The most impactful part of the pandemic was to see how the country's response was politicized and large swaths of people refused to believe that the virus was real. I was shocked at how many people had total disregard for the fact that they were exposing others to the virus by not following simple procedures. It gave me a new and not very flattering view of our american culture.

I wonder if anyone is putting anything besides COVID in here this year.....The new/increased energy around the Black Lives Matter movement feels at least as important, but hasn't had a huge personal impact - well, my commute home was made wierd for awhile because of the protests/CHOP, but I rolled with it. I did get a small anti-racism book group started via zoom, and am grateful for the chance it has given me to get to know those particular friends (and fbfs who are now "real" friends because of this) more intimately, and spend some virtual irl time with them. I hope we decide to continue after we finish the current book.

Coronovirus. Drove the country apart, but brought out family together.

Umm... fucking COVID. For real, this is actually a question this year?

COVID-19 has been all of 2020. RBG died on erev rosh hashanah on friday. I cried.

The world is literally and figuratively on fire this year. I guess it has been, but it’s made itself especially known now. In particular, ICE raids and police brutality have been weighting on my heart and mind. After Tree of Life, I had a very real understanding of how it might feel to be black after a traumatic murder of a black person. how sick and awful and mad and sad and empty and hurt and angry you can be. It is really hard to know what to do- how to actually meaningfully affect change, and to be willing to give up some privilege in doing so. It motivates me to do better in my work and to discourage apathy in all ways around me.

I mean...who isn't going to say COVID? Oh, wait, me. Because while COVID has impacted me, it hasn't been the same way as other people. I've, in fact, been quite fortunate not to have a job to lose, not to have many out-of-home activities to lose, not to have to worry about financials, I'm still staying home as much as I did, I don't have to worry about feeling guilty for not going to appointments or going to the pool. Everyone else gets to find out what it's like to be disabled in this word---to make the choice between health and work, to try to live on the pittance government gives us, to wonder what might happen if no one can fix your problem or health care isn't available, the feel the loneliness of being socially isolated, to understand how unfair it is when you employer refuses to accommodate you when you see people risking their lives because of "personal freedom" even though it could endanger yours, to understand the paradox of doing "nothing" but being tired and out of energy anyway, to know how much pressure everyone is under to be productive or use this "free time", to feel your mental health slowly getting worse and worse and not having a single thing to do about it because there's no way a therapist is going to have an open appointment for the next three months, to understand the trauma of a world that doesn't care about you and won't provide a space for you--so you just have to suck it up. It fucking sucks, doesn't it? Welcome to the world of the disabled, the chronically ill, the impaired, the poor, the elderly, the homeless and every other person society deems is unworthy of health, money, jobs, a social life, and just existing unless they are contributing SOMETHING to society.

"One event" for me is a combination of Covid-Trump-Black Lives Matter-Climate Crisis ... they are all connected, so they are one event for me. They have all made me profoundly sad but also, I think (hope?) have made me a more sensitive and compassionate person, more attune to the pain of others. I especially feel that way with regard to Black Lives Matter, as I have been forced to focus on parts of the Black experience in America that I knew about intellectually but not emotionally. I'm hoping to continue this work as part of a church group exploring race this year. I wish I could say that I've gained a greater sense of efficacy as a result of these events. I'm trying (I'm calling voters in Pennsylvania for Biden/Harris every week) but I don't have any confidence that I do will make a difference. As I wrote last year, I have greater empathy with people in history who found themselves in a terrible political time and weren't sure of the way forward. But, also reflecting last year's answer to this question, I am also proud of myself for responding with integrity to the world around me. I haven't participated in the climate of contempt and I haven't given in to cancel culture. I hope I will be able to say the same next year.

George Floyd’s death impacted me as it finally woke me up from the pattern of being appalled by these tragedies and then moving on with my life. I realize that this time had to be different. Enough is enough and it’s time for black liberation (not just for a moment but for a lifetime)

The recent death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg had me in tears. Such an amazing example of a life lived to serve others. She worked until the end fighting for democracy and equality. The tears were in honor of her legacy, and also the fear in the realization that her empty seat on the court could potentially be filled by Trump. It sometimes felt like she was holding our hopes for us. And now we need to fight in memory of her. May her memory be a revolution.

Besides Covid? And 200,000 Americans dead so far? And our economy in the toilet? And police murdering people for being black? And the country literally on fire between police brutality protests and wildfires out west? And the GOP becoming the party of fascism and Trumpism? And then, to rub salt on the wound, RBG dying? And a million other terrible things I'm forgetting? It's just been a shit year. I have never donated to a political campaign before, but Greg and I gave $500 to a fund for Democratic senate races and $100 to Biden/Harris. We want to leave a better world for our children.

It would be hard to deny that this fucking virus impacted me, but I am doing my best to minimize it. I refuse to participate in any covid bullshit. I do not talk about it, or give it any space in my life (I almost skipped this question). Yes, to do this I am pretty much isolated in my home, but that to me is peace and love and that is my choice for my life.

Well, that would be COVID. There's literally never been a world event with a larger, more encompassing impact on my life than the pandemic. I fundamentally believe that it is morally and ethically my responsibility to keep others safe with my actions, so I have been working to develop a relatively sustainable set of precautions and guidelines that minimize the risk of myself becoming a carrier and passing the virus on to anyone else. In a way, I appreciate that I've been able to implement my values in my daily life to the extent that I have, and that I've been able to take this break from the usual routines and habits of my life to cultivate new practices.

The COVID pandemic, we weren't able to go on our long awaited trip to Israel, or to see my in-laws, which we usually do twice a year. They're getting older, and I wonder if we'll see them again.

COVID-19 is the obvious answer here as it has delayed me from participating in what I would consider to be a normal, formal tertiary education. This is has also caused me to make relatively few new connections at university and as such be unable to establish myself in a new and exciting context.

Today, Monday, has been a busy day after a wonderful weekend celebrating Hannah with friends. It's been busy because I'm delegating Fall CIP curriculum creation to the team and this week will be intense since I'm taking next week off to do SLB's Mirroring Training and will be in Eureka Valley (East of Big Pine). Unfortunately, I just found out that it's been canceled due to poor air quality caused by wild fires in the area and the BLM placing lots of restrictions on public access to land. This is a heavy blow because I've really been looking forward to this opportunity, not only to learn but also to escape to a meaningful place and set my intentions / reset my compass. I've been feeling off lately and needed this revamp. The calling into the desert has been strong, but it was just denied. After a long day at work, I'm going to go on a bike ride and come up with a plan b. COVID has been the most impactful event in the past year. Here are ways it has had an impact on my life: - Work: No international travel has kept us at home and forced us to create virtual programs. Cool stuff, but this means all of my amazing travel plans (the DR, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador) were canceled, I have to pay for myself this summer since I'm not traveling on AMIGOS money. My American Airlines miles and status go out the window, I was going to get up there this year! And all of the other things that come with transitioning our entire work to virtual and potentially domestic programs. We'll see how 2021 looks at AMIGOS and if I'm there. - Getting out into nature! I've made new friends, most of which are adventure friends, and I did a great job going on adventures about every other weekend. I've gotten to know so many parts of CA and truly dive in. See the adventure log for a reminder of how awesome it all is. If I was traveling for work, I wouldn't have done this! And being forced to do things outside has certainly been a blessing. - Meeting Rebs. Probably wouldn't have happened this way if it weren't for the new and unique restrictions on our lives. I'm happy we've had this space to get to know each other and am excited about her. - So many more things that I'm too tired to remember and articulate with my fingers! My head is hurting from an early meeting and too much / not enough caffeine, eyes burning from looking at the screen for almost 10hrs, and it's time to ride it out because the air quality is good in Berkeley! Off to Grizzly peak with Hannah!

Ruth Bader Ginsberg's recent death feels earth shattering to me. Both because of the enormity of the loss of a great soul, and because of the underhanded political maneuvering going on around it. I feel so in the minority in my notions of what's right in the world.

Ugh, the pandemic. One aspect of the pandemic is that it reminded me that I am meant to work in healthcare. I was able to get through some very challenging minutes, days and weeks because I knew that I was doing important work that was making a difference. I was a little jealous of people who had "all this time" on their hands and were baking bread, but I think that being busy was a better scenario for me during the beginning stages of the pandemic, especially.

Uh. I honestly don’t know how to answer this without laughing. All roads lead to COVID. Talk about being humbled. Here we are, humans. Reminded yet again of our frailty and the reality of death. Good news is that if we survive The Valley of The Shadow we are certain to be more alive tomorrow than we were yesterday. When I answered this question last year, I said that I felt a desire to retreat into my own world but an inability to do that. Oddly, that still resonates. I don’t really want to go back out there. At least not until after the election.

Without a doubt, Covid-19. I have had to cancel trips, and my work has changed dramatically (I work in healthcare). It has made me reconsider my retirement plans (which involve traveling, a lot). It has prevented me from visiting family, in the US and abroad.

HK protests. Wing Man no longer wants to go back home after she graduates and I'm worried that it will effect her relationship with her parents and siblings. I hope HK gets the liberty it deserves but HK is the tip of the ice burg for Chinese government overreach.

RBG just died. And the pandemic should be my answer but the pandemic is now and RBG’s loss feels like it may define the future. We lost a role model and champion of social justice. I worry about our country continuing to resemble Trump’s America. There’s so much hatred.

COVID-19 - I am locked down physically, mentally overtaxed, with no transition time.

Saying the Coronavirus seems too obvious and in a way, it hasn't affected me that much. I accepted a new job right before the shelter-at-home order and as I was considered "essential", nothing has really changed. My old job, though the same job just a different dealership, did go to a reduced schedule for my former coworkers so in a way, I lucked out. A bad cold kept me home for two weeks to be safe and we closed for two weeks but otherwise it's been normal life. My boyfriend works from home now so it has helped us spend more time together, if anything.

Corona virus.....limiting things,places to do and go

This year we experienced a racial justice revolution. With the murder of George Floyd came protests all across the country, and a concerted effort from many people to dismantle the racist systems our country has been built upon. This affected me greatly. I’ve always been a supporter of Black LIves Matter, but it was heartening to see so many people come out in support. It was very disturbing to continue taking a long hard look at the systems of oppression that are still very much alive in the US, and I donated, contacted representatives, signed petitions, and protested in the streets of Philly in support of anti racism. I still don’t feel like I did/am doing enough, but I’m always looking for ways to help and I’m especially attuned to what I can do to help Joe Biden win (even if we’re not happy about it). Obviously the events of this year didn’t affect me as much as they affected black Americans, but I definitely think this year brought the biggest focus on racial justice that I’ve seen in my life.

My gosh. The world is boiling over with impactful events this year. COVID really set off my ocd, which led to me getting on meds for the first time in a few years. Despite my fears, they’ve actually been really helpful. I’m not showering 7 times a day anymore!! And I think BLM has really pushed me to think more deeply about how I can aim to be an ally to the Black community and examine the racism within me more deeply. I hope to push myself to be better.

Getting sick with the virus around my 40th birthday made me appreciate my health in a whole different way. The pandemic is a world event & though I understood how susceptible I was to getting ill, I didn't truly believe I'd get it that fast. It made me realize how fragile we truly are. I lost 20lbs in 10 days. I'm so lucky to have no long term effects that i know of all these months later.

I'm impacted by COVID-19, by the awakening of the US to Black Lives Matter, by the wildfires on the West Coast, by climate change across the globe, by the deepening divide politically in the US, and by rising antisemitism. These are all affected me in personal ways. I'm very afraid of contracting this disease at age 60 and with heart disease. The Black Lives Matter protests have been so important, and due to COVID, I have been afraid to participate. The smoke from the fires is hurting my chest and I am back on the inhalers that I took two years ago. I am afraid in a very real way for what is happening to our planet and how this will affect the lives of my children and possible grandchildren. The rising antisemitism is giving me unwanted memories of my own confrontations with this and stirring up strong fears. The political division is active within my own family and has inhibited my ability to fully participate in my mother's medical support team.

Obviously, COVID has impacted me, although not nearly as terribly as many other people. My husband and I are fortunate - we have a home, sufficient food and funds, and are retired. COVID put a spotlight on the acute level of racism in our society. The Trump presidency continued to be a disaster, not to mention the western wildfires worsened by climate change, and now, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This is probably the worst year I have experienced, and I remember 1968!

Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death, just this last Friday, was a shock, if not a surprise. I felt incredibly sad and scared all at once. It was also one more bad thing after a long line of Bad Things - and the fact that she passed on Rosh Hashanah seemed to add even more weight to her passing. It's made me feel a burning desire to see her legacy continued and strengthened - and the timing of it kind of makes me think that the Universe is fucking with all of us.

No doubt it was Covid 19. It impacted the world. We are living in a new reality. In New York we lived in fear and isolation for many months and only have emerged recently but still with the threat hanging over our heads.

The murder of George Floyd and the events and protests that followed in its wake have belatedly awakened me to the extent of racism in this country and to my own blinders and unconscious complicity. I am trying to better educate myself and reckon with my own biases in an attempt to become a better ally for Black people and other people of color and a more conscious, proactive and effective anti-racist.

I covered Covid, so to this I will answer the debacle of American politics. We are riven and full of mistrust. I hope when reading this next year, we will see improvement, but I am not sanguine. The situation is sad and terrible.

I struggle to grasp the enormity of the changes I've seen over the year. The fires (Australia, the West Coast) in particular have held my thoughts. I am reminded of a medical ethics case study I read many years ago about a burn survivor and I think of him with an odd frequency as of late. I try to imagine how we will all come out on the other side of this and feel so lost.

Duh... The Pandemic. Everything is so much smaller and so much closer. Home is the center of everything now, and my closest relationships are core. The periphery has faded away.

Two events one on top of the other. My wife's cancer diagnosis and Covid19. If we waited a month to have her operation it may not have happen due to the pandemic. Fortunately we got in early and are cancer free.

RBG just passed away. She transformed this world, and it looks like she'll replaced by her ideological opposite. I'm getting worried about the future.

The fire at Moria. All the times to Greece, all the rejection of the world, now made worse.

Pandemic. I also am not working with TeachBeyond as of December.

The question is which one - this has been an amazingly hellish year. The event that's had the biggest impact on my life - day-to-day - is the COVID-19 pandemic. It's done that for everyone (except the fools and morons who believe it's "fake"). There's also been the BLM protests - which are long overdue and I hope we can actually get white people to make substantive change; the fires in the west and the hurricanes in the south - climate change rapidly progressing and again, I hope we can get all people to make substantive change; and the continuing shitshow that is the Trump administration. There's no one event - it's a cascade of crap that has kept my stress levels up every day, all day.

Breonna Taylor's death and the subsequent protests. I have been angry ever since Ferguson. Now I'm somewhere beyond anger.

Covid, social injustice, wildfires, deaths of icons, hurricanes... the list goes on. I'm still trying to process the immense joy I feel from birthing a child in a year full of so much distress. It's overwhelming, emotional and amazing in both a negative and positive way. I would love to see the world remained changed for the good without the threat of the virus and our health. Positive push and change of perspective. I've never been challenged to reflect more on myself, beliefs, and the world around me. To listen. To be open minded.

The old Covid 19 sure stuck a spanner in the works. Though when I look back, I really didn't like the way the world was going and I am actually glad that anything could bring that to a halt. I really hope that moving forward people remember that it was the 'unskilled' working class frontline workers that kept this society functioning, NOT billionaires hoarding wealth in their mansions. I desperately hope our society rethinks who we look up to and why, and realises that rich and powerful people only care about themselves.

It wasn't COVID alone, but a conflation of COVID and politics. If COVID could have occurred without political tension, I would have been much less impacted. Instead, it's highly divisive and turned into a mask-wearing war. I have been impacted by the sheer volume of opinions on social media regarding whether or not COVID is real, if wearing a mask is an attempt to control the populous, if this is all left-wing panic, etc. Plus I have been affected personally in my career by people I know! When someone says COVID is a conspiracy or it is no different from seasonal flu, I feel like my entire career choice is being insulted. Clearly it gets me worked up. I have had to really hold my tongue frequently... and always glad I did. I only engaged in a couple minor arguments when absolutely necessary.

The death of RBG shook me to my core. My first reaction should have been grief and instead it was terror. I find it unforgivable the state of the county made it this way.

How do you pick just one!? So much has happened this year. It’s exhausting and desensitizing. I feel the running theme of my answers over the last couple years is me losing faith in humanity. This year has been a huge loss in faith (everything the Trump administration does) and as well as boost (protests). Unfortunately, I’m not sure which is winning.

Um. Covid. Trump. Climate change specifically Wildfire season in California.....wow. so forked. My partner says he can't be home next fire season because of his serious asthma. Covid has made our social world very small which is interesting. I found that taking a bunch of months for be calm and focused was really good for me. I do look forward to seeing friends and dancing again when I can. And I am teaching remotely because of Covid which is a whole new bag of skills and is exhausting. I'm having a bit of fun with online teaching though.

I feel like this is a cliche answer this year, but I would have to say the pandemic impacted me a whole lot. Having to completely redefine my work life and social life really impacted who I am as a person and what I value in the world.

Pandemic - I have spoken of it in each day’s question. Greta Thunberg’s speech to the UN, particularly “How dare you?” My daughter does is a thinker, and Greta Thunberg has made me so much more aware that the next generation and the one after Really Care about this world, not just themselves. The way that, finally, the world has begun to realize that Black Lives Matter - with the murder of George Floyd - in a new way, that white privilege is real, and that, until I and many others change and take responsibility for so many black deaths, the situation will only get worse. Somehow, I think that the shameful treatment of the LGBTQ may, at last, begin to get proper respect. All these things are the faults of my generation brought to the fore. I’ve been reading a lot, and the pandemic has given me amazing opportunities to become educated so that I CAN CHANGE! I’m no longer willing to Tsk Tsk without living my life differently. So global warming, POC, and LGBTQ are all in the world and really have my attention.

Oh, my gosh, this is so recent: The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Jew, and a wonderful representative of my views. I am worried about what will happen next. Will Trump be able to appoint yet another super Conservative?

Covid and the threat of the end to democracy after the 2020 election I am conscious of the preciousness of my life and try to keep the practices to protect myself. I am anxious about the loss of govt support after the election if the election does not go in the way of justice f or all. I would be personally affected. And I grieve for everyone who has suffered already from the pandemic. I have been allowing myself not to dwell on these issues and find daily joy in other aspects of my life

I feel like I answered this question already!

Police violence, racial unrest, wildfires, power outages, unemployment, threats to Affordable Care Act, loss of Greenland glaciers, market crash, pandemic, lock down. No one bothers to ask us to imagine a better future. Artist simply amplify the existing despair. Most so-called 'visionary leaders' are really looking backwards - describing a mythical past with 'good jobs'. The rest is just capitalist hawking of the world-changing potential of some tech-bro's side-hustle app, which he is hell-bent on releasing into the world to his own financial gain while having no real understanding of its true lateral impact. The events of this year are, in many ways, the last events. Everything coming after this is a static, stale, now.

Well, of course the pandemic has affected all of us. I feel like it impacted me most as a musician because for awhile I couldn't practice with my band. Now we can practice, but we can't play most gigs...and shouldn't really play the outdoor ones we're playing either, really. It stopped us from going to Thewarle and also from my family gatherings...though Thewarle is still meeting, and we are losing people. And some of my family members have been sick. The BLM movement impacted me also, as a person who cares about that issue, of course. It also spurred me to use some of my resources and knowledge to help with the protests, though I didn't attend because I am quarantining. The hurricanes in the South tore up some places I love also. And the wildfires in California got very close to my sisters-in-law's house.

Coronavirus made both my parents go on hospice because their cancer treatments were no longer available.

I will skip the Covid impact as I'm sure it's the same for everyone. But I am devastated by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It goes so far beyond sadness. I am in genuine fear for our society's future. We've lost one of the last champions for equal rights in this country with any real power.

I didn't really have any major events happen within my personal life, so the only really big event that I can think of bringing up for this is of course Covid-19. But for this question, I'm going to approach it from a slightly different angle and discuss the stock market crash back in March. Over the past couple of years I've been investing a large portion of my earnings, with the long term goal of being able to retire early. Well, as someone who has only really been investing for the past 3-4 years, it was rough to see all of my accounts tanking. Within a month I had lost about 30% of my portfolio, which while not a huge number, was still not fun to watch. Since then of course I've regained pretty much everything that I had lost, so I'm really no worse off than I was back in February/early March. This was a learning experience for me, and I'm quite glad that I didn't really panic as everything was seemingly falling apart around me.

The world ~ the Earth ~ is telling us once and for all that our society and capitalism is build on a house of sand ~ the theft of land, the oppression and subjugation of human beings, and the tactics of division and separation. That our practices and ways of being are unsustainable, and she is burning, shaking, howling, swirling and creating inhospitable habitats for humans. And I'm scared. But I'm also centered, and those who have been paying attention are not at all surprised by what is going on. And it's going to get worse before it (G-d willing) gets better. I have been impacted by using this time of Sheltering in Place to create a system of education and classes for myself. Preparing my body, mind and spirit. Learning songs and stories and strengthening my muscles on all levels. Practicing that which feel important for cultivating presence and the way I want to be able to show up in the moment with the required-ness of the moment in the changing times and Great Turning that we are experiencing.

Besides the obvious pandemic? I mean, I think the rest of the world affects us all the time without us being aware of it. But specifically? I can't think of anything more than the pandemic that's affected every aspect of our daily lives. We don't hang out with friends anymore except for once every couple of weeks (just in case any of us are carriers and we accidentally infect each other) and we keep our circle small. We don't go in stores of any kind, except to return Amazon items (inside Kohl's) and Wal-Mart (no other way to do it). Only grocery pick-up these days. I'm much less picky about produce and brand names, for the most part. I'm just grateful we can get toilet paper again, you know?

I mean...! Beyond the obvious Covid nightmare at the moment (which has saved my relationship and prompted me to make the first moves out of teaching), I suppose Brexit has precipitated my lack of confidence in the government. Their utter mishandling of it is making me more and more cynical.

Oh, boy, the political climate with Trump's machinations has been driving me crazy & then RBG' death on top of that making Trump 1000 times worse than he already was. I have never hated anyone more in my life.

The obvious answer is the COVID-19 Pandemic. I don't think there is a person on the world who hasn't been affected. I'm still able to work; Chaplains are essential in the hospital. It is harder to do some of my work because I need to see faces. I am not a very physical person, but I put a lot of stock in a handshake, a shoulder touch, or a hand on the back goes a long way. It means my parents couldn't come to see E for nearly as long. I can't go home to see my grandma while she is sick. I couldn't be in the NICU. This whole thing sucks. 200,000 US Citizens have died. Our economy is a mess with all of the unemployed. The social stratification had been laid bare in a brutally public way. Every year I write this, it feels like I am creeping toward chaos.

having my eyes truly opened to the reality of systemic racism. george floyd. breonna taylor. ahmaud arbery. elijah mcclain. just to name a few. i feel equally appalled and helpless to do anything. but it has made me more vocal about injustice. i already cared about it, but this? this is not something i can be silent about.

Obviously the pandemic. We've become isolated from the world around us. Words have necessarily replaced action during a crisis (pandemic), a reckoning (race relations), and a crucial election to remove the worst President in history. "Four less years!".

O God, Covid 19,lockdown, easing of, about to tighten. Loss of so many communal things we took for granted eg signing together, theatre etc. Now home is where the heart is.

COVID. George Floyd. Trump. I have been profoundly sad and I don't know how to help. I feel powerless.

Aside from the obvious COVID pandemic. I would share the untimely death of Kobe Bryant. Kobe was my all time favorite basketball player, and one of my heroes growing up. His tenacious work effort, contagious attitude towards self improvement, and sheer willingness to continue on in the face of adversity should be a model to us all. I really can’t imagine what it was like going down in that helicopter with his daughter knowing that it was his tragic end. It makes you want to hug your loved ones every chance you have, and I am trying to do that more consistently.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died a few days ago and with this obviously fascist regime in office I worry what this will mean for my children and their friends as they grow up. What it could mean for my grandchildren. I'm terrified for the future.

Oh my - this has been a year of nothing but events - covid, Black Live Matter, the election. They have taken a toll on my emotional health, and I know I am not alone in that. Lack of connection to friends has led to looking for escapes when I can't leave the house - more cooking, more drinking, more "happy shows only" in the evening, no news or social media after dinner time.

The ongoing clusterfuck of the climate crisis, rising fascism in my country and the world, and the uprisings for racial justice. These have brought me both despair and numbing, as well as focus, clarity, and motivation to act. I live in fear for those I love, for myself, at how bad things are going to get.

I mean besides the obvious! COVID + now the death of RGB. BLM protests, as a brown woman this also hurts. Hurst that we are targeted for the color of our skin. That we even have to have this conversation. Hysterectomies for women in ICE detention facilities. This in particular brought so many memories of Dad when he was in deportation proceedings, in the ICE GEO facility in Aurora, Colorado. He too was denied needed medications. Which he had prescriptions for. Did not receive the medical care that he needed. Remembered the days where we took my sister's daughter to see grandpa in "school". Studying for midterms in a waiting room. Getting out of class and going to pick up my siblings to see dad ( 30-45 min drive one way). Being the only member of our family that was "documented". Getting questioned every time if my documents where "real". Waiting (30-45 min) to see our father for 20 min. It was my responsibility to bear, and mine alone. Really stuck home in a personal level. Last but not least, its an election year. It is ugly out there. So thankful I do not have cable. I'm disappointed that people of color and minorities, don't vote. WHY!! This country would be completely different if the number of people that think their vote doesn't count actually voted. A transition to POPULAR vote needs to happen STAT. Really. The "looser" is who is president right now, lost by 3 MILLION votes. VOTE PEOPLE !

Covid 19- the impact has been to my daughter in a very negative way. I have been taken care of, supported and am in a better financial situation. She is not and her plans to make Aliyah were completely disrupted. BH she will make Aliyah on October 6

The Covid-19 pandemic struck right when we were in the midst of an international move. We had to go through with it as our condo was already already contract, jobs gone, etc., but we lost almost everything and still find ourselves 7 months in a new (for one of us) country with no jobs, no apartment, no income whatsoever. It's put a great strain on both my husband and I and our relationship, not to mention our finances. We're in our early 50's and made the move so we could have better jobs and save for retirement but now we are living off our meagre retirement savings...

Anybody respond with something other than COVID-19? I don't have the time or energy to tick off everything that has turned to crap since it began. I could start with trump, but that would just make me ill.

SO MANY events in the world have impacted me this year. It's hard to pick one. It has to be the outbreak of the novel corona virus, COVID, primarily because of all of the ramifications that came with it. It has led me to shelter in place, which has invited in so much introspection and truth telling about what really matters to me and where I chose to put my efforts.

Living in tRump world its like a blur. Did he throw kids in cages this year, pay a porn star, assault women, shit hole countries, Get impeached, Covid-19? 'like a miracle it will go away (the pandemic)', "you watch is it'' get colder (wild fires in California) BLM rubber bullets and tear gas on peaceful protesters so the turd can shake a bible up side down in front of a church, later to find out that he wanted to use a heat ray gun...then, then RBG dies! Just so many horrible things to choose from. It makes me wonder if we can rely on each other for the greater good. i hope that G-d intercedes. I feel like these are signs and wonders that 45idiot is not paying attention to and we as the American people will pay an enormous price. We are very lucky and very ignorant. It makes me sad but knowing that our time is limited and our world has contracted without being able to travel or some days not able go outside because the Aire quality is so bad. Makes me grateful for the friends and family i have. I dont know if there needs to be something worse to happen so that people wake up to the sickness of greed, but I hope that things will change with he upcoming election and that Biden wins by a landslide so there is not the 'rigged elections" BS

This year. What hasn’t impacted me this year? It’s been a real stunner. All together, the events have made me want to build a bunker and buy weapons against the insane Q people. I have lost my optimism. Instead, I’m turning to history to help me understand how we’ll cope in these new American times.

Repeat #3.

In the world, in my family - Leigh not staying at her mom's over night creates undue stress between Leigh and me. Bernie losing has been a true burden.

Oh, good lord, how do we pick just one? I'm going with the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She is absolutely a role model and hero for me. Not only did she blaze ground a woman in an intensely male-dominated profession, she did so with dignity, grace, courtesy, and humor. May I be the warrior who is the shield for the defenseless just as she was.

The wildfires in California this year have been terrifying in their scope and ferocity. The destruction leaves no doubt about the mounting cost and danger of climate change.

COVID - I mean, it's changed everything. It even took the focus off climate change. I feel so lucky to be in Adelaide where life is - fairly - normal, but I know even here it's been different to usual.

This past year (in fact, several days ago) Justice RBG passed away. RBG was a major inspirational icon for me--in terms of law, women's rights, intellectual authority, and equanimity/calm disposition/emotional intelligence. RBG poured her soul into her work because she saw the overarching purpose behind her work. RBG was also one of few (nine) women in her law school class. RBG has inspired me to "sit at the table," strive for the "highest," voice my voice, and treat my work with respect and pride. I will carry on her spirit/energy/legacy as I make my way through law/grad school and as I strive to make an influential mark on the field of international law/politics.

Signing a peace deal with several Arab countries with Israel will have a significant and positive impact on potential for eventual peace in the Middle East. Way overdue but great news!

The political climate pertaining to Covid-19 has been affecting my daily life due to friends and family having divisive opinions about seen and unseen concerns. I’ve experienced clients I work with talk about how their mental health has worsened, more risk-taking behaviors arising, and internalizing these messages myself and seeing comparisons between their reactions and mine. I’ve called into question how similarly I would be behaving if I did not have the opportunity to work every day outside of the home.

Covid. It exposed how I handle myself in a crisis, how others handle themselves. I reassessed my priorities and threw my life around: left the dysfunctional job, went freelance, now in the middle of renovating a traditional countryside courtyard home where I can grow my own vegetables and where the cost of living will be extremely low. Ready for the next crisis and safe and happy in nature.

I'm not going to do COVID-19 pandemic. Too easy, and we're all on hold, waiting to see how it all shakes out. My older, adored brother Andy died. About a year ago, he let us know that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and figured he had only about 3 months. He called it almost perfectly, dying in January. His wife was having some cognitive issues, and we, his family members, were never notified. Only by chance did our cousin find out. Linda and Andy are ministers. She was called by the minister of Andy's church to notify her that a colleague had died. He hadn't even known that Linda and Andy were cousins. Sigh. How has it impacted me? I'm the last that remembers the nuclear family of my childhood. My baby brother John was born when I was almost 16. I left for college the following year. My two older brothers were long gone. My younger brother, Sam, 6 years younger than I, died in 2005. Our oldest brother died in 2014. I guess this happens to anyone who outlives their family. While I still have John, he was too little to remember anyone, really. Our mother died when he was 7. It leaves me with a strong sense of mortality. I knew about the existential return to nothingness and had accepted it. Intellectually anyway. However, I feel it now. I have been examining my own life more closely. Andy was my favorite sibling. He taught me things when I was little: how to fight, how to take pictures, Heart & Soul and other piano duets, basic chemistry, and so on, and so on. He was so vital, so high energy, so enthusiastic that it is hard for me to imagine dead. My world has a big hole blown in it. The hardest part was that I was sick (cellulitis, hospitalized) for his memorial service. He was just...gone. And I got a package with a beloved watercolor by our grandmother. My heart is broken.

How about the pandemic, isolation, death, Don Trump, the loss of standing for the United States, the failure of elected Americans to defend the Constitution, the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the re-emergence of the Civil Rights movement, and more. The massive accumulation of disastrous news has served to bring on dark days in all of our lives. While I do not generally succumb, it has been hard to keep spirits high and work on the positive for all around me. I know that we will come through these dreary times, but it will require serious diligence.

So many to think of: Black Lives Matter protests; COVID Pandemic and WFH policies, Distance learning for students; the death of RGB; the supreme court trying to reverse Roe v Wade; wildfires and Australia and California (and Oregon, Washington, Montana); Hurricanes in Alabama and New Jersey. All of these events have impacted me because they impact my family. My family supports anti-racism policies, advocates for Black Lives, supports the need for extreme reform for criminal justice and policing in the US. The death of RGB while Trump is in office impacts me and my daughter. If a conservative judge is appointed we have the potential to lose all women's rights including abortion, protection in the workplace, protection from harassment on the street. The culpability and immunity of police will come into question. It's a big deal to lose the balance in the supreme court. COVID is the biggest impact. It reinforces how fantastic my home and life are and how much I love my family. I really like not traveling or going to the stores. I LOVE wearing a mask in public. I adore having my daughter and my husband home all the time. The wildfires have been hard, so many of my friends being under additional pressure during the pandemic of keeping their homes and families safe and secure. The air quality has been horrible, even in Nevada, from the smoke. The political fights about climate change are absurd. The climate is changing, the past 30 years of neglecting the climate have taken their toll

The more than 200,000 U.S. lives lost to the intentional and reckless mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic; the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other people of color; the forced hysterectomies on women in ICES detention centers; and the wildfires have negatively impacted me emotionally and mentally. Why? I am a human being who has the capacity for and willingness to have empathy and concern for the wellbeing and safety of other human beings.

covid, duh.

Well...um COVID. It has changed everything...how I work, how I shop, how I interact with my family, how I connect to people, how I ...everything...

COVID - the need to be isolated to stay well has given me a stronger desire to maintain a healthily relationship with my s/o Dennis and my family.

George Floyd's death in May 2020 changed everything. I am no longer sitting in my white complacently. I am uncomfortable with the implicit racism that I perpetrate. I am uncomfortable with living in the privilege of being white, wealthy, and advantaged. I have started donating a 10th of my income to All Nations Gathering Center in S. Dakota to help begin a process of reparations to the indigenous people -in honor of Chief Red Cloud specifically because part of my family lived in Inavale, NE close to Red Cloud, NE. I am exploring how to make reparations to black people.

Losing RBG. Realizing how hard she fought for all people makes me feel that I can do more. She also learned so much about behavior from her mother who took the time to talk with her about how to treat others in a respectful manor. I need to work on being kinder and more accepting... not judging. Plus, never stop doing your best and working hard.

The death of RBG. This was a huge blow. She was such an inspiration to all of us, and worked so hard for what was right. To lose her at all is so sad, but this close to the election makes me scared. If Trump appoints a new justice, we are all screwed.

Covid-19 has impacted everyone. I am now working from home full time. Eventually, I believe, I will be working from home part of the time, and part of the time I will be in the office cataloging physical items. I have not been to an SCA related thing since AEdult Swim in February. I have not seen any non-local friends since then. I am living with my 78 yo Mother and 79 yo Father, helping them as much as I can, as being immunocompromised keeps me from going to the grocery story and things like that.

COVID-19, of course! We were traveling in New Zealand, and now we find ourselves living in New Zealand with no idea of when we can return home. I have not seen my mother in person for over a year now. We can live life almost normally without fear of dying or having "long-haul COVID" problems, but it is hard to be so far away. And in my head, I imagine everything being very normal in the US. I can't quite imagine what it's like there now. My friends tell me all the businesses in our old neighborhood are boarded up but I can't wrap my head around it.

Well, I guess that's easy. There is a global pandemic and that has impacted everyone! No socializing, no religious services, no going out, not anything. . . I think that really covers it!

COVID COVID COVID COVID COVID Oh yes, the recent passing of RBG Feeling that society is in a downward spiral

World event? Only one, the pandemic. Be careful for what you wish for. I don’t have to go to work and have flexibility to work from home and have found I am working more hours and always feel guilty not getting enough done. Go figure... even still it is better for me personally. Covid has been emotionally devastating. Makes me crave a simpler time. World so divided right now. I pray Trump will be President again but fear the pay back from Dems when that happens and if he loses... OMG, so sad for our country.

The pandemic has impacted me - but in a surprising way. Since it started, I felt a sense of peacefulness and beauty in my life; one that feels it has an cosmic origin. I noticed right away at the start of pandemic how nature was (and is) seeming to explode with vibrancy and beauty. At this point, I realized this is me too. I couldn't help but feel that it impacted me deeply. It was nurturing. Which brought a sense of gratitude and appreciation for my own presence to be able to see this. Now I seem to have a subtle hope that it won't end - infused with the feeling that it should for the betterment of most. I'll hold on to my experience plus surrender to any changes. Knowing that they come from the same great place. The Tao

HA! - Coronavirus - Murder hornets - Wildfires - climate change - George Floyd protests, BLM, social justice - election 2020 - extreme political polarization and white nationalism - death of RBG I oscillate between panic ("fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck") and cynicism ("eh, fucking typical, of COURSE this is the year RBG would die.")

The killing of Floyd Patterson the black guy by white American police officers. This has made me realise how black American's are treated by the police. It has made me realise that all lives matter.

An event in the world that has impacted me and for the first time the entire world is the pandemic. I didn't even know really what this word meant 7 months ago. It sounded like something in a sci fi movie and I don't watch sci fi. Specifically for this reason. Because when situations like this occur it's so awful I don't know why anyone would find it entertaining. So yeah, COVID. Being home with my family 24/7, managing the fear and disappointment of four people. And gaining weight. Yep, I'm that shallow. I miss going to the gym I miss what I have been learning are called "weaker ties." Which, it turns out, I am very good at and prefer to the stronger ones. I don't need people to know me on some deep level, to know that when I see empty seats in a Temple sanctuary and Hebrew writing on the walls my mind jump cuts to the Holocaust or the Russian pogroms. It's in my cells and I have no idea why. You don't have to mention this on a treadmill next to someone at the YMCA while you set up your iphone so it doesn't fall and rip the ear buds out of your ears.

The pandemic, because it brought my daughter out of a place that made me sad and scared all the time. Now I just can’t stop thinking about how grateful and lucky and in awe I am. In my life, this is the Red Sea parting. I know that sounds dramatic, but I’m just talking to myself now. Other than that, it let me see death again. I’d already seen it before. But it was good to be reminded that I can never give up. I want to be like Anne and have my cells still at their posts long after my soul has already been picked up. When the Angel of Death tells them it’s okay to stop, I want my cells to pretend not to hear.

Obviously the answer here is COVID. It has literally changed EVERYTHING about my life and everyone i the world's life. It's so insane. I look at pictures from before and it seems like a different world. I just want to travel and not wear a mask and be able to just do normal things!

The have been so many this year. I think COVID19 has had the most impact. All of the cases at work are more intense now and there are less resources available for families. I feel unable to adequately protect my family and serve families in my community in the ways they need.

COVID19. It ended my travel (away 3/5 days each week), made everything virtual, made family vacation (at our house) that much more special. It also made me realize how much I value community for prayer, and s'machot, and Shabbat dinners.

The death of George Floyd. I have long been advocating for social justice, but this event has awoken a great many more people in America. With that comes renewed focus and greater introspection into my motivations and methods for actual change; to eradicate violence against Black people rather than to perform as an ally. I have a lot more work to do, but I remain dedicated to continual learning, growth and action.

Lol isn’t Covid the only thing that’s happened this year. It’s made me realize how comfortable in my own skin I am. And how self sufficient I am. I’ve created a nice happy quiet life that o enjoy.

Haha funny joke... Corona obvs. But also things like the forest fires and the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Not so much personally, it just weighs heavy on my heart and gives me anxiety.

I could just say COVID. But instead I will tell you that I am deeply disturbed by the actions of our president and those who support him. I am concerned for our country, especially all the brown and black people who live here.

Corona has effected the whole country. Wearing masks or staying apart six feet is ridiculous and I’m not sure either helps because section’s is making this a fashion statement. I hope this will make everyone more take care of themselves when they are stuck.

There are too many to name. My father dying, being there non his final days and hours, celebrating his birthday posthumously and that being the last trip I took and last time seeing my mother and siblings pre-COVID, COVID and related tragedies, wildfire smoke enveloping our region for two weeks, RBG’s death. What a year.

Clearly Corona. Main impacts personally are not being about to see Mom and Dad and losing tour guiding. Which in turn had shaken my self worth. And being home with the girls is challenging in the ol nerves.

This is one of those years that had lots of major world events, so I have a lot of choices. Ignoring the most specific one (COVID), I'll go with the sky turning orange. This happened recently due to smoke from wildfires, and I suppose I could just roll together the whole three weeks leading up to it as well and talk about the smoke, but the orange sky was the most intense part. That day felt apocalyptic in a way no day has felt before for me. It ties into some other events from this year, such as the fires in Australia and the threats to the upcoming election, and makes me feel more clearly that the apocalypse is approaching. This year has made me more aware of how the world might (probably will) look in the future and what sort of disruptions might happen in my lifetime.

I feel so powerless to help alleviate the massive human suffering going on in the world. Has there been one specific event? Not exactly; there have been apex points of systemic issues that are dramatically shifting how I view myself in the framework of humanity. The fact that people in ICE concentration camps in Louisiana were abandoned during tropical storms, left to suffer and die, is unfathomable. How many people are attacked and killed by police violence, how many people are systematically oppressed, is unforgivable. Their suffering reminds me that my troubles are not so bad; and I need to focus outwardly to make the world better rather than inwardly on my own pain.

COVID-19 because it has changed the world and changed many things and the way we live our daily life.

The pandemic. We can’t go out, especially with Bruce’s lungs being so bad. He would have very little chance of recovery. I can’t try and find new friends, and I’m lonely

2020 will forever be the year of the pandemic. All of our lives have changed. My husband works 10 hours a day wearing a mask; my son has no work at all (and doesn't worry about it at all); my work has grinded to a halt. I don't know what to do next. The Pandemic has changed everything.

Of course the pandemic is hard to overlook. I would add the fires in the Western USA. They have made me passionate regarding climate change. Finally the upcoming Presidential election. Our country is in crisis and there is almost no way the election won't exacerbate the difficulties.

There are so many events that have impacted me this year. Obviously pandemic and then the election and the ongoing fires in my neighborhood. All of these have changed how I am in the world.

George Floyd's death and the social justice movement have had a big impact on my understanding of how America works and my place in it. I am educated, informed and thought I had learned these things during the LA riots in 1992 but I heard and understood things differently this time. Maybe because I am older and have more life experience, maybe because the pandemic has us all captive and paying attention, maybe because so many more people of color felt safe enough, or enraged enough, to tell their stories from so many different walks of life and economic levels that I digested it differently. Makes me sick. Makes me angry to see the structures in place to keep us white people oblivious and black people oppressed. You can't un-see it. Now the task is make a sustained effort to undo and dismantle those structures.

Covid. It has changed the way I, and everyone has lived our lives. What was "normal" before no longer exists, and probably will not exist again. My schedule has changed, my interactions have changed, my business has changed. That said, a huge number of online opportunities have become available that weren't before and that is a huge blessing. I've only known 2 people to be slightly sick and infected and 1 die, but if I knew more I think it would make my life much more difficult.

How do you not just answer COVID further fucked up what was already fucked up? Just to be different, the wildfires (on pretty much every continent). The locust plagues. The fact that we're already 2 deep into the greek alphabet having run out of tropical storm names BEFORE the peak of the season even hits. Yet more ice shelves collapsing and evidence that they're disintegrating from warmer waters underneath and we can't even properly see how badly. We're killing this planet and just don't seem to care beyond occasional hand-wringing and then moving on the to the next shiny outrage.

Covid-19. Under house arrest. Much time with Zoom - TUS, Braver Angels, Rutgers class on Victorian Literature, Meetup. It keeps me busy. Don't know if L.A. Fitness will stay in business.

COVID-19 of course! I was out of my classroom from March till June. I could not travel anywhere. I could not go shopping. I couldn't go to church. My life became the grocery store, then home. COVID-19 also took many lives away. A friend I've known since 1st grade passed from the virus. His sister passed a week or two before. Then his mother died days after him. That made me extremely sad for a few weeks. This had a huge impact on the entire world. Mainly in our country because we have people not taking this virus seriously. And the sad part about it is that a second wave is expected to hit.

Ha. Ha. Ha. (hysterical laughter continues) COVID. BLM. Economic crises. Climate change. Authoritarian challenges from the kakistocracy. Shall I go on? But let's stick with the Shabbat afternoon when the city manager called me--knowing I was observing Shabbat, but I'm on council, so it was a "you need to to know" moment--to tell me that the city was on alert for evacuation from encroaching fires as California burned from the hundreds of lightning strikes a few days earlier. It focused my mind wonderfully. I notice that last year, the Camp Fire was my answer. There is a theme here. And a call to action.

Gosh, where to begin? Covid, the election, the police shootings and black lives matter movement. I've gotten more committed to my own education on the history of race in America. But I really want to be sure to remember how inspired I was reading about RBG. She pushed us to do something for our community, not just ourselves. But she did not insist on scale. When asked how she hoped to be remembered, Justice Ginsburg responded: As “someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has.” There could be no more beautiful wish. May we all honor her memory by aspiring to the same.

I think that the Protests concerning Black Lives Matter, which I feel should not be called a movement. I believe that the protests, and then also the formation of the petition format of Change.org are two prominent vehicles for change. It seems that it may be unpopular to protest for black people and their lives, but as a result, other races of peoples have been able to protest without fear for the oppression they have also experienced. With change.org, anyone can put a valid petition out there and ask for support from the world just one signature at a time, and when there is enough voices via signatures then the petition has a life to move through the channels of justice. I believe that Dr. Martin L. King would be interested in this protest, that he would march in support.

The climate crisis has had a huge impact on my attitude, experience, and feeling. It went from being called climate change to crisis because of the sense of urgency around it. It scares me to be unable to dream about a happy future and instead, all I see is pain and difficulty. I think the unknown and the uncertainty is anxiety-making and quite depressing.

I'm not sure if COVID can be considered an event. I doubt if many people in the word can claim not to be affected by it. Other than that? Nothing ganna change my world, Nothing ganna change my world, Jai Guru Deva, Om...

There was, until Friday, only 1 worldwide event that impacted everyone. That of course is the Covid-19 pandemic. But as if things couldn't get any worse, on top of fires, civil unrest, police brutality, vigilante killings, and the pandemic, Friday at 5pm PDT the news came about RBG. It was crushing. Of course her passing is not a world event but pivotal enough to impact everything the US does in the world. Will this impact my life directly? Probably not. But I am not isolated. I care about my fellow Americans and the immigrants that want to come here. I care about all the advances women, LGBTQ, black, brown and the disabled have made and some crazy right wing Supreme Court justice will kill these advances and set us back. But Covid-19 still hangs over us and will into the new year, Jewish and secular. The pandemic has been scary, especially at the beginning when it seemed like anything we touched was going to kill us immediately. My sister was frightened in NY. I was scared for her. I worried about my friend, isolated in assisted living. I watched as it took its toll on her declining mental state. My husband was terrified because of his only 1 functioning kidney. I was less worried about him because I knew this is a respiratory disease, not a systemic one that would not hurt his kidney unless he had some other underlying condition. I wasn't worried for myself because I am a healthy person. I wasn't cavalier about my risk but I wasn't going to be thrust into panic and shut myself inside forever. I also admired teachers. The day the pandemic shut down LAUSD I was subbing. I watched these heroic teachers shift gears and begin preparing the students to go home for who knew how long. It was then I began to realize I do not have the dedication or passion to be a real teacher. The stress of having to teach remotely is not one I want to face. The odd thing is that throughout the shutdown I stayed busy, sometimes spending too many hours at my desk. I appreciated the passion and creativity that our temple poured into making remote services meaningful and kept us connected. Zoom Shabbat can be frustrating at times but in other ways more intimate. Of course I also watched in horror as the moron in chief did everything wrong. People are dying and COrporal Bone Spurs is wasting his time talking on Fox, lying, spreading misinformation, showing his lack of humanity and bolstered by syncophants in and out of government. I wanted to feel compassion for the Trumpers that still believed him but I couldn't. They were beyond my ability to understand. I can feel my anger rising as I think about those news conferences. I couldn't watch that daily toxic train wreck. At the same time I was comforted by the leadership of Governor Newsom, his peers in other states and Mayor Garcetti and his peers in other cities. I saw bravery, compassion,and dedication of all those first responders and medical staff, postal workers, teachers, all those "essential" workers that have no option but to work. I admired them. I enjoyed the quiet streets with no traffic, empty freeways and neighbors walking through usually quiet streets. I loved hearing birds, seeing clear skies (until the fires) and feeling grateful.

The events keep rolling in, each bigger than the last. I am bombarded by appeals for money and volunteer work for urgent, worthy causes - to the point of paralysis. So I started a list of things in the world that need attention. I’ve decided to pick one, or a few, and commit to do something concrete. I need to turn down the volume on the fear and anxiety and take one step each day toward a specific solution.

The death of my husband of 53 years. He was my rock and my redeemer and now I must find my way alone. I talk to him often to ask advice. I miss him every day.

COVID-19. Forced to stay home, had so much time for myself, to reevaluate my working life, to make big changes.

Besides Covid. All of the racial injustice and RBG just died on the 1st day of Rosh Hashanah. I'm just so tired. I read. I watch. I listen. 50 years ago. 60 years ago. Same issues. Same fights. A dance with the wrong steps. Music to the wrong dance. Over and over. What festive growth turned into a taredown. I just see the world not making any real progress. Smoke and mirrors. I look at commercials and TV shows- families multi racial, gay, hallmark celebrating Hanukkah (lol but :(). I watch diws from the 70s and 80s Nd I see these subjects represented- Archie bunker. Good times, golden girls - where they tackle series, racism, dementia, etc but yet still make jokes about 1 being dumb, 1 being promiscuous. 1 being not attractive. Same stuff now. Just couched differently. I hope that this revolution will finally act as a change agent.

Coronavirus has forced me to reckon with the way in which I build my life around the idea of 'progressing' - always having to do more, earn more, be more. The sudden brakes flipped my work-obsessed world upside down. Where instead of looking to constantly progress, I suddenly had to tread water. It brought the rest of my world into sharper focus.

The death of Kobe Bryant impacted me in a way I didn't was possible. I think it has something to do with seeing a childhood hero, in their prime, snatched away. The rest of this year and its tremendous losses remind me how fragile our balancing act of life truly is.

Hmmm... that's a hard one...Just Kidding! The Pandemic! It has impacted me and everyone in the world. For me, it's been emotionally hard and I started to take an antidepressant, which has helped. Also, due to the economic downturn, I found out in May that my job will only go another year. Plus there has been the racial justice movement and civil unrest, the political turmoil and the continued environmental crisis. I've gotten more involved in the political process than in previous elections.

The craziest year in my life, no really. Every crazy thing has happened. The virus has turned the world upside down. There has been terrible weather and fires caused by climate change. There is social unrest. It makes it difficult to think there is anything positive in the world. Everything is pointing to a future of uncertainty. I feel as though nothing matters and I just don't care anymore.

Not mentioning coronavirus and quarantine would be an oversight. It have made me spend more money on my home a garden, which I probably needed to do. It also made me realize my lifestyle is called quarantine. Although, I think what has impacted me more has been the direction the political landscape is going. I really hope Trump doesn't win in 2020. I've started to see the US flag as a symbol of hate and intolerance.

Any number of the huge climate issues we’ve had this year: insane heat / fires in Australia, US wildfires. Incredible, long British summer. The latter wonderful but terrifying. Why are we not doing more? How can any national leader still deny this? I’m incredibly worried for not only my children’s’ futures, but my own too.

The two events that have most affected me have been the pandemic and the death of George Floyd. The pandemic, of course, has greatly altered the way I live. Interestingly, much of that has been good. Life is slower now. I am not rushing from thing to thing, spending large amounts of time in my car. I don't have FOMO because everyone is missing out. Because my husband is working from home I feel more supported -- the household/child care burden is more shared. I somewhat miss seeing people face to face, but I have seen a lot of friends outside this summer, and because I prefer small group socializing I feel okay at the moment about my contact with others. I am worried about winter and what that may bring, but at the moment it's okay. The death of George Floyd has produced a constant small, worried knot in my stomach. I think it is because I know I have no control over the pandemic, whereas systemic racism brings up so many issues of culpability. Am I doing enough personally and professionally to stop it? Am I aware enough of my own blind spots? Am I speaking up appropriately? I've worried I've been too quiet and then was accused of "performative allyship" when I brought it up at a training last weekend. I am acutely aware that in my life, there are times when I have been passionately involved in anti-racism, there are other times when I have retreated from the issue, often because of hurt I felt. Of course, much of the discourse right now is around the fact that whites feel emotional hurt over interactions around racism while Blacks experience actual threat and bodily harm. So I am trying to figure out how to pace myself in this fight so that I don't continue to retreat and burn out.

As much as I would love to answer this question not about COVID, it's COVID. The 9/11 tragedy actually united people... New Yorkers banded together, our nation grieved and prayed and hoped as a unit, and we came to appreciate our bonds even more. COVID, however, has done the opposite in my view; we have become so divisive as a nation/world over the issue of masks, protocols, etc etc, and people are pitted against one another. Add to that that it is an election year, so even further divide. Top that off with BLM/ALM. I really hate divisiveness, discord, and lack of the ability to recognize that response in the wake of tragic, unforeseen circumstances can be a choice to work together or... not. I don't share many opinions anymore anywhere, I am very cautious of what I do share, as I am on the lookout for people who will go out of their way to tell me that I am wrong, insensitive, offensive, XYZ. It can be exhausting, but I think it's more exhausting to speak. I'd rather be happy than right.

Obviously it’s the COVID-19 pandemic that started in a March. We’ve been separated and semi quarantined from almost all (a few exceptions) friends and long distance family. The very good news is not going to Jareds day program has made him much healthier due to not being exposed to viruses. The day program sends the ‘teacher’ here and Jared loves the 1:1. The upcoming elections have silently strained relations with some friends, not sure we’ll recover. All plane trips with vacations were canceled allowing us more road trips and San Diego vacations. We miss our congregation a lot, especially during the high holidays. Overall things are vet good because our health is good.

No quiero sonar repetitiva, además de decir lo obvio, pero es un hecho que el coronavirus afectó mi vida y la vida de millones de personas en el mundo. De un día a otro (sin exagerar), sentí que mi vida había cambiado para nunca volver. Un sábado 14 de marzo salí a hacer una sesión de fotos con mis mejores amigas de la preparatoria, y el lunes 16 de marzo las fronteras en Europa de habías cerrado dejando en pausa mi viaje a Alemania. El resto de la historia está escrita en muchos diarios que tengo y está documentada en internet.

Too many to count. Probably the death of George Floyd was the biggest impact since it moved me back to action on racial justice after a two-year gap. It also had a profound emotional impact to think about the circumstances of his death. Secondly the death of Ruth. That had a big emotional impact on me too, like a death in the family.

I don’t think I can avoid answering with the Covid 19 pandemic... It has throughly shaken me up, unsure what it is doing to my brain in terms of dealing with the unpredictability. I feel like luckily so far it has been serious enough to be mildly exciting but not personally affecting enough to be devastating. At first I was completely numbed by the lockdown and the news and the constant change in events... months later I’ve had the time to invest in things I want to do (working out, learning Spanish) and have had the brain space to do so. Overall I think it has been positive, though still scary.

Covid-19 baybe it’s been hell semester abroad fucked up lsat study messed with and lsat test is now flex...

The COVID pandemic has impacted absolutely everything this year. My life, my relationships, my job, the way I spend time. There is no sense complaining about what was lost or glamorizing the new things, it’s just an utter reset. Without COVID I wouldn’t have been able to spend half of my time in Louisville with my mom and Amy, Nancy, and Margaret. We wouldn’t have been able to disappear from society as a family unit without people being involved. I was able to cocoon and remember myself. I was able to spend long slow days with my girls and spend multiple weekends camping and getting closer to the small bubble. I was able to start a relationship that would have been impossible in the real world.

I don't think we'll ever be the same after The Great Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020. I think this has impacted me the most this year, but largely in very positive ways. My world is smaller, but I have slowed down enough to appreciate my family, the sunshine, a nice deep breath. I don't think I ever want to go back to my world prior to the Pandemic. It has taken too many lives for us not to be changed in a meaningful and transformational way.

Well, of course it would be Covid and the fires and the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other POC, and the death of RBG and the upcoming election. Not too many big things. OMG what a year. How are any of us even dealing?!?! I did TMS this summer to deal with my intense depression after my internship abruptly ended and school ended and Maui was canceled and we were sheltered in place for going on now 6 months. The TMS helped greatly and has inspired me to start a podcast based on sharing our ways of dealing with challenges and traumas. Fierce and Fein. I feel like I can find strength and purpose to keep moving forward in the face of so many intense issues happening right now. I am so fortunate to have a nice roof over my head, a loving partner, a full fridge, healthy friends and family and the best furbabies. And I just completed grad school to become a mental health therapist, which I hope I can help others during this stressful time.

RBG's death showed the hypocrisy of the Republicans who put in a new supreme court judge when they wouldn't do it in 2016

So many crazy things happening in the world. Covid is probably the one that’s impacted me the most. I was unable to go back to set my dad, and changing our travel plans, I believe, directly resulted in the pregnancy. Wild.

Trump being a misogynistic idiot. I feel such a loss of hope for the future when the person running the country is everything I teach my children not to be.

COVID 19 has been wacky to navigate. It is difficult for me to watch this go down (the way we are reacting to it), as it has for all of us. For various reasons! For me, I wish we could all do our best to help the greater good but also be compassionate to the process of understanding these things take time and we are learning about it as we go. And not to ostracize others when they don't want to make the exact same decision as you. I am learning this too!

RBG's death - she did so much for the plight of women, and she was one of the glimmer of hope as a justice. Also fearful of what it might mean for democracy - trump trying to push through his own justice just 43 days before the election. It's a dark time in our democracy right now, and there's just fear everywhere.

George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in May of this year, in the midst of the pandemic. There has been a huge uprising as a result, and it gives me so much hope. Unlike past such events, this uprising has been largely youth-led, and I am so relieved to see this next generation stepping up and doing things in deep new ways. (Amy and I went to a youth march in Tracy to support as security, and those kids were powerful and loving. They incorporated spirituality and blessing. They talked about love. It was amazing.)

COVID. I'm already immunocompromised, I already work masks in very crowded places, and used hand sanitizer like lotion. But the sheer enormity of this pandemic has really shocked me. I spent several months inside my house, going out only to check the mail or walk in my yard. I've had video doctor appointments. In recent months, events within my family caused me to have to travel back and forth to other areas. I became braver about going out. I am totally baffled at the reluctance of the general population to wear a mask when evidence CLEARLY shows that they help. I live in a red state, so I've often gotten the "stink eye" for wearing a mask. One person even asked me why I was "so scared." It's just shown me how ignorant so many people in this country are. I still wear my mask when I go out. I expect to hibernate this winter, to avoid flu and covid.

COVID for sure. No travel, working from home, no social obligations all work great for me, as an introvert, and I was able to use the solitude to refocus and thick about my vision more carefully. I missed my live fitness classes, and visits with my daughter.

The pandemic. We have been so fortunate, so relatively unscathed, that it has made me even more grateful for my life, my family, my friends. And I'm immensely grateful for a husband who's completely on the same page. We both take the coronavirus protocols very seriously, we've been in total agreement about making donations and doing volunteer work, and we're very good company for each other.

Coronavirus has robbed me of my liveliehood and made me a full time stay at home mom. It's robbed my son of his last months of preschool and in-person connections at kindergarten. However, it has also helped us come together and grow stronger as a family, and appreciate our family and friends.

Covid, duh! But the hardest day was first day of theater. Hopefully it went better throughout the year, and by the time you read this, you're enjoying in-person everything.

The BLM movement has cause scisms between myself and a few friends. While I am socially liberal, I am fiscally conservative and want to know what will be done with the money I am forced to donate to the various level of "the state" and why someone thinks its use will yield better results than the accumulated forced donation of the last 40 years. I have been told expressing my opinion is verbal abuse. I responded that the extraction of funds from the Populus to fund unconstitutional activities by the federal government is theft and that people advocated such are accessories to theft. That is the last I have spoken to them and I do not expect to be reengaging with them soon.

OH MY GOD. So much! Covid-19!! 2020 happened!! I am trying to avoid getting this virus and dying. That's what impacted me this year. I am blessed to be teaching from home. My husband is retired. I sit at my computer day & night, but changing my job helped. Haven't seen most of my adult kids for months. ALSO HOPING we get a new President and get this one the ____ OUT of the White House before America is no longer. Really scary times.

The coronavirus. I was finishing out my last prerequisite courses for the nursing program and my college decided that we had to finish out the semester virtually. I had to complete finals for microbiology and the test was timed. My lovely computer decided to freeze and I couldn’t continue my final . Luckily my instructor emailed me a test and allowed me to highlight the answers and email it back to her. I was so stressed out that night of the final. Thankfully I ended up passing microbiology with a B!

Ha, ha! Well I would guess that almost everyone's answer to this, this year, will be the coronavirus pandemic. For the past 6 months, I have rarely left the house for anything other than taking walks, we have had no visitors in our home, we have not eaten at a restaurant, seen a film in a movie theater, traveled, or attended concerts, crafts fairs, or music performances. We have not spent more than very limited amounts of time with family or friends, and have not been able to hug or kiss anyone but each other (my husband and me). I have not worked at all. I am thankful that we are in a much better situation than many during this crisis, but am also aware of all that we have been missing.

The pandemic was the biggest event in a year of big things happening. I was laid off from my required part-time job, and went on unemployment. for the first time, I experienced what retirement feels like. I love it!!!

It's hard to think of anything other than covid. I've been lucky in that I still have my job, and it is very compatible with working from home, but it's frightening to think about how negatively this is affecting performing artists as a whole. People have been coming together to find innovative ways to get by, so that is positive -- but I don't think artists can survive this way indefinitely.

Pandemic. Of course, it's affected us all, in deep and shattering ways. But I'm going to look at a very narrow way now: I knew in January that it was going to be bad, and started taking to people about it. But they were unconvinced, and I second guessed myself. I thought there was no way I was being reasonable. This is a pattern, so I've decided to trust my fears a little bit more, when it matters.

The event in the world that has impacted me the most this year is COVID-19 Lives lost >200,000 Need to Social Distance ,affecting the time I would normally spend with family especially my grand children

HA. I feel like all of the world's events have impacted me this year. The Pandemic has affected me obviously. The election has impacted me obviously (and we'll see how it continues to impact me). The BLM Movement has affected me. They've all opened my eyes and encouraged me to find empathy for others. And honestly, it's a difficult thing to navigate while you're also trying to do things to benefit your mental health. This year is hard because we're all going through a shitty time on a personal level, yet there are all these things that require us to listen to and love others. It's been a battle to try and balance those things.

Well, Covid, like so many others, though I have addressed that already in my previous answers. As it happens, the death of RBG this last weekend feels like one of the biggest blows of the year. She held on so long and I'm so grateful, and I pray that her death doesn't make our horrible political situation worse. The mendacity of the Republicans never ceases to infuriate me. I am not capable of understanding how people who say they are religious (any religion) can act only in their own interest over and over again. And in it's way, that event is yet another instance of my personal realization of the warped view I was given of a fair and just country. When I was younger, I knew there was inequality, but since I wasn't taught about it as racial inequality (which was discussed, in my liberal education, as something we were actively and even successfully overcoming) my knowledge was mostly limited to economics. I read Marx in high school and was lucky -- as an American -- to have done so, and it influenced my thinking a great deal, as did my trip to the Soviet Union in 1974. I am a socialist, and therefore proud of myself for advocating a political theory that isn't in my interest -- but I didn't understand the racial situation in this country until I began to read Black authors -- mostly fiction but also essays -- in the last fifteen years or so. Therefore the BLM movement -- certainly an event in the world this year -- affected me -- but with Covid and my partner's many pre-existing risk factors, I couldn't do more than watch, to my sorrow.

So many horrible and terrible things have happened and situations that continue to happen... starting with the sad broken child-man occupying the presidency in my country. The murder on tape of George Floyd. The many other needless, pointless deaths of black men and women at the hands of law enforcement or white vigilantes. The rise of the once hidden, forbidden undercurrent of white supremacy and hate speech, the open threat of armed rebellion if the white supremacists don't get their way. The erosion of rights in the US - to vote, to emigrate, to earn a living wage doing work that has a shred of meaning, to have decent schools and health care, to be treated the same as people who are not like you and not be tossed aside because you aren't white or cis-gender. What seems like purposeful, vindictive decisions to sell our land, air and water for nothing more than short term profit... and all the more so if your state happens to be "blue". The entire west of the country on fire. The most recent event - the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Republican response, before the woman is even laid to rest, to flagrantly ignore what they did 4 years ago and pounce on the opportunity to drag the Supreme Court even further to the right. Ugh. All of it is horrible. All of it is scary. I grieve every day for what shattered bits remain of my country, and where we might be heading.

Where do I start? COVID-19 had impacted everyone in 2020. Family had plans to celebrate Passover in April in Houston - all the kids and grandkids - cancelled. The job I had at Costco for the past 3 years was illiminated mid-March. Was VERY thankful for that extra $600/week was able to stash some away in my savings. My pilot daughter's airline lost the contract with United, after 10 years working, she's out of a job, which also means I've lost my free stand-by tickets, so I have no idea when I'll be able to fly again to visit her in Houston, or more depressing is I won't be able to visit my daughter in New Jersey when she has her second baby boy in November! We had BIG plans to celebrate our 40th anniversary in October - made hotel and dinner reservations at the Bonaventure where we were married - restaurant is now closed. Starting a part-time job Oct 12 for the Ventura County election office - have no idea how many hours, or how long it will last - have to buy me a more comfortable mask! Another world event - Justice Ruth Ginsburg died at 87. Losing a real-life hero was very sad. Israel and 2 of the Middle East countries have signed possibly REAL peace agreement!! Don't care who gets credit, but this is HUGE for Jews everywhere - 5871 there is an actual possible that our Many Many prayers have finally been answered.. if only just for a little bit, it's a START! On a positive note, after a 10 year "writers block" I'm writing furiously on Vashti's Daughter - I WILL make my goal of having it finished by Purim 2019! Guess that's something to look forward to! For the first time... EVER, I have NO IDEA what the Yankees are doing - nice to see football back on TV - GO RAMS!!!

An event this year that has impacted me would be both the upcoming election and the pandemic. And now, the death of RBG. I am terrified of becoming infected. I know that I weigh more than I should and that I would be considered high risk and I'm scared of leaving my children motherless. I'm scared what another 4 years of the orange wonder boy would do for this country, this world and my life. And now, the death of a supreme court justice, at this time, so close to the election may have consequences for my children's children. For a radical shift in this country that Donald Trump doesn't even have the brain cells to comprehend. These things have frightened me and caused more anxiety than I wish to admit. (I am sad that this question has a similar response last year. The buffoon that is Donald Trump is so painful on so many levels.)

Again it's Covid-19. It has helped to give me the time and resources I needed to build an even stronger relationship with Hashem and my family. The time inside was refreshing in some ways. After so many years of being on this constant schedule and grind, it felt good to slowdown and take a breathe. It has given me the ability to really look within myself and my relationships overall. I have officially stop smoking tobacco which is nice. I have also been more responsible when it came to taking care of things for myself and the business.

COVID-19 has impacted my year by causing a change to my lifestyle. I now spend much more time indoors and less with family and friends.

How do I possibly choose? 2020 is the year most everyone I know wished hadn't happened. COVID of course, racial tensions, economic collapse, heat wave, fires up and down the West Coast, the awful political environment. This has all surrounded everyone and affected us all in negative ways. This has been a hard, hard year.

Besides Covid, all of the events surrounding the wildfires in California have really been terrible to observe. It is clear to see that this is the future of the planet, there’s no going back now. One can only hope that future generation(s?) figure out a way to inhabit the new earth and that nature will adapt to whatever mankind throws at it.

Obviously the pandemic, but the event that spurred me to some action was the murder of George Floyd. I’ve spent the last few years excusing police for shootings of black people as just having made understandable errors of judgment. I could no longer be complicit. I started an anti-racism study group with some friends (using Me and White Supremacy workbook) and it has been absolutely eye-opening. We educated white liberals have been so, so wrong about how to make the world a better place for people of color. I’m not sure where this will take me, but I hope I keep going, keep learning.

#COVID19 Obvs. Everything changed. Except maybe stupid politicians being stupid since that seems a permanently-unavoidable thing like death and taxes. Social isolation, border closures and cutoffs, ALL events being cancelled, extravagant changes to working formats... EVERYTHING changed.

The onset of the coronovirus pandemic in Seattle. I had just started a new job a month before, and I lost it simply due to lower work volume. I almost couldn't make rent or bills for two months until I found a new job. Now, I finally work full time again, and have full health care benefits!

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September of and an election year. She was so crucial in moving women's rights forward. And now Trump could add another supreme court justice - tied for the most in history.

COVID pandemic. It killed my passion for public health. We were villiafied. I worked insane long hours that took me months to get over. And may have to do it all over again this fall/winter. It isolated us. Made us realign priorities. Mostly it showed people’s character. Who is a jerk deep down. Several people I was close to, it changed how I feel about them. And the riots as well. Showed people’s true hearts.

An event this year that has impacted me was the birth of our second son, Zachary. He is a joy and all of this time together is so special. He also is getting to know his big brother Noah so much more than if they were in daycare.

The pandemic. It caused our busy lives to slow down, limited contact and obligations to people, and forced my family to spend more quality time together. Priorities changed. We mourned missed experiences, but it was a nice and needed slow down

This is one of those, "Where do I begin?" questions. I have watched Trump destroy American democracy. I have watched his rhetoric continue to polarize our country. Now more than ever, I am convinced that the Russian government, Putin, has intentionally used social media to brainwash the American people. There is too much evidence from our own intelligence agencies warning about the Russian troll farms and how they are impacting our government. Now those same troll farms are being used to undermine people's faith in the election process. Our president does nothing to stop it and actually fuels those flames. It is a question in whether he is just complacent and ignorant, not caring what the end result will be, or is he a willing participant with Russia to destroy America. This sounds like a conspiracy theory, but I really feel that I am watching the destruction of my country and the rise of a dictatorship. I worry that it is now too late to turn it back. COVID has shown the rest of the world what many of us have been thinking/seeing/worrying about over the last three years. It has shown the ugly underbelly of America to the world. In April, when I was in Switzerland, I watched the horror show of mismanagement of COVID and the escalation of violence. I was appalled at both the government's and the peoples' responses, so much so that I felt I could no longer be an American. I decided that I needed to immigrate. I arrived in my new home on my 56th birthday. I, a first-generation Jew, fled the USA to Europe because I no longer felt safe in my own country. I do not feel safe because of COVID. I do not feel safe as a woman. I do not feel safe as a democrat. I do not feel safe as a Jew. I look ahead and only see civil unrest and likely, civil war. I hope I can convince my daughter to leave before it is too late.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg dying. We all feel we've lost a mother who would protect us until her dying breath. Which she tried to do even in her dying breath, saying her last wish was for the next president to replace her. Mitch McConnell and Trump did not even wait 24 hrs after RBG's death before defying her Rosh Hashanah prayer. May they suffer the consequences. This will certainly get young people out to vote, and get rid of this monster.

Apart from the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement has gone mainstream. I was shaken by the videos of men murdered and paralysed by police. It's a human being murdered by an authority figure just because they're Black. Completely despicable that humans can do this to each other. It caused me a lot of stress to witness this, and I'm not someone that's being targeted for being Black, so it must be incredibly difficult for people who are. It's been great that people are now more vocal about racism, and discussing the nuances, and though I feel like I'm ahead of some people in my anti-racism journey, I know it's a lifetime's work of undoing learnt prejudice. I've learnt some new things recently through social media which I'm grateful for.

Up until this year, I was wondering what it would take to bring people together. I thought, "It will take something of huge proportions. Something like a global pandemic." I guess not.

There are so many simultaneous crises happening. It's been a truly rough year. The murder of George Floyd and resulting protests around the world, and especially in Portland have had a huge impact on me, though not as huge as on many people of color. In the midst of the pandemic, I did not go out to protest, but I found ways to integrate messages of inclusion and diversity in my parenting. I also read and am currently reading books to challenge my own understanding and experience with racism. RGB's passing over the weekend has spurred me to sign petitions and make a plan to write post cards to legislators in order to delay a new Supreme Court nominee until a new president is elected. Covid-19 has restricted Richard and I to our home, prevented the educational and explorational outings we like to do with our kids, and limited our social interactions with friends and family. We are fortunate to not be sick, but there is certainly continued impact on our lives. This fall/winter will be one of isolation and creativity to keep our kiddos entertained at home.

COVID 19 took the world by storm and has deeply impacted the life of every single human. Businesses are permanently shuttered, we walk around in masks, and school looks very different than we ever would have imagined. We've seen resilience (particularly in the young) and we have seen pain and suffering like never before. It has impacted our family dynamic, but has not impacted our standard of living or quality of life as it has for so many others.

Little else than COVID. A huge shift in my schedule and no space for myself in 4 months. I am exhausted. It feels like COVID lets women and their little freedoms fall back by 10 years... I feel sorry for myself and also this was a moment of insane spiritual growth and a crazy roller coaster of waking up and growing up.

Yisrael-UAE-Bahrain peace agreement!!!

First, the pandemic, then the BLM protests, then the right-wing backlash to the pandemic and the BLM protests. Then the electioneering and posturing going on. I feel estranged from the MAGA people, both inside and outside my family. I want to move as far into blue America as I can, just to escape the red state insanity.

Ha. Covid for sure. The pandemic changed a lot of things in my life - my summer plans and living situation, academic goals, my job, and more. It changed the people I had in my life and the frequency at which I was able to see them. But I guess that I'd like to talk about a different, really big way that it changed my life. Just before the pandemic really got crazy (in March), a new, really important person came into my life. Thus, once the world shut down and classes went online, the two of us were left in this really intimate situation in which we were getting to know each other for the first time - we were basically self-isolating together. This person changed my outlook on life, my dreams and goals, and the ways I spent my time. I have become more myself than I've ever felt before because of him. And for that, I'm forever grateful. Because holy shit - what a life changer!

fucking covid. i think i have no patience for these questions this year. emmanuel fucking died. seems like enough of an impact, no? i've gotten no work done as the cherry on top.

Wow. Covid. Biggest thing. Has uprooted everything the way we live our lives. Has made us rethink and review the way we interact with our world. Has made s more solitary but also maybe taken away some of the drill and fluff in our lives too. Just happy to have a good roof over my head and be able to be with family.

Covid-19, what a shit show. Has helped me exercise the power of letting go of all the things we can't control, and focusing my energy on the things I can. Never know what tomorrow will bring, and what the future has in store. G-d works in mysterious ways.

Well, COVID. I had to start working from home, which was a huge adjustment. But it came with a few silver linings: more sleep, comfortable pants, no more sitting in traffic, and time to jog in the mornings. But, it made my germ-obsessed self more germ-obsessed. And I feared for the earth and its people.

I mean, the pandemic has eclipsed so many other world events which in any other year might have been my answer. It’s impact has been vast—and that’s only in the immediate. Covid-19 is going to change the way we live in so many ways.

Uh, you know *gestures broadly*

Rally? Just one? Can't do it. Between COVID-19, the recession, remote schooling, quarantine, the upcoming election and the fires here in California, it feels like a shit tornado that won't let up. The impact, strangely has both been negative and positive. Negative in the obvious ways - fear, uncertainty, economic impact, strife. But unexpectedly positive in some ways - life balance, closer relationships with family, appreciation of small things.

BLM. Covid. Divisiveness from our white privileged President. And I would consider me white privileged!! I cannot stand how we all argue and fight and how some refuse to see the history of black people and why they are angry. Native Americans too! They are being forgotten. Very very sad.

The birth of my 2nd child. Learning how to divide time and attention between 2 children, and how love expands. I was worried about the decrease of attention by both, but they are getting so much from each other. Also that I need to be a better role model.

COVID. what else is there to say?

I feel like world events have impacted me more this year than ever before. From ever more terrifying climate disasters, to a presidential election season that seems our last chance to avert totalitarianism, to a global pandemic that forced me and everyone I know to take shelter, to the mass protests against racist police violence that have erupted in every city. I feel tossed and turned by everything that happens this year, on a global level. I'm trying to step up to the plate on each count, be vocal about my perspective, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

I think the Black Lives Matter movement and the attention that is being brought to police shootings of unarmed Black people in the United States is making me scared, but hopeful for the country that my almost-5-year-old Black son will grow up in. I do not want him to be afraid of police... but I do want him to have a healthy skepticism of white people, especially well-intentioned ones who still present microagressions.

Ha! It seems like this whole year is one big difficult event, a series of things that have caused me sadness, anxiety, frustration, and anger. I can hardly separate the pandemic from climate change and the US election and protests over the persistence and violence of racism. As I teach my students, we live in social systems in which the parts interconnect, mutually reinforcing and shaping each other. At best, this troubled year reminds me of how true that is, of how much I am affected in DC by something that happened in China or Europe or Chicago. At worst, I find myself feeling smaller and more powerless -- and more guitly for the privileges and pleasures of my own life -- than ever before.

Well gosh - has to be the coronavirus, right?! Mostly it has made me turn more inward. It also has forced me to not think too far into the future because even basic planning for the future (travel mostly for me I guess) is not possible, really. It hasn't been overwhelmingly negative for me, compared to others, but it definitely has had a... dampening effect.

Oof. Where can you even begin with this one? Obviously the pandemic has been life- and world-changing. But perhaps more critically, the clarity that the BLM protests brought to the fact that we are living in an ever-more fascist nation has been terrifying. I am at the point of wondering WHEN, not IF, the "common people" need to make a stand. The time is well-passed, I'm sure, but when CAN we and what should we do? At the point that immigrants are literally being held in concentration camps at the border and STERILIZED... shouldn't we be there ripping down the barbed wire? How can we effectively do something about all of this, when the enemy literally has military-grade equipment and total carte blanche to use it? Let alone police using deadly force totally arbitrarily against people of color in our own homes and cities. What can we do? It's soul-crushing. I desperately hope that I can answer next year's question with greater clarity.

The COVID-19 pandemic, of course. It has confined me and everyone else to our homes, revealed horrible selfishness on the part of many people in this country, brought out even worse behavior on the part of Republicans in government, and restricted social and familial interaction. It is just horrible.

The coronavirus pandemic. It's frightened me, saddened me and created so much uncertainty. It has given me mental health issues.

So many have, but the most remarkable to me is the global pandemic we are living through. I never would have imagined living through something like this. It has impacted some of my relationships and created some tangible and ambiguous losses, but it has also allowed me to learn things about myself that I would not have otherwise. As hard as this time has been, I am trying to look for the silver linings.

Corona virus. It has driven us all crazy because it was neglected by trump who has since made it a political foot ball game....masks vs no masks Science vs trump's gut feeling.

The cancellation of sports has made life less colorful. Not for me, but for many people I care about. To me it is also a sign that we humans are about finished here.

LOL

Covid 19 is the world event that has impacted everyone the most immediately. While we have been spared any direct experience so far, our world has gotten much, much smaller. I honestly feel like this is just part of the rolling disaster that began with the Trump election in 2016.

The killing of African Americans by the police. I am more suspicious of police officers these days. I suspect them to be racist and domineering. I’m also having doubts about my choice to live in the United States. I’m realizing that the promise of economic prosperity here is based on long-term racism and discrimination

The death of the Notorious RBG has really solidified my fear for the future as a LGBT citizen in the United States. Already I felt like I had been looking around and seeing the evidence everywhere of a decline in democracy, a destruction of the free state -- and her death just feels like the last straw to me, emotionally and personally. There are so many ways that conservatives are already trying to limit my safety, security, and freedoms, and it feels like this will just give them increased power to get what they want. It's hard to have hope for the future of this country; it's hard to have hope for anything at all.

The death of RBG is upsetting and has reminded me that we are truly in perilous times. It feels like our country could be heading for Civil War. We'll be relatively safe in CA on the west side surrounded by democrats, but I see an increase in rebellious violent activity while the world looks on in horror. Our family might have to leave the country and become refugees elsewhere.

Uh - Covid-19 pandemic Wildfires Hazardous Air Quality Family separations at the border RBG dying Mitch McConnell not passing any bills Trump is a racist asshole BLM protests 2020 election

Covid NYC shut down and Andrew moved in with me for six months. I got to really see all of him; his weaknesses, his alcoholism, his dark thoughts, his political views, his sexual challenges, his religious views, his stresses and his anxieties along with the strengths that have been the glue that has attracted me to him so strongly.

President Trump. Although he’s been in office since 2016, this is the year I made the switch to the republican party and will be voting for him, Lord willing. The scales fell off my eyes, kind of like Saul before he became Paul. And they’ve been falling ever since. Wow 😯 It has changed me profoundly, the state of tvis country and the world are what led me to renew my faith and walk with God. Then of course my entire life changed but that was the impetus, the breakthrough, the awakening I needed to see the Light and I have. I really really have 💫

Well, the biggest impact on me is of course, the global pandemic. I've not gone out with the exception of going to the store to buy things, and an occasional visit to my mother-in-law (twice). I've been working from home. I like that part, not having to commute. I do miss my friends and I really miss going on vacations. I'm just focusing on work, and having a wonderful relationship with my husband.

The global pandemic. It has caused my husband not to work as much. It also has made it that most of our families have not met our son, and they most likely not be able to meet him anytime soon. The hardest is that my husbands parents have not had the chance to meet him, which is the hardest thing about it.

Corona and being fired from my job has prevented me from starting a new pregnancy for a second child. Unsure if I can still start this year, if at all. Frightening thought which I am again, like everything essential in my life, carrying on my own without any support, help or interest from anyone.

The killing of George Floyd has impacted me. I have become even more aware of my deepened sense of bias and how I benefit daily from the color of my skin. Both Felix and I have been intentional with how we will raise our children to be empathic and active in fighting for those who are discriminated against. More personally, Buddy's sudden death has affected all of us, and I am figuring out how to support Felix in his grief.

Covid, of course. Our primary social outlets, art gatherings & openings, theater, travel and our participation in community theater & choir have all been put on hold. Still, these are on hold for just about everyone. An unexpected result has been a sense of gratitude. We have a lovely home & yard, and have spent time nurturing our vegetable garden and enjoying the out of doors without fear of being too close to others. We are able to afford our groceries and pay the bills. We have been able to connect virtually with out choir and theater groups, and Karen has been connecting with artist colleagues and been productive artistically, while I have enjoyed reading classic and modern fiction. The Black Lives Matter movement, arising out of police brutality and murder is tragic because I know that racial profiling & tension is nothing new, it's just better documented because most everyone carries a video camera in their phone. The effect has been emotional, with feelings of empathy and loss for those who have been mistreated & killed, and feelings of frustration that opponents to the movement have chosen to focus on looting at the protests rather than the reasons for the protests.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died hours before Rosh Hashana began, and the significance of her leaving us left me wondering why now. And my response was Baruch Dayan HaEmet. There must to a divine reason that I do not understand, given how the United States has become so partisan and uncaring about the people in the community who are suffering and instead think more of what they will personally gain.

I think it is impossible to not answer this with Covid19. That's not to say that other world events have not had an impact on me-of course they have. Being unable to see family; being unable to touch; being unable to travel. These are all hard. I find I am lonely and I lack that "something to look forward to." At least in a concrete way. My responsibilities are both increased and different. All of this is hard. Others have it much worse, but its still hard.

RBG's passing, just two days ago, has already had a huge impact on me. She meant more to me than I knew while she was living. From her work, I have been inspired to advocate more fiercely and stand up to those around me (or at least continue to work on it). I will continue to work on thinking before I speak and being diligent and thorough in all I do. I am also terrified of what will happen with her seat on SCOTUS. Will my rights be taken away? Do I feel comfortable starting to try and get pregnant if I can't choose to end that pregnancy should I decide to? Should I bring children into a world that doesn't view a woman's right to choose as a fundamental right?

COVID-19, impacted everything about my business & personal life. I do travel and everything has gone away for this year & personally until June I couldn't even go out anywhere to see friends.

Well, the 3 biggies have been COVID-19, George Floyd's killing and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed, and the upcoming election. COVID has disrupted and changed everything from travel to teaching to time with family to recreation and so on. It has not been bad: I have enjoyed the extra time at home. But, I still miss parties and concerts and eating out and face-to-face classes (without masks) and movies and so on. BLM inspired me to take part in my first protests (a peaceful march in Saginaw) and opened my eyes to the treatment that some citizens of our country regularly receive. As for the election, hopefully the president will be voted out of office soon. Experts believe that will occur... but they called it wrong in 2016. Ruth Bade Ginsburg's death has Republicans wanting to replace her on the SCOTUS ASAP. Hopefully, that won't happen.

Wow - where to start! COVID tops the list. Followed by the idiotic Trump administration, the lying Trump campaign, the death of RBG and subsequent fight over the Supreme Court. One image that made a huge impression was the rows of hundreds of graves dug in Brazil for COVID victims. Low level of continuous stress - with spikes. Early in the year, I was very concerned about battles for democracy in Hong Kong, especially since we were there in January, but that has taken a back seat to what seem to me to be more existential threats.

You mean besides COVID? Or that Donald Trump is still the president? I think that those two are enough.

How to choose which event? The impact of the Black Lives Matter movement was huge for me. It was a conversion moment for white people. An awakening on a deep uncomfortable level for me. To grasp the magnitude of my privilege, to understand the biases I carried on a new level. I had made so many assumptions that were fed to me by the white supremacist and capitalist overculture. It was one thing to acknowledge racism in our culture, but a whole other thing to begin to examine my own blind spots, to interrogate the comfortable beliefs that allow me to contribute to furthering white supremacy.

kids moved pandemic racial injustice in te forefgron diabetic challenges

Everyone will answer the same: the coronavirus that has stuck us home for months.

The Covid-19 pandemic has upended everything. It touches everything, small and large. Simple tasks like errands take planning—mask? list? crowds? likelihood of mask compliance?—and the bigger ones like medical procedures even more so. The worst part, though, has been knowing that I am trapped here in a high-risk state within a high-risk country. Waking up to the realization that the government of this country is actively working against the health and safety of the population as a whole in order to further the economic interests of a select few has been devastating.

Clearly, the pandemic. Ironically, I am one of the very few whom this total stop has saved, psychologically speaking. I had accelerated my life and activity to a point that threatened to cause a mental meltdown. My blood pressure was high despite drugs. I was about to launch into weeks of intense performances. Offsetting this is the fact that the total amount that I would make from this tsunami of activity was 2K. So the event that has depressed and destroyed so many actually saved me.

The pandemic has changed everything. I lost my job and am now a housewife, though that wasn't really the plan. I've lost 3 relatives and couldn't attend funerals because we are high risk. I miss my friends, and I have been terrified for months because I had a dream that I would die at 39 and that is my age now. On the positive side, I finally got the chance to slow down, which is all I have wanted since my father died in 2017. After 6 months of rest I am finally starting to feel like myself again. My husband says he hasn't seen me this feisty in a long time. It's been a battle for 3 years for me to try to manage the grief and existential dread and cling to sanity. I think I'm doing the best I've been in years.

Well, outside of the pandemic and the upcoming election, I think the BLM movement and its protests have been extremely significant and impactful this year. I have been put in a position to really examine myself and explore my unconscious bias. I never understood what it mean to have white privilege until that light bulb clicked on this year. When BLM first began, my immediate impulse was, "well, all lives matter, so yes black lives matter too" and I misunderstood the point of the movement. In exploring my understanding of the movement, I was able to click on that light of privilege. My privilege is being able to walk down a street in a hoodie and not be stopped by passing police officers and questioned about my activities. My privilege is being able to be pulled over for a speeding ticket or regular infraction and not being concerned that I'm going to be pulled out of the car, and arrested, or worse. My privilege is not having to endure the verbal assaults and sometimes physical assaults just because my skin color is different than someone else's. Having that realization has allowed me to lean into a deeper understanding of BLM. No one needs to counter that exhortation because it is truth on its own. Saying black lives matter does not mean that other lives do not matter. Saying that black lives matter without adding any caveats acknowledges the base-level truth of the statement. That so many push back against it just highlights their misunderstanding. I'm grateful for the ability to be introspective and try to find out how I'm being a part of the problem even when I don't feel like I'm actively being part of the problem.

The death of George Floyd and the related riots with our government sending military forces into groups of peaceful demonstrations. How racial bias in our country has reared it's ugly head and how regular people are walking our streets with guns.

This election has gotten me really motivated to participate, and I'm volunteering making calls for Biden/Harris this week. I don't want to see this country collapse into authoritarianism or civil war. We need a strong Democratic victory to get some important stuff done in this country, and I want to be a part of that effort.

I think the worldwide pandemic has really impacted me this year. It has overnight night taken away the world and country that I once knew by forced lockdowns and social distancing. Not being allowed to have a social life is taking a toll. No attending group activities of any type. This basically leaves me no contact with others.

The obvious one is the pandemic but there are so many others... so much at the national level... I'm also thinking of a new level of BLM awareness and the whole CHOP situation and a halfway serious attempt at police abolition (too little too late) and RBG just died and effing Biden when we could have had Warren and it is all too much. So I'll talk about the wildfire smoke. Back in spring, we gave away the few N95 respirator masks we had since there was a shortage and they were desperately needed for healthcare workers. I had a vague idea in the back of my mind that surely this COVID-19 thing wouldn't still be an issue by the time wildfire season rolled around in late summer, some 6 months later. Hahahaha wrong. We experienced the worst wildfire season yet in the PNW and the whole west coast had unhealthy or worse air for nearly two weeks. It was miserable, because literally the only thing we can *do* during the pandemic is go outside for walks and bike rides, and then even that was taken away. It was the straw that nearly broke me. Everything else we had been adapting to OK but then suddenly we were in a post-apocalyptic smokescape for an indefinite period of time that dragged on longer than a week? God. Thing is, I have accepted that some degree of annual smoke will likely happen nowadays, and we were just lucky to have skipped last year, so we do have HEPA air purifiers. So many of our friends and family were not well-equipped, though, and everything was sold out so they just had to breathe smokey air because it's not like there were safe public indoor spaces to visit.

Ha. Ha. Ha. Well, my husband is high risk, so we're taking this COVID-19 pandemic even more seriously than most. I'm no longer wiping down all my groceries and keeping them in garage purgatory, but I'm still not going to eat inside of a restaurant. I can't go to concerts unless my husband or neighbors are playing. I can't see movies except at drive-ins or projected onto my garage. My work has been so busy and so scary, furloughs, pay cuts, downsizing our office space. All because that orange asshole dismantled the pandemic task force in 2018. I hate him so much. I have so much rage in his direction. And Lindsey Graham, that goddamn hypocrite. McConnell, the turtle monster. I pray every night for Biden to win. I know if he wins, it doesn't mean the pandemic will be gone overnight. That climate change will be fixed. That our economy will recover. All I kn0w is we'll be moving in a better direction than we are now. I feel like I'm in purgatory, Groundhog Day, where there's no end in sight. I hate it.

Jesus Christ. Cancer. Coronavirus. Cataracts. I don't even think I need to respond to this.

Oh Boy. This is a dooooozy in 2020. Covid 19 pandemic - not only was I incredibly sick and continue to heal months later, the quarantine is in its 7 month and still no end in sight as people are refusing to wear masks. The idiot president is spouting nonsense and has made wearing masks political so morons are refusing to wear them. BLM - after years of protesting (ie ~400) during the pandemic everyone is finally paying attention. Protests in the streets. Calls to hold officials accountable. Calls to truly address white supremacy and be anti-racist across culture. I am having deep convos with my mom, friends, and even people I barely know about this. Listening, reflecting, learning. I feel very grateful for all of the years that people have trusted me to learn and pushed, pulled, or illuminated the way for me to not only have done this work, but to prepared to stand up now. Fires in Cal - We have had 31 days of spare the air with only intermittent days or moments where the air is good enough to open windows. People's houses are burning, forests and grasslands are disappearing. It is frightening and saddening - and again, has been politicized. Instead of rallying together as a country or a world to change our attitudes, behaviors, and call for massive changes in industry/commerce, people are taking sides like science is opinion and not SCIENCE. There is so much bad it is hard to even remember it all, let alone focus on or recall the positive.

Covid 19. It's been handled badly leaving everyone afraid of everyone else, afraid of a sniffle and unable to live life as normal. I think they've taken the 'flattening of the curve' measures too far. By flattening the curve they've lengthened it. This could be over if people were allowed to just go about their lives. Of course, we need to maintain hygiene. that goes without saying if you are a responsible person. This mask wearing is not helping and many, including myself, have been unable to go into some shops and even the hospital because wearing a mask is detrimental to their health. COPD, Asthma, Anxiety disorders etc. prevent some people from wearing a mask yet this health situation is ignored by these businesses. I've had to seriously curtail my outings.

The most recent spate of police violence toward Blacks has been upsetting. George Floyd was the wakeup call that everyone paid attention to. Since then, I've been reading as much as I can about systemic racism in the United States, and I've realized how much of what we are taught has been a complete sugarcoated version of what really transpired. I've also attended two rallies in support of Black lives, and participated in a 21-day anti racism challenge, during which I learned a great deal. I am also part of a committee at work to promote anti-racism in NY's schools. We absolutely need to vote Trump out of office in order to begin to turn things around in this country. If not, I am quite fearful of what will happen.

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted my entire life this year. It's been the reason my household has fallen into depression, and it's impacted my personal mental and physical health dramatically.

All I can think of is Covid-19. It's affected the entire world. How many things do that? Some of the world, a great swath of the world, yes, but the ENTIRE WORLD? It has impacted me, sure, but it has impacted EVERYONE. I think the biggest impact I have had personally is a great deal of fear for my aging parents, for my kids who had to keep working and my kids who lost their jobs. For my husband whose father entered the hospital in early March and immediately was put into isolation, the first at that hospital, while being tested for the virus, also the first, and then they locked down the entire hospital, but they made an exception for my husband to see his dad, and this was carried into rehab and memory care and now assisted living. So I have been terrified that he would become infected...so far, he has not. But if these facilities made an exception for him, you can bet they made them for others, increasing the risks to everyone. The other significant effect to me has been missing out on my grandkids' lives. I have 1 and 4 year old grandsons and these are extremely formative times for them and I am missing it. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever see them again. I can't even write more about this, it's making me cry.

As was the case last year, it's hard to choose just one thing, because it seems the past year has just been one insult after another. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death is the latest blow. I think back to the dire predictions many people made back in 2016. At the time they sounded outlandish, and I hoped it was a case of preparing for the worst. Now I see how naive I was. I truly thought our institutions would be more durable, more resistant to creeping autocracy. I thought more people in positions of power would stand up to it. It's astonishing and nauseating how quickly our democracy has been hobbled and how close it is to being dismantled entirely.

The Covid19 pandemic certainly comes in number one; but taken together with climate effects, systemic injustice and failures, hatreds and prejudices, hyper partisanship, weapons proliferation at international and local levels, continuing human brutality, failures of leadership and global chaos from all these above have shaken my belief system that, as we get more educated and work on women's rights, human rights and security for living places, the human species will evolve toward a more peaceful world

Covid 19- shelter in place/ masks! No hugs Enough said!

I run my own small business so had to take a hit of not much work for 7 weeks. In that time I naturally just started doing things I loved again. I drew in a daily basis if not sometimes all day. I started listening to Albums again and cooking food that I always used to cook. It’s made me consider what I want to do moving forward in regards to work load vs earning the money! With talks of a four day week and now working from home when I can, a balance seems more possible and in turn has made me more productive, not just at work but in my personal life too.

The corona virus has caused death, financial ruin, and fear for many in the world and the U.S. I have been affected but my investment accounts are back up thank the the Federal Reserve and my gym and favorite restaurant (Hopkins) are open and I am very blessed and fortunate. I have done my part to prevent the spread but I feel I should do much more. I don't think the vaccine, whenever it becomes available, will be the answer.

COVID has impacted not just my life but everyone else's lives as well. It has changed my life in many different ways. Some ways are not being able to go to school, not traveling, and not going out to eat.

The obvious answer is COVID19. Eliminated my ability to perform music as of March 7. Forced me to accept Unemployment for the first time in my life. Took away regular socializing with friends and family. And the virus continues to plague the world. Unexpected change of lifestyle.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away this past friday (9/18/2020). She was a pioneer and a revolutionary for people's rights. The current government is trying to fill her post right away, which would tear away rights for women and people in the LGBT community. This impacts me because it feels like we are starting to become the nation of Gilead like from the handmaid's tale. There is an election coming up and while the Democratic nominee (Biden) isn't the greatest, anything is better than Trump.

There were so many... I don't know where to start and where to end. The pandemic, the massive wild fires, the burning refugee camps, RBG dying, BLM... it just didn't stop this year and the last quarter didn't even start. That last one will bring the election in te U.S. and I fear for the poor people over there. On a more personal level it was definitely the time I had to spend at home. Not being able to see the people I care about, not to do the things that I love. That was hard. I felt so limited, so not myself, lost and without connection.

The murder of George Floyd and the attacks on protesters at Black Lives Matter Plaza finally catapulted me into street medic work. I found a group of people to work with that share my values, communicate well, and support each other. I also found intense inter-group drama and suspicion that lead to exhausting conversations about tactics and ethics about street medicine. It's taken up most of my saturday evenings and countless additional hours of prep work, coordinating time, and emotional energy. I'm grateful to grow a community around me and to be a part of a meaningful movement, but gosh, I'm tired already and it's only been a few months.

Covid 19–restricted off in person contacts with friends and family

The world was too much with me. I wept over everything: 100,000 homeless schoolchildren in NYC. RBG. The environment. It's been all I can do to stay focused on actions I can take & not be overwhelmed.

The pandemic and especially waking up to dark orange skies in September has made me profoundly sad for my children. I knew bringing people into this world, to live (I pray) through the coming century, meant making them survive extreme challenges I couldn’t imagine. I just thought they would have more time before these changes began. I try to keep hope and honor my commitment to raising resilient and joyful people committed to Tikkun Olam. Still praying for strength to stay focused on this.

An event in the world? Well, there is this pandemic. Pandemics are hard and apparently harder because so many people are stupid. One might not have predicted that so many people would be so stupid that they reject science and medical advice, but here we are. That has really been the most lasting effect on me -- having to face the abject incompetence of so many people. I am a radical democrat and want to trust the if the people decide things will go better, but people are also dupes who will die for lies that feel good to them. This is why monarchists are still monarchists, and I know one. It gets harder and harder to defend democracy on principle in the face of morons taking advice from an orange haired sociopath. No same person would trust those lunatics with power in society, yet that is what democracy does. It gives even the most stupid, the most gullible, the least knowledge, the least educated, the least intelligent all get to vote. When they vote with their lives they die, when they vote they kill everyone by voting for organized evil. This is why we have public education, but if the same idiots refuse to pay for education then democracy has no defense against stupidity and gullibility. Reading last year's reply it is clear my fears have been actualized. Faced with the worst president in history, the most corrupt party in history behind him still democrats are in a tight race. How is that possible? A sociopath can lie and refuse to act and kill an extra 100,000 people and still be in a close race. Democrats are weak and incompetent in the face of this organized evil, just as I feared. And of course as I just noted there are a surprising number of totally mentally incompetent fools who still vote for organized evil even when it will cost them their lives.

Covid. It let know know the thfull extent of how the wicked rulers if this world would go to manifest their ideas

Covid19 has zeroed me in on my connections to the people I love and care about. It's made me sure to widely share my strong wish to not be put on a ventilator if I get the virus and my breathing is failing. I'm nearly 67, and while I look forward to living many more years, I don't want to do that at the cost of the futures ahead of today's children. We need to save the earth for them, not just individual ancestors.

I would say the effective way that so many of the Asian countries have handled the COVID virus. It reminds me of how much we have to learn and how arrogant we are as a nation.

The global pandemic meant that I had to shelter in place alone. I am very fortunate that I have a dog, so I was not completely isolated, but spending months without human contact was one of the most difficult things I've ever been through. Ultimately, this time alone kick-started quite a bit of introspection that I was able to begin addressing when I arrived at my parents' house in Ohio, where I will be spending the remainder of 2020. This period of time reminded me that I can weather life's storms. It was a reminder that time continues and things can improve.

Well obviously the pandemic has changed my day to day life. But the ongoing assassinations of Black and brown people is part of my life too. It inspires me to write my book, it frightens me for my child, and it makes me despondent about whether we can ever heal from the racism this country was built on.

The Peace deal between Israel and the UAE and with Bahrain. Hopefully it will lead to more peace in the Middle East.

Of COVID-19, it made me lose my job. I start a new job on Wednesday. I will be washing my hands constantly and wearing mask like Darth Vader as I go back to work as a physical therapist. I have asthma so I am high risk. I bought heavy duty masks with filters.

What a year. The BLM movement has had a large impact on me. It has encouraged me to speak more loudly, to be a force for change and social justice both within my life and companies I work for. It has encouraged me that perhaps the world is ready for real and lasting change and also discouraged me seeing how many people do not embrace it. As a kid who grew up consuming everything about the Holocaust that I could, I believe it is each human's duty to stand up for each other's rights, and this includes me.

Oh goodness. Obviously, coronavirus. And BLM. And the raging wildfires in Australia and the West Coast of the US. And Trump boldly admitting his desire to turn the US into a fascist nation. And so many other terrible things. I think I have largely been impacted by not caring as much about my work and by caring much more about how to fix this mess we're in as a nation. Or, at least how to live closer to the few people I really care about (aside from Nick): my immediate family and OG friends :)

My God. What hasn't? The combined horror has made it nearly impossible to function on some days. On others, I function in spite of it. Finally deciding to go to law school has been my saving grace. To finally feel like I could perhaps be in a position to make things better. Either i'll take my Bar card and go to war against a fascist government, or if we are lucky, our Democracy will be saved in November and i'll take that Bar card and go to war against the racist institutions that are so biased against the underprivileged in this country. I want to be part of the change. I want to love my country by fixing what has made it so terrible for so many.

Covid is the obvious answer so I will go with the upcoming election. I live in fear that Trump will get reelected, and that we will need to leave the country before it becomes a totalitarian dictatorship. And now with RBG's passing, I also live in fear that the conservative supreme court will make this a horribly conservative country where getting an abortion is a crime and on and on and on.

The worldwide Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted my life in so many ways. I am afraid to get near the people in my neighborhood. I cannot attend religious services which are important to me. Zoom services is a poor substitute for praying in community. I cannot hug most of the people I love and when I hug my son and his family, I fear that I have been exposed to something that could very well kill me. Wearing a mask whenever I leave my house is uncomfortable and makes it difficult for me to breathe. I am afraid to get my hair cut or my nails done for fear I will be exposed to the virus. Social activities are basically non-existent. I have become a hermit, something which the outgoing, friendly me would have never done before. On the other hand, I have been able to connect in meaningful ways with some of my friends in California. I can attend Torah study on Saturday mornings (well it's afternoon where I live, but so what). I was able to hear my California Rabbi's sermon for Rosh Hashonah. Whenever I connect with her, I feel sad that her last year as a pulpit Rabbi is so full of unusual ways to do her job and that celebrating her 30 years as the Senior Rabbi at Shir Hadash cannot be the wonderful gathering of congregants and family that it should be. I can only hope she is content with her decision to retire and will find many meaningful ways to continue to contribute to the community and the world. I am grateful that I could share some time in cyberspace with her this year, the silver lining in the dark cloud of Corona Virus.

Where do I start? Ongoing anti-semitism. Terrifying. Blatant cruelty to Black people. Horrifying. Pandemic. Unbelievable. Every fear I've ever had, every scary movie I've ever seen, has come true this past year. I think perhaps the worst has been the open flouting of the Constitution. It's as if it doesn't exist or has no importance. There is no real two-party system. There are the Democrats and there are Donald Trump sycophants. There is no separation of powers, there is no respect for our ideals. There seems to be a complete breakdown of every good thing America has ever stood for, and all that is left is shameful. I am ashamed for my country. If we do not have a Constitution, what are we? What is a country without a soul? I pray for redemption every day. I pray the answer will be hopeful and good and filled with promise.

COVID-19, like everyone else (of course). I went from being almost able to go back to work full time to being right back at square one and at home all day with two kids: my seven-year old, and my 42-year-old husband, who after three years of working 12 to 16 hour days, he had to work from home and be near us. It has been excruciating watching him not be able to show up for us as a family and especially not be able to increase his fathering time AT ALL unless I have asked, nagged, or begged him to do stuff. So what this is leading to is our kid fully realizing her dad is kind of worthless as a father and that his only contribution is to make the money. Funny, then, that now that he's been laid off (two weeks ago), he is talking about pursuing some hobbies and interests, raiding his 401k perhaps, and buying a $3500 camera to follow those hobbies... so his value to our kid, of making the money, is about to disappear. I could strangle him, but instead I will wait it out, try and lovingly encourage him to get a paid job, and then figure out about getting one myself. While homeschooling and doing all of the household chores. Argh. The event: COVID-19 pandemic How it has impacted me: Stopped my divorce! We had just moved into shared quarters near school, in advance of me finding a job and us both moving on into separate homes, and now we are stuck together. This pandemic has increased my kid's anxiety and dependence on me, and I'm trying to get back any sliver of time off. In the meantime I'm doomscrolling or anything other than the productive things that would help me get ready to move out and move on. because my kid was now at elementary school and was clamoring to stay for aftercare

Seriously. It could be the wildfires in Australia, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others. Riots across the world and our right wing governments just getting more powerful. People getting poorer every day while others get rich because of it. Wildfires and floods everywhere - California is on fire and it's orange during the day and honestly, no-one really cares. That's not even touching the pandemic, which has affected absolutely everyone. I think, if we concentrate on just one aspect, it'll be the fact that I haven't been in an office since March and am unlikely to be in one before next March. I can do my job from home, I know I am incredibly lucky, and the landscape of our lives has shifted again. After four years of working away from home Mon-Thurs most weeks, I am at home all the time. I love it. Eating dinner together, watching telly, just spending time together.

Obviously, the global pandemic, it has kept me from seeing my son, and forced me to forgo most travel, but overall I have made the most of it. My brother disowned me, my ex-sister-in-law died in June, and her daughter, my niece, died September 11th. So many have passed and I just feel like life is mostly about learning to live with loss. Also the Black Lives Matter movement, and Trump's move toward a fascist state. Now Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died and that means another right wing judge on the Supreme Court, further denigrating and dismantling all the things American democracy holds dear. A very scary time.

Covid-19. It didn't have to be this way with over 200,000 Americans dead. I directly lost people that I knew, it has changed the way my job has been done, it has impacted my mental health, it has impacted my physical wellbeing, it has impacted where I live (VT for at least 4 more months until back to CA).

Covid 19, wildfires, BLM, protests, fights for equality

What's coming to mind is not just one event but the category of "extreme weather events." Around the US and/but especially in Colorado, it's suddenly hit me: "climate change isn't this thing in the future we're trying to prevent. It is HERE. It is NOW." As an environmental activist this is a significant shift in my mindset. It's heartbreaking and devastating and demoralizing. And, motivating.

Seriously, let's see the Pandemic, Economic collapse ... So much stress and concern for so many people, especially my teenage son who is doing remote school and not allowed to social freely and make connections with new and old friends...dealing with his depression and sadness is hard...worrying about finances even tho we have a healthy portfolio...

LORD. George Floyd's death. Not even his death- the response afterward, and the sudden ripping away of my perception of America. I am 100% behind the BLM movement and even further at this point.

COVID pandemic tremendously impacted relationships, both family and friends, here and afar. Couldn't travel to see my parents and brother, no trip to Cocoa Beach, no tennis and very limited interaction with friends.

The death of RBG last week. She was a warrior for justice and by all rights brilliant. I fear that her seat on the supreme court will be filled by Trump and will cement the GOP slant to the court. I fear for women's reproductive rights, I fear for the LBGTQ community, I fear for people of color...yeah fear. This issue has increased my feeling that our nation is headed for open conflict among ourselves and not just the conflict of words. Was this what the environment felt like prior to the civil war? Will we be able to find decency and common ground again?

Three things: COVID, the election, and the California fires. Everyone in the world was affected by COVID, and the impact in my case was relatively mild, but still significant from my personal point of view. I had to go home and work from home, sitting at the computer for meetings all day, which in some respects negatively impacted my life. I love being with my coworkers and being on campus, so that was a great loss. Then there was tension between my son and husband that arose from COVID and the claustrophobia of being shut in. My son moved out, partially as a result. I lost an old, dear friend to COVID. I was not able to travel to Sweden to be with my husband, and traveling to my brother's funeral was daunting. Different social and political views about COVID affected relationships with some family members and friends. The election has made me very anxious and has altered my feelings about remaining in the US. And the Californian wildfires destroyed my sense of safety and well-being and made me question whether I wanted to continue living in California, despite my love for the place, its people, and its many cultures.

The coronavirus has impacted my year... dramatically. It's pretty incredible how much my life has changed because of one bat being eaten by a pig, or something, in China. So much has changed!

Duh. Coronavirus. Economic collapse. Constant shooting of black people. Environmental disasters. Orange idiot even more off the rails. Loss of RBG. The world has gone to shit, and promises to keep getting worse. It's depressing and infuriating beyond words.

Just one?! Effing all the things. Pandemic travel limits means my spouse is home 24/7 and working from our bedroom.

Can't think of anything other than the BS with the virus that has slowed our business down. I have had it with democrats, liberals, snowflakes and their ilk who just can't accept something they don't agree with. I thank God for making me a conservative who trusts in Him - His will not ours.

That’s got to be the death of George Floyd which really gave a kickstart to the Black Lives Matter movement. The push and pull of Fascism hit high gear and put our democracy in great peril as this Trump era flexes their muscles to stay in power. Never have the underpinnings of of nation been in such danger. Russia is pulling strings to destroy the USA and Trump is his pawn.

The coronavirus and BLM movement have had an obvious impact on myself and our country, but an event that really impacted me personally was the passing of RBG. It just feels like so much hope and protection was lost, and now we're heading into uncharted and terrifying territory.

Losing so many of our civil and social rights leaders has affected me in ways I wouldn't have expected. Definitely living near Louisville, we've felt the impact of Breonna Taylor's death and the BLM movement. I've been blessed not only to produce extra food but to then pass that on to the West End of Louisville. It's been an amazing, physical, tangible, long-term means of tzedakah.

I absolutely refuse to give this major world event any power by writing about it. All I can say is that I'm doing my best to survive, live, and be happy. But I will say that perhaps this major world event has become some sort of blessing in disguise; I've learned how to appreciate my family, and I think I would've make further mistakes with my former loved on in prison. I just hope next year will be better.

The notice of the death of RBG sucked the joy from our socially distanced R-H dinner. By the next morning, the outpouring from wise seekers of meaningful response brought hope. I realized yet again how ephemeral all of life and stasis are.

COVID - How? Why? Can't even put it all into words. Lots of grief, worry, concern - lots of focus on gratitude and the things I/we CAN control; motivation to act to be the change I/we want to see. Politics, Science, Work --- my respect for, involvement in, and feelings about all these areas have been so deeply impacted by COVID. There are times I really need to break it down --- the Kaizen method --- thinking in smaller bites about what can be done, what I can do, and impact. Also - allowing myself the difficult permission that sometimes I need to let it go, and that's o.k. and it's right ---and I shouldn't have regrets if things don't go my way --- I'm part of a solution, for example, at work but it's not all in my power so if I'm not comfortable with an outcome and I've tried my best to convey my "why," then the healthy thing for me to do is back 0ff at some point.

RBGs death really impacted me as the insult to injury of the pandemic. It was a reminder of how delicate the rights of women are and the balance is tipping against us. Ughhhh. I have a responsibility to do my part to stop the madness

It may be a basic answer, but I would be lying if I didnt say the corona virus has played a huge impact on my life. Quarantine really forced me to get to know myself and made me fight through my darkest times. But It really has helped me rebuild myself, and I wouldnt be who I am right now without it.

I'm dumb-struck at the intransigence of Trump's base's inability to understand the severity of this pandemic. Washington Post has tracked that Trump has issued 2,000-3,500 LIES since taking office and those constituents refuse to see them. Worse the insanity and adolescent attitude towards mask wearing freedom versus virus freedom is beyond reason. If the 18-40 cohort doesn't adhere to ordinances, we're doomed.

COVID! POLITICS! and the intersection of the two. The world is in a frenzy due to Covid. The way it has been handled by our government is piling. The division the administration has sowed is horrifying. There's nothing more to say about it.

Like most others’ responses, I would have to say that COVID—19 has been the overarching world event to have a direct impact on my family and me. It forced us to abandon our typical and traditional ways of doing things, eliminating events/visits with family and friends, etc. It forced our son to attend school remotely at the end of the last school year and beginning of this one, etc. We have done our best to adapt and make the best of a tough situation. Unlike some couples who grew apart because they spent too much time together during COVID, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed working side-by-side on our respective jobs, eating lunch & taking midday walks together, and sneaking in little displays of affection all day long! Being able to fondle my pets (cats, bunny) and care for one cat who was in her end-stages of life was very rewarding as well. We held a Seder with my family over FaceTime which turned out to be not quite as rewarding as an in-person one, but better than we all expected it would be. We also visited several new parks and taken lots of great hikes. So COVID had mixed results for us.

Probably the corona virus lockdown has impacted us the most. But certainly the rising political polarization around equality issues like racism, policing and even the wearing of masks feeds a rising dread in me.

Political contest highlighting the bigotry and uninformed nature of the U.S. population. Polarization in politics also highlights the apparent lack of logic/understanding by my fellow US citizens.

It feels as though the world has been on fire all year - and I don't just mean that metaphorically. In January, Australia saw devastating wildfires and now the western US is seeing them, as well. Even though I live thousands of miles away on the opposite coast, we are still being impacted by the smoke. Also, news just broke that in the last 50 years we've lost two-thirds of Earth's wildlife. As an a zooarchaeologist studying people's relationships to animals and nature, I can see that our relationship to our planet and its non-human life is broken causing absolutely catastrophic results.

Obvious answer: The COVID-19 pandemic. My husband and I are both working from home now. We wear a mask whenever we go outside the house. I'm saving a ton on gas money (I used to drive 20,000 miles a year due to my job). I haven't eaten in a restaurant in 6 months, I haven't been to the dentist, I haven't been to services at the synagogue in that time. I just participated in Rosh Hashanah services online. I could go on but you get the picture. We have no idea if and when this will end.

Every day I think to myself the news can't get any worse. But somehow it seems to do just that. There is so much cognitive overload between the wildfires, pandemic, Trump, the election, the pandemic, global unrest, racism and the death of George Floyd a few miles from my house, economic instability, Zoom homeschooling, job loss and long-term unemployment, homelessness, ICE - hysterectomies and kids in cages, rising antisemtism, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Honestly, any one of these things would be enough in a regular year to give me pause. Instead they just keep coming. It's enough to make me want to curl into a ball because the pain is so great and so real. And, while I'm not an optimist by nature, I wonder if the biggest event in the year has been the recognition that we can put technology to use for the good. We can bridge the distance and the miles by sharing simchas over Zoom. We can slow down, relearn self-sufficiency (baking, cooking, needlecraft), carefully connect with neighbors, and try to look to the helpers and to those on the margins who need help. We can buy less, do less and do with less, and connect with community however we can make it.

i would guess that the answer that most people including myself would give is the advent of Covid 19 with regard to its impact on me, and aside from the restraints of lockdown, the lack of contact with family and friends etc I guess this will only be felt sometime in the future as we are still in it

RBG died over the weekend. She was an icon, and truly the epitome of a tzadik (a righteous person). I am scared what her absence will do for the future of our country. There are a lot of tremendously powerful issues resting on the supreme court these days.

I mean, I think for everyone it's definitely COVID. While my teaching life didn't change much- still asynchronously online- I didn't sub so I had more time during the day to pursue other things and also think about how to rebudget with my new income. What I feel like I lost the most were the things that bring me the most joy; the ballet and musicals were cancelled; the local Shakespeare festival was cancelled; no more symphony rehearsals and performances; no more travel. This last one hurt the most because it's rare for me to not have a trip planned and I'm facing a future with no international travel and while I'm so grateful for my health, my home, financial security, no travel makes me really really sad.

The death of Georgia Congressman John Lewis saddened me deeply. I had the great honor of meeting him and speaking with him about my childhood in Nashville, when he was leading the lunch counter protests. I feel his death was due to despair, almost as much as cancer. The police-involved killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others have sparked outrage and protest. I do so hope that these movements will result in progress and change--the positive legacy of John Lewis, and not further divisiveness in an already divided nation.

There are so many. I think the largest impact is the virus, it's changed how I go to work and how the kids go to school. It's thrown a wrench into a lot of plans. It's not going away anytime soon, too little has been done, even here.

OH haha, which event? COVID? RBG dying? The mess of the Trump administration. GAH! How?? Why?? It's hard to remain an optimist and not just sink down and do nothing. But I've tried to be more deliberate with my thoughts and taking action, donating $, making calls. When I read over this answer next year I hope to Gd we have Biden/Harris in the White House. Please Lord, hear our cry.

Wow, where to begin? It seems like there have been so many events that have impacted me this year. The biggest one, of course, is the COVID-19 pandemic. It has fundamentally changed how I teach and where I work. It has fundamentally changed how I shop, how I socialize, how I spend my time and money, how I dress/groom, how I eat ... I feel like I could go on and on. Interestingly, not all of these changes are necessarily negative, but the lockdown restrictions put in place in mid-March (and continuing now, in mid-September), have definitely impacted me and the way I go about life.

I am sure I am one among many to grieve the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (who grew up and went to high school in my neighborhood). Not only were her accomplishments and her grit amazing, as I heard someone say on the radio, she was "authentic" - a word that like so many others has been co-opted by the media in the most inauthentic ways. She stood for so much. She WAS so much. I pray we can honor her memory by taking the same kind of responsibility to each other.

All the riots and destruction

I mean, Covid 19. Isn't it obvious? How? Who knows, a bat got sick, then it got eaten by someone and before you know it, the whole world started coughing. And panicking. Why? Well, I don't know, shit happens, I suppose.

The political events in the US, specifically the misinformation and hatred, spread by Trump have had a profound impact. The situation in the US seems so untenable, so much hatred and yes/no thinking. I worry about my loved ones in the US and all people who live there. I'm conflicted about our daughter living there. I'm much more fearful on a day to day basis. The racism perpetuated by white americans is similar to Canada - maybe doesn't look as extreme. I think that if this causes more real changes to be made in Canada (and, please G'd, the US) we can be thankful. I have become much more aware of my own privilege and the things I can do to be an ally. It's honestly exhausting. And then I feel guilty for feeling exhausted. I want to do the right thing but there are so many messages telling me how to do it and then telling me to figure it out myself. I needed to take myself off of social media. Slow down. Read books and longer articles. Have conversations whenever possible. I am calmer and able, I believe, to have more impact and maintain my own sense of health and well being. It's been a roller coaster with mostly postive outcomes for me.

It's hard not to write about the pandemic here. Life in the world has been transformed - down to the smallest details of how and where you can interact with other people - including family. That's been tough. As I've referred to already though, I've actually done alright in the lockdown: I've been very, very lucky to have the supports that I have and so I've used this time to deal with two issues that have had a major effect on my mental wellbeing up til now: being overweight/obese and not finding time to pursue writing, despite it being so important to me. While 5780 has been horrible in so many ways, I'm more confident, more self-loving, and in a better place professionally now than I've been in a long time. This is an atypical experience of the pandemic.

I think everyone's answer will likely be COVID-19. It's caused unemployment/furloughs, including my wife, it's strained people's finances, caused anxiety and stress, closed businesses, and caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. There is no vaccine yet and no end in sight. Another event just happened, on Erev Rosh Hashanah, we found out during services that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away. I cried that night, thinking of her legacy, her desire to stay on the court to see a new president, and the terrible ramifications her death will have on cases before the court and the nomination of a new justice.

Obviously the pandemic, racial tension, and politics. All I notice are more division and anger amongst people trying to prove their point of view. Had friendships fall apart and many on the brink of doing so if I disagree. Sometimes I keep quiet to avoid conflict. Seems like people only want to hang out and be friends with like minded people, no matter what side of the fence they’re sitting on. The lockdowns were fun at first for my introverted self, but then they felt oppressive and caused a lot of tension and depression

It's so hard to answer this in any way but COVID but obviously being ruled by a Death Cult Administration in the White House for yet another year is a disaster.

The idiocy of Donald Trump and his venal cronies. There's no other words. I can feel the slip slide that's tearing apart the constitution, which means the underpinnings of what is this country. The worst is yet to come. Before this idiot, the end of democracy seemed impossible, now it feels like a very real and present danger. What plans should we be making to withstand the worst? Hopefully when I read this in a year it will have ended with a whimper. My constant, hourly prayer.

The protests and racial reckoning resulting from the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. My sons are large brown-skinned young men and it was even more urgent and painful. The lack of justice still tortures me.

DUH..COVID Everything is made more complicated or impossible due to the pandemic. I postponed my physical for several months until I felt it was somewhat safe to go to the doctor. I’m always nervous when I go anywhere because I know other people have touched surfaces. I especially don’t like being in elevators where air is trapped.

An unfit, corrupt, soulless, megalomaniac as our president

Obviously, Covid is a global pandemic that has impacted everyone. Our government is doing nothing to stop it and 200,000 + people are dead and the total gross every day

George Floyd. This one feels different. And yet, that will only be true if I make it different. I've been trying to read more and learn more and say more. I've benefitted from privilege my whole life. But I also aspire to social justice. So ... if not now, when?

The election, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing. Politics seem very near and high stakes this year. It's making me anxious, and stressed, and generally more of a drain. But I am excited to see the activism for Black Lives Matter, and progressive politics. It's a bright spot that we can reach out and try to make a better world for each other. I just hope we can withstand the fray.

I think I have to say COVID. It has caused mass panic and dissent among friends. I’m ready for normal to return.

Well, of course, COVID 19. I am a gym of a restaurant so it changed my entire world. Work is different, money is different, home is stressed. We weren’t prepared for a global pandemic. we learned a valuable lesson.

It’s hard to think of a more impactful event than the COVID-19 shutdown. I’m tempted to say the death of the Hon. RBG, but I feel like the effects of that will be more for 5781 than 5780. The COVID shutdown has taught me a lot about my methods of self-care and connection, my negative habits and temptations when alone, and the way that I rely on my support system. The loss of so much work and of the ability to sing chorally hit me hard, but finding ways to help my choir community and engage in singing definitely helped. I also was really touched by the way some communities and organizations tried to take care of their professional singers, knowing the struggles we faced.

There's a lot to choose from this year but the burning of Notre Dame brought me to tears. Human ingenuity and accomplishments move me. To see something like this is something my heart cannot handle.

This pandemic. I have not been able to see my parents.

COVID-19 Changing and cancelling plans constantly to see a 97 year old special friend in California. I don’t feel bad for myself, I feel bad for the people who lost jobs and family and friends to covid. I have everything I need I am I am blessed beyond

The biggest impact has been the corona virus. It affects so much of our lives out of fear and responsibility to wear a mask and do more cleaning. We can’t gather as usual, nor go to places easily.

How can the answer not be COVID??? Quoting Hamilton: "The World's Turned Upside Down." Nothing is as it was, or ever will be again. Many things will be worse, but some things may be better. Too many people died or became ill -- more than were necessary, because some [not mentioning any names, but his initials are DT] were in denial and tried to sugar-coat the situation and pretend that if they ignored it it would simply go away. Well guess what? It didn't. But on the flip side, some things are a bit better than perhaps they were, like the inward turning lives of those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to turn inward safely and happily. I am eternally grateful to live in a safe, healthy, happy place where sequestering at home is not such a hardship. Those living differently -- in slums and other dreadful or scary or filthy or unsafe places -- not to mention those without homes, who somehow live homelessly, on the streets and in shelters and on the couches of various friends -- or even air-share in big apartment buildings. There are many for whom this ordeal has been unthinkable, like those living with abusive partners. Gratefully, none of those horrors are part of our lives -- or Aaron and Abby's reality in Philly -- but they certainly are for many others. So for me the overwhelming reaction to COVID has been gratitude. Sure, we missed a few vacations, but in the greater scheme of things, that clearly doesn't matter, right? Fresh air, outside time, countless hikes, countless rounds of golf, ongoing work I can do from home, a partner I enjoy being with, delicious healthy meals, etc. etc. etc. Much to be grateful for, clearly.

The pandemic is the event that has had the biggest impact on me (as is probably true universally). It left me incredibly isolated and alone, and shut down my efforts to meet new people and make new friends. Let's not even talk about what it did to my dating life, now non-existent (and who knows when I might find love again?). It also halted the momentum I was building on my job hunt and minimized the opportunities available to me to work and support myself. The new reality creates a lot of uncertainty, and makes it difficult to envision what my future could look like.

COVID-19, without a doubt. When we first heard about COVID-19 in March, I had to cancel a trip to New York I had planned for my birthday - but thought I could reschedule it for April/May. I also was going through a job transition, and thought I would be able to get a job quickly. Now, in late September, I haven't been able to travel, and I'm not employed. It's been really emotionally challenging and difficult. I haven't seen most of my family and friends in over 6 months except on Zoom or FaceTime. I've lost a cousin due to COVID-19 complications, and a college friend was in the ICU for months with COVID-19. It's impacted everything going on in the world.

COVID has shown that I have friends and people in my life who care more about their own happiness than the greater good of mankind. It has been disgusting and disheartening to come to these conclusions. COVID took away my idea that the people I love and care about care as much about the people around them.

COVID-19 The positive is that as a person with a disability, I get to socialize more on Zoom. That also included with medical professionals so, in this particular case, I did not have to drive 3 hours to go to Cleveland Clinic. I also discovered some new interests because everything is all shook up. The negative side as a person who is disabled is that the women who came in to help me cook and with tasks can no longer come in. Because I have a compromised immune system, we are also having all groceries delivered. That limits what we can get and I am on a very restricted diet.

Covid-19 Pandemic...I am a physician and it changed my work life for the past 6 months. All of my meetings went to Zoom or another virtual meeting platform. I saw anxiety and depression increase across the board in my patients and my colleagues. Yes, I also faced burnout though I wasn't so aware of it in myself...I think the isolation was a huge additional risk factor.

Duh - covid. Everything is different. Working, spending time with friends and family, recreational activities, travel, transportation, even just getting lunch at work - if I ever go to the office. It’s all been impacted. Net result every decision you used to make automatically is now a stressful cost benefit risk analysis

The death this week of RBG has both saddened me and made me very concerned for the future if the current administration gets to appoint a new Supreme Court Justice.

COVID-19 forced me to stop almost everything I was doing. It forced me to stay home and reconnect with a slower pace of life. I still maintained some of my work, and began working from home. Even though this change was brought on my tragedy, I love the impact on my life. I enjoy working from home, have learned to cook and bake in new ways, reconnected with myself and my needs as well as my partner and housemates, and above all have created the space to be creative. I don't think I want to go back to the way my life was before.

Covid, providing the time to go internally and understand my path better.

Covid19 had lots of impact. Increadible what a semi lockdown van do with a city like Amsterdam . IT was imoressive, scary but also interesting.

What isn't going on in the world that is not impacting all of us? C19, elections, race relations, climate change, radicalization, division, anger, apathy, pathetic leadership, you name it. It is all this shit rolling downhill, and we are drowning in it.

Where. do. I. start? :D The markets, the US election, the pandemic, Chadwick Boseman and RBG's deaths ... this has been an incredible year and it's so hard to choose just one. If it weren't for the pandemic, it would be RBG's death.

The death of RBG has sent me to the moon is so many ways - I actually was in Cloudcroft NM and exactly at 1pm MST - I was scrolling through my FB page and in a dark room even with contacts on my vision is blurry at best - I looked up at my dear friend and said RBG died! He of course was shocked but none the less - I went and looked again and it wasn't RBG but another person in Wisconsin - then 4 hours later the real news hit - I saw her face on that post and felt the chill - so I know she had left this mortal coil close to when I saw her face! As a 53 year old woman - I have never in my life ever had to worry about being able to get credit, open a banking account, purchase a home - I have purchased 3 so far, remain single and make a 6 figure salary and chose to be childless - I remember so clearly when my mother in 1976 didn't have a personal checking account nor credit card and when my father died she didn't know how to do any of that - it was alarming at best since she was raising strong, opinionated, feminists and from that moment I vowed never to be in that position and thankfully RBG made sure I didn't have to as well. We will carry on and we will continue to fight and dissent and no matter who ends up getting appointed as a country we have to remain vigilant and to remember: You can not prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair. - Chinese Proverb

La pandemia, ha cambiado la vida, con miedo y sin saber qué puede venir

COVID-19 sent me scurrying home on March 12 from a three-person office at Wellesley magazine, the College's alumnae quarterly. I love working at the College, seeing the students, rubbing elbows with colleagues in the hallways, attending events, eavesdropping on conversations in the student cafe (and drinking their very good 75-cents-a-cup coffee.) All that ended in a heartbeat. I have been back once to pick up files. At 69 and with asthma, I am considered at high risk for working on campus. But I am so glad that I can continue to work from home, as lonely as it can be. We are finding new ways to tell our stories.

The killing of George Lloyd and protests around it. It feels we are stepping up as a people to look at systemic racism. I am working with understanding my white privilege and even though my rural community is mostly white, committing myself to acknowledging and doing what I can to affect systemic change. It might mean we swing the other way and shine a bright light on BIPOC makers and do-ers now, and us white folk take a back seat. So be it. It is time. Over time.

The election. I am not sure what I will do if Trump is reelected. I am not sure what direction our country will be in if he is.

Where to begin ... 2020 has sucked. It feels like our democracy is falling apart. I fear for our nation and I feel like I don’t recognize the place we live anymore. 65 years ago my mom crossed the ocean on a boat to emigrate here. But today I’m ashamed to be an American.

therapy. being able to approach my anxieties, fears, and general inconsistencies with strength and courage and the feeling of not being alone.

Well, COVID, and the wildlfires in Australia and the US West. Also RBG's death and the presidential election, the Russian interference, coming into a better understanding of the dangers of Chinese world dominance. On a more personal level, not having any pieces accepted in nearly a year, putting forward teaching proposals that aren't accepted. The year started strong and petered out due to the nationwide quarantines. I feel as if I'm on hold waiting for someone else to do something. I am trying to remember my capacity for action and to act, but it feels as if I'm underwater and not in control.

The death of RBG. The way the Republicans reacted took away any illusions I might have managed to have that they believed in anything but power. I worry about the election and what will happen, regardless of who wins. Will we have a coup? A civil war? Will Trump’s dementia becomes so severe that it will be unmistakeable? I wish for a stroke or heart attack to take him out.

COVID-19. It has been difficult (understatement) to see the death toll, the economical toll and the mental health toll. It is almost impossible for me to reconcile that I am even living in the same country as last year. Never could I fathom that our country would be so ill prepared and sacrifice so many souls.

How could I not say Covid? But then there's all of the needless deaths of Black Americans (and the resulting protests). And the fires. And the oil tanker running aground at the Mauritius. (Which no one even had the bandwidth to notice.) RBG's death. The horror of politics. How do you choose one thing when the entire year has been a dumpster fire of unimaginable proportions. I am livid. I am tired. I am numb.

I mean, the CoVID, right? The Fascism has been very scary and upsetting, but I'm pretty privileged, and haven't been impacted much. CoVID has had negative impacts on my physical and mental health, as well as my relationships and work, but has seriously improved my financial stability, which is wild.

Putting the pandemic aside, the Black Lives Matter movement definitely changed the state of this country. It opened eyes for many and the negative reaction from Conservatives and Republicans in this country truly showed how deep the divide is. It's amazing to me how stupid Conservatives and Republicans are. They are the least patriotic and American people I've ever had the displeasure of meeting/talking to/dealing with. Our "President" is a complete idiot - illiterate, racist, sexist, perverted - and I hope that anyone who supports him reads this because you don't deserve to live in a country that's supposed to represent freedom and diversity.

I had predicted the President of the USA would be impeached. What I didn't predict/expect is that it would have zero consequences for him! It has confirmed to me that accountability becomes less and less required in our world :( That is not how I was raised, and it will be our collective downfall if it is not dealt with! Makes me both angry and sad and losing hope for our race :(

JFC - that's the sum of 2020! There is no ONE event. There's the personal of my dad's death, but there's the much larger global health pandemic, BLM uprisings, massive fires and hurricanes, and a whole week of the most hazardous air in the world! How could this not impact me. These are global impacts that don't stop coming. We are living through the end of times. Fuck.

The obvious one is COVID-19. This forced me to learn how to teach online and cancelled a study abroad trip to Japan. It meant birthdays celebrated on Zoom and missed races and no live sporting events. But it also meant growing my skills as an educator; more quality time with my wife and pets; faster running times as I continued to run more/harder to relieve stress; a return to nature through camping; and delicious new recipes. I won't try to spin COVID into a positive thing, but I will acknowledge that some things have gone better than I anticipated when everything shut down in March.

This year is a shit show and it feels like it is necessary to just keep bracing for more.

The killing of Daniel Prude in March. He lay face down, naked, cuffed hands behind back, on a Rochester city street, with 7 police officers on the scene, and snow gently falling. Compliant in scene captured by police body cams, he was frightened, irrational, crazy. His head was covered with a spit hood. An officer pinned him to the ground, and pressed him there, knee to neck. He suffocated on that cold pavement. Never regaining consciousness, he died a week later. The examiner ruled it a homicide. The whole world had already erupted because of the murder of George Floyd and others. There's always a Rochester connection. We say that. Too sad that Mr. Prude needed help and was offered an early grave instead.

...SERIOUSLY? NO. READ THE F***ING ROOM. Gotta say though, my answer for last year was a little too on the nose. Unfortunately, I make an excellent Cassandra.

The George Floyd protests in Brooklyn.

The death of Chadwick Boseman & Ruth Bader Ginsburg... both captured a certain semi-heroic moral stance... and we lost them. And George Floyd's murder. How is this still going on? Why are we letting it happen? Why are cops not being disciplined? I would be fired for a LOT less than callously letting someone die in my possession.

I mean, honestly? All of them? The Trump presidency has felt immediate and hostile in every way. The smoke from the California wildfires cooled our temps down about twenty degrees in a matter of days. But obviously the big one, the pandemic, has changed everything about how life works and how I experience the world around me. It has been so, so hard not to see people and to not know when all of this is going to end.

Ha. I guess Covid is the obvious one. I’m not quite sure how it’s impacted me yet. It’s certainly been demoralizing at times, heartbreaking at others. Inspiring and hopeful and illuminating at other points. I’d like to say it’s made me more grateful for the people in my life, the little things, slowing down, and all that good stuff. To some extent, yes. But to a larger extent, it’s just felt like an ambiguous, existential cloud that hangs over everything. How do you process such incompetency and disregard for human life? How do you make sense of an entire administration undermining your profession? How do you help when the problems seem too large for the world? I thought I would adapt to a lack of normalcy, but instead of a new normal, all I feel is a gaping hole. Sometimes it feels perpetually void, sometimes it feels full of questions, and sometimes, it doesn’t even seem to matter. I’m not necessarily depressed, just... empty? Stagnant? It’s hard to stay focused on a path when the entire path is blocked by fog. It’s not as easy as one step at a time because each step feels heavier; each step dragging the pain, uncertainty, despair, resilience, hope, fear, injustice, numbness of a nation.

I liked the life I had. I liked the life that I had built. My hardest year started three years ago now, and in the aftermath of that horrible year and one horrific week in the midst of it, I had done the work. I have already peered into my soul the way that everyone said the pandemic was for. I had already edited how I spent my time, my schedule, and my priorities. Everyone said that the pandemic was here to make us slow down and reevaluate, and I already had. I hate the pandemic. I hate the inability of our government to mount a reasonable response. I hate that I can't reassure my children. I hate that I had built a life I liked in the aftermath of personal turmoil, and now thanks to nothing of my own doing, not even poor choices made previously, I was left with so little of my previous life that it felt unrecognizable. I hate being stuck in my house with a man with dementia (my father), a bitter woman (my mother), and two kids who just want their lives back (my youngest two kids). I just want my life back. Fuck covid, and fuck Donald Trump.

There is so much that has impacted me and how I look at the world. We are in a scary and unpredictable time of trepidation. The country is in unrest and will never be the same, for better or worse. Desegregation and dissemination are widespread and so negative. The joy of living has been systematically withdrawn from the public.

The coronavirus takes a back seat to the constant drama around our president. Everything is secondary to the questions surrounding his possible reelection and the damage that he is inflicting almost daily. Never in my lifetime have I felt such worry for our country and planet- and I know that these sentiments are shared broadly — creating an anxiety-laden environment for so many of us.

Are you, like, kidding me? I know this is an every year question, but we have been quarantined for six months. Ruth Bader Ginsberg died two nights ago. Trump is still president. There may still be murder hornets. Who even knows.

The Australia fires because some of my favourite and sweetest creatures were suffering and dying. It was so saddening.

Just choosing one is hard. I will go with George Floyd's murder because it was in my neighborhood where I grew up. 2 weeks before, I was bragging on my old neighborhood doing good things, working on putting power in the hands of tenants not landlords. And then. And then a Black man is murdered right there. Protesting and riots and looting in the neighborhood where half my oldest memories took place. And the half-measure of justice for him is seen as a success, as a win, compared to countless other Black people in this country. Protests etc spreading across the country, me feeling like a traitor because I can't attend any of them. My friends getting teargassed, getting shot at and seeing people get shot. People blinded, people murdered by the cops. Retaliatory felony charges against protesters. Elijah McClain, that's the big one local to where I live now. And things get worse, not better. And what the fuck am I doing? Nothing. I'm useless. I'm worse than useless. Look at me and judge me because I am not helping anyone.

I can barely even wrap my head around all the horrific international and national events that have reshaped my world into something borderline terrifying. Instead, I am trying to commit to acts of deeply dedicated self-care, to know that my body and my time are two things that I can (mostly) control. And that the vast stupidity and baseness that our culture has fomented and fostered is well beyond my control. I didn't build this world. But I live in it. And I grapple with the simple reality that this, too, is humanity, an expression of our humanness. Breathtaking.

The impeachment trial of Donald Trump showed the deep polarization within our country. It was sad to see that truth is now obscured, and we are truly living in Orwellian times. I am scared for the future of our country.

The obvious answer is the COVID-19 global pandemic. But before that the UN released a report on global warming which shook me to the core, followed by horrific fires in Australia and now in the West Coast of the USA. Covid has impacted me in obvious ways - loss of employment and higher wages & benefits, but it's the global warming that will be affecting and impacting us all for a much longer time.

Coronavirus is the clear answer. I was always sad to leave Israel, but I thought at least I would arrive in a place where I could explore and keep myself engaged. Leaving my life (and the beginnings of a relationship) behind, only to arrive to a months-long lockdown, was not a particularly pleasant experience. While I was fortunate in many ways -- I had a place to live, family, job security, and all the rest, it was emotionally pretty brutal.

Covid -19. Seems to be the theme of this year. It has not been as bad for me as others. Before I came here, my life was locked in hell. Covid has given me a life but others here feel like they're locked in to this life. We wonder when it will end for them.

corona virus, the rise of fascism, the massive disasters portending the destruction of climate change. They have both caused my anxiety to spiral out and also highlighted the need to cultivate deep appreciation for the lovely moments with my family, surrounded by nature.

COVID has hit everyone the same way and in different ways. The separation of my close family is the direct impact. We will be together again, we hope. We can only believe that we would have been together sooner if the whole country would have listened to only scientific advice and not political advice.

COVID-19, it has affected me both positively and negatively. It has negatively impacted me because I cannot explore Chicago, a new city, for all that it has to offer. I could not see my grandmother, and we did not celebrate Passover together. It really hadn't impacted my friendships negatively, but maybe even brought my friends closer especially on a technological platform everyone is using. It has positvely impacted the close relationship my sister and I have (instead of us having plans with friends on the weekend we were forced to be with each other).

Covid-19 It affected me very much because I am now an invalid and I have to rely on others for myself

The most fundamental event in the world that has impacted me this year has been the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I feel that with her a massive slice of hope, dignity and morality of the USA justice system died too. The implications are likely global, affecting everything from basic freedoms for women all the way to the very democracy of the US itself. Extremely sad she has gone, yet so humbled that she ever existed. Thank you RBG

Four years ago, some very selfish and horrible people voted for Donald Trump, and now my friend is dead.

OMG which one? Let's take the most recent, the death of RBG. I am deeply sad as she was a role model, a hero, and an inspiration. I am also terribly frightened about what will happen with the vacancy on the court.

Oh jeez. Well, obviously the pandemic. Turned the whole world upside down. Black is white and up is down. It's way too much to have to do my job and help my kids with their school every day, but what choice do I have? Overall I'm coping okay at this point, at least on a conscious level.

The killing of black men in the states by law enforcement. The prejudice that is so prevalent in the states. It has led to introspection on how my whiteness has given me a privileged life. White privilege is innate in my existence and I must eradicate it.

I feel like this question is almost superfluous this year. Pandemic, climate crisis, social uprising, political shenanigans. Everything outside my sweet little family bubble is a fucking calamity.

Should say pandemic, but will say numerous deaths of black men by hands of police. So sad that police go too far. The men may not be innocent but don't deserve to die while being arrested. Especially George Floyd who died while officers knelt on his neck and his hands in his pocket. How to fix this?

The lack of leadership in the white house and Mitch Mcconnell controlling the senate is devastating for the country. I am mentally drained and depressed. this is war declared by the GOP and I am going to go down fighting.

This Year Covid 19 has significantly impacted me and the world at large. I am currently furloughed and wondering what the future will bring.

The racial justice protests have affected me greatly, because as a Jewish person, I believe everyone should be treated fairly and with love. My own family comes from a history of persecution, which is why we are in the US, and it's hard not having the same "history" with slavery and racial systemic injustice that a lot of America has - and a lot of the time I feel that I have to "catch up" to learn and understand. That also puts me in a position of privilege that I have time to learn and understand - and this year has been a lot of unpacking and re-learning about that privilege.

I just want to start each one of these questions out with a maniacal HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I wish I felt like we were all in this together. COVID and the long-overdue STRONG call for racial equity, the fires . . . and RBG died this week. In my own life, the BLM movement has been the biggest and most important national "event," in how I'm changing my work, my own internal work too, my interactions with my fellow humans. But what is impacting me daily, giving me anxiety dreams and bouts of sobbing, is the breaking in half of my country. It feels like it's the good people against the people who think their good but are LOST. Conspiracy theories that are ridiculous, racism, sexism, the potential loss of everything we call civil liberties. It feels like we are going under, people. It feels like my country is dying. I sure wonder what my post will look like next year, my answer to #4.

Protests. In Poland, USA, UK, Hong Kong...it gives some faith in humanity that not all is lost and people still care about others

The Pandemic because while scary and horrible there were some good that came out of it. I was able to get off the road and not travel crazy amounts; I was able to slow down a bit and most importantly, I got more quality time with my kids and family.

Covid destroyed my travel aspirations and my social life.

It's a toss up between the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. They are tied together in their impact, because COVID has been so bad because Trump is such a horrible president who has done NOTHING to protect us and lied constantly. Between the pandemic and Trump, the stress is overwhelming at times. Having COVID negatively impacted my life in so many ways, but having Trump as president has shortened my life greatly. Of this, I have no doubt.

COVID 19 has changed our lives and almost everything about how we live our lives. Wearing masks when we are 'out and about' is only the beginning. For months, we were told to self-isolate, mask up and glove up when we had to go out (i.e. grocery shopping), stay away from everyone that you're not 'sheltering' with... and here we are, more than 6 months later, still learning how to live with COVID. My yoga studio closed, a victim of COVID. Andrew hunkered down and didn't leave the house for months (except to take me for an occasional ride), too fearful of catching the virus with his compromised immune system (LOL instead he has Stage 4 cancer...perhaps COVID would have been easier to handle...). While I've resumed many normal activities--walking every day, having occasional lunch with a friend, visiting Andie and family in Philly--everything is now done with a twist: masks in place, gloves or hand sanitizer at the ready, taking care to keep distance during routine errands... it's become our new way of life, with no end in sight. I don't blame Trump for the virus but I hold him fully accountable for creating havoc and uncertainty in our country, not supporting mask wearing (except for 'show'), not having a national policy to govern states' decision-making, encouraging states to open while the virus was still rampant (it's STILL not under control)...knowing that he KNEW the whole time that this is a deadly, insidious and persistent virus. Ah, I'm off on a tangent...back to COVID. It's changed how we do things or what we do (no more in-theater movies, indoor dining, parties/galas...). Deep deep sigh.

COVID-19 and the loss of my friend Irwin. Trying to understand that Shanna is a widow and how to support her through that. The idea that we couldn't run cross the street and hug Shanna when we found out. We couldn't go to Irwin's funeral. Shiva was via Zoom. The the death of Rob. We weren't the closest of friends but his death impacted so many of my close friends. I hugged Shanna for the first time since March on Rosh Hashanah. It felt so good.

COVID-19 is the biggest thing that has impacted me this year, it has kept me off public transportation, meaning I only go where I can walk. I avoid large buildings, crowds, places without natural cross ventillation as much as possible. I don't go to supermarkets, malls or coffee shops. I've spent every religious and secular holiday since Purim alone.

COVID-19. has impacted my entire family in different ways. From loss of income, cancelled events and vacations to a sense of fear of even going out to the store. Some days seem better than others, then some days feel like we're never going to come out of this.

The political climate. It has mostly affected my sense of security in our country. I am honestly baffled at how divided we are as a nation, as a globe. What confuses me is that when you step back and listen, the narrative is the same on both sides. Everyone, at least anyone who has an opinion, seems to be convinced the other side is immoral, illogical, uninformed, misinformed, gullible, or some combination of those descriptions. I can't help but think that we all are some combination and there is a greater force that is working hard to push us apart. What that force is and why it is happening is being my understanding. I continue to pray to God as I understand Him, hoping for guidance.

Hahahahahaha -- just one??? Well, the pandemic has had the most sustained, all encompassing, enormous impact but it could have been much less impactful if we'd had different leaders so.... Right now I'm so in the midst of it that I have no idea how this might change me long-term. I'm really looking forward to having hindsight about it. I can't wait for the hindsight stage!

Obviously COVID, the racial issues that have come to the forefront and, of course, the 2020 election. And now, RBG's death. I am so worried for the future of this country if the current administration continues. Worried to the point of waking up every morning with that feeling of sadness, anger and fear. No way to live.

COVID-19... has affected me and every single person I know in every way imaginable and in many ways unimaginable, as well.

LOL, the pandemic is the obvious answer right? I haven't touched a human being in over 6 months, I gave up on Christianity and fully dove into my conversion to Judaism, and I'm lonely, but not lonely at the same time?

Well, booooooooo-howdy. The coronavirus, am I right? I gave up my job, my husband is working from home almost full time, my children are in online school instead of with teachers and classmates they adore and have relationships with. We're very, very lucky. We're physically and financially safe, but online school is a complete failure for my son on the autism spectrum and I can't seem to get his teacher to understand or make accomodations for him. And this is in special needs classroom and with an IEP. We have settled into just logging in and doing the bare minimum so he gets credit for attendance. The alternatives are to fight with the school (possibly all the way to a lawsuit) or homeschool. I don't love any of those, but that may be what things come to.

COVID. I've been working from home for 6+ months. Haven't spent time with many other humans besides my partner in that time. Have realized that I hate my job, so I'm concocting a long-term plan to get out.

The obvious answer would be the pandemic. But after the initial panic died down, I found myself being more concerned about the rapid development of state surveillance infrastructure, in part, escalated by the unusual conditions of this year. In the U.S. Internet and social media giants are only getting better at developing algorithms to collect user data to sell to other companies and governments interested in projecting behaviour. In China, every citizen is essentially a prisoner to a social credit system updated in real-time that, depending on good or bad behaviour, determines their, and their families', access to services and life outcomes. In Russia, even if you wear a ski mask, some guy developed software for CCTVs that can still identify you. In South Korea, how did they manage to conduct contact tracing through phones so efficiently at such an early stage of the worldwide outbreak? The kingpins in smaller states are definitely interested in imitating. From this, I think about how un-private the human experience will be in the near future, and that if I ever have children, every intimate moment in their life ,like saying their first words, learning how to walk, falling in love, and making many mistakes, will be recorded somewhere or watched. That future is, sadly, almost inevitable. Companies depend too much on data, and many in power want as many resources as possible to identity, track down, and quell potential sources of dissent. Whatever happens, normal humans will find a way to adapt, but it just makes me sad to think that I'm part of the last generation of humans that really grew up feeling like nobody was watching me when I left the house and played all around the block with other kids. I was so excited for my first Nokia phone in grade eight, which I used mostly to play Snake and to call my parents to pick me up at school. If I ever have kids, I'll be worried when I give them their first phone.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died just a few days ago. Her legacy of fighting for civil rights and equality for all people is immeasurable. We lost a superhero for equality. In our political climate, I worry about how this will play out for the make up of SCOTUS. We could become a more conservative (and worse) nation as a result.

Covid. Senior year didn’t end how planned. Uncertainty lead to stress and anxiety.

Again, COVID, the riots, the Oregon fires. I have been working from home since March, and all this chaos and forced pause on my life has caused me to analyze my life. I don't love my job - not because the people, but because of the type of job and industry. I don't want to be an administrator forever. I want something where I am more invested, more "hands-on", more direct service. I don't love Portland. I want to move. Perhaps to Mount Angel or Silverton. I don't care as much about fashion anymore. It's a waste of money and time, and although cute, I care way more about my family, and the dream of having a family of my own. And I wonder how that will happen. If it will at all - or if my life is soon to change again.

The death of RBG!

Is every person’s answer going to be either about the pandemic or the racial reckoning in our country? I’d say the pandemic had the biggest impact on me this year. It completely changed how I experienced and shared my pregnancy. I had to wear a mask while giving birth! It changed the way I did my job and some of those changes will likely continue now. My husband and I were fortunate to both keep our jobs and to come out of this pandemic better financially than when we entered it, even with having a child. We are finally on track to pay off my student loan debt and live comfortably despite paying for childcare. I know this is not the case for most of the country and I’ve had to acknowledge our privilege in this. I’m grateful that we have been fortunate and vow to be generous with what we have been given.

LMAO

Well, this is becoming a broken record. The world is plagued by plague this year. The obvious plague is COVID-19. The underlying, scarier plague, is hypocrisy, uneducated people making "factual" statements, racism making an even stronger foothold. People don't seem to want to listen to one another. We surround ourselves with people who are so like ourselves that we have no way to understand the opinions of another. The shooting of George Floyd stands out as incredibly impactful this year. While police violence against the black community is nothing new, something snapped this year. I hope that snap is the stick of change.

COVID -- upended our lives, changed how we live, who we see, where we can go.

The BLM movement has been so moving and exciting to me. Having an overt racist in the White House has been frightening, but seeing young people of all races rise up together has lifted my spirits in an otherwise dark time.

I think everyone on earth will say COVID. Little did we all know that on New Year’s Eve we’d be entering into the abyss.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAA We didn't lose our jobs or our home. I haven't lost a loved one. Just every semblance of normal and balance that I thought I relied on. I don't know how many more things I rely on that I don't even realize I do. I hope I don't learn what they are, it would mean I lost or changed them in some way, too.

Is there any other event in the world this year besides the COVID-19 crisis? It has impacted every human being on the planet. Personally? It completely changed my work... everything I do had to be re-invented. I am working from home. I don't go to grocery or any other stores. I don't see friends, except very occasionally, outdoors, and with safety measures in place. My two adult daughters don't enter my house unless it is for an emergency bathroom visit and then it is with masks, disinfectant wipes, etc. I don't hug them. I elbow bump my son who lives with us, and wen I hugged him on Mother's Day, I worried for two solid weeks afterwards. We have holiday "celebrations" without the girls, who both live nearby. I haven't seen my mother since the end of February because it is unsafe to travel, and I wouldn't be allowed near her anyway. We had no vacation this summer. No days at the pool. No beach. No "getting away." Yoga classes, movies, eating in restaurants, attending concerts... all on hold. I thank Gd for my husband, our dog, and our home. I thank Gd I still have a job. I thank Gd that my sister had an extremely mild case of the virus and has completely recovered, and I thank Gd that my mother, my husband, my kids, and I haven't contracted the infection. I pray for free and fair elections and the defeat of D Trump, whom I consider to be the American Hitler.

The death of RBG hit me and struck a deeper fear than I have ever felt in my life. Hearing a senator hanging out with militia people, the feeling of a civil war on the horizon. This horrible man in office highjacking democracy and sowing dissent. The possibility that they will shove through a supreme court justice and that I can do nothing about it. It's a terrible feeling. But I remain centered on the act of hope and that to be hopeful is an act of courage and to put what action I can behind that hope,

Covid-19. So much learning. So much struggle. The best parts have been learning to love to be at home. Learning to love my family. Learning to appreciate the little things too. Struggling with isolation. Struggling with my own stress and the stress of others. Struggling with fear of people and fear of not people. Fear of this time never ending and fear of it ending too.

COVID-19, the civil rights movement, the death of Senator John Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG). I have never before now felt that in America I lived in a authoritarian regime until now. The fear of what white supremacist and misogynistic republicans in power will do in the coming months in terms of reproductive rights, voting suppression, LGBT+ rights, the environment, the Supreme Court appointments is overwhelming. I fear as a queer, person of color, also impacted by reproductive access I may have to seek asylum somewhere else. While I was never a big fan of Republicans it seems the party is dead and has been taken over and is being puppeteered by something insidious, un-American, and I fear something moving toward placing more of us into cages. While I am not undocumented I fear that many of my identities are who they may come for next, and that white Americans are too afraid to address the history and ongoing legacy of slavery and racism such that we cannot turn the tide. I have had the privilege of up until now not fearing I will have to leave my home country based on an election outcome until now.

All the unrest and angry politics has really weighed heavy on my heart this year. I am personally fed up with the leadership style of our country and I am frustrated that the only power I have to change it right now is with my vote. There has to be another way that still affords me the time to do all the things that are important to me. And I don't think I'm in a place where I can really make big change on this right now, but maybe this is something I need to ponder further. There HAS to be something I can do, if I can put more thought and attention to it.

There have been many, many events that have impacted me: COVID (of course), the ongoing untruths and shockingly insensitive statements told by President Trump, the 2020 presidential election run-up, the death of George Floyd in particular and all of the Black Lives Matter protests, and the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (which occurred just before Erev Rosh Hashanah). It's a little overwhelming, frankly. My heart hurts a lot this year.

Bhhh. Covid. It threw my business into a shitty slump. But on the pos side we become hungrier and more efficient.

COVID-19. This impacted all of us. I and my daughter have underlying conditions. We are living in unprecedented times.

There habe been so so many deeply touching moments this year, most of them quite negative (That‘s probably why i was not a big fan of 5780!). It all started with the attack on the Synagogue on Jom Kippur in Halle (Germany), went on with the death of chimpanzees during a fire in a German zoo on secular new year. These events habe been followed by huge fires in Australia and from there we directly fall into todays COVID-19-Crisis. - I remember years with greater charm!

Undoubtedly Covid pandemic. It has prevented me moving countries, see mt son get married and have a serious impact on my health.

Isolation through the pandemic. Didnt sleep much, didnt see too much tv. alvways by the computer and phoning friends. I laughed, i cried, i felt happy and sad. I wanted to be with friends and couldnt. Fear of going shopping.

Obviously covid is the major event of 5780. It has emphasized for me that I'm grateful I don't currently have children, and has made me more confident in the decision not to (if that's what I land on). The world is literally burning, flooding, and riddled with disease. I'm selfishly glad that I don't have to deal with another person's needs in this time. And I think it's helped me think about not having children as potentially a self-LESS proposition. It seems unfair to throw another person into this mess that we as a society seem to have no plan to get out of.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg just died. What a woman she was. In this shameful political era, she reminded us of conscience, truth, justice, strength.

Covid-19 has made such an impact as a worldwide pandemic it is almost indescribable. In the US alone, we have had 200, 000 deaths. In Fulton County, we have over 26,000 cases. Wearing a mask to do every day activities is a new normal. It is all heartbreaking. Our world and we will NEVER be the same.

Well, RBG just died. Trump wants to replace her. I am absolutely terrified for my life as a queer person.

The pandemic has changed everything in life. I've already written about the sad losses that the pandemic has caused in my life, but I'm going to focus on some positive outcomes in this answer. The pandemic and the associated precautions have caused me to see what really matters to me. It turns out that going to restaurants, shopping, travelling are not of utmost importance in my life. They are things that we are led to believe are important. Now that they're no longer in my conscious thoughts, I realize that I don't miss them, and that I'm able to fill my life with activities, people, and pursuits that really do matter and bring me joy and satisfaction. We have also proven that work life, and society can function without the frantic pace and the need for everyone to be in the same workspace every day. A hybrid approach is more sustainable, provides better work-life balance, and is just as effective. (Unfortunately, I'm now back at work full time with a very full building, so I'm not currently benefiting from this lesson that I had hoped we learned.)

Covid. California fires. Trump’s presidency. Covid causes more divisiveness. Jobs lost, jobs changed, schools changed. The yoga studio ran out of money being closed too long during quarantine. Franks grandparents and cousins got evacuated for the fires. That was a week of worry waiting for news or no news. My heart stopped so many times. Politics are unavoidable lately. It’s often, it’s usually strong minded and lacking nuance. How about the middle way everyone? I wish we could all get strong enough to hear each other out. We don’t have to change our beliefs to seek understanding of someone’s view

Trump's authoritarian rule has continued. To have a president who does not read is distressing. I could go on, of course, but the pundits do it for me, and get paid. I hear the TV pundits from the TV in the next room, and their voices, mixed with the President's, are annoying. The end of the world as we know it will be beyond annoying.

Besides being in the COVID epicenter -- ?!! Besides the murder of George Floyd and others and BLM -- ?!! Besides falling and gashing my forehead and now not being able to expose it to the sun -- ?!! Besides losing most of my work contracts -- ?!! I really can't think of anything.

RBG dying which JUST HAPPENED. This will affect my rights and the rights of so many for generations to come. Hopefully things will be okay, but it’s frightening that we can’t count on it.

I keep thinking about how the COVID pandemic and BLM will be key turning points in history, but I wonder how? What will come next? RBG just died a few days ago and I feel like that may also be a key point in history.

COVID19? Isolating myself at home sometime feels good, sometime depressing, sometime boring. But I do enjoy having more reasons to stay at home with my family, have more time to plan for future after all this social distancing and staying at home end.

Haha. Well, the obvious answer for everyone is Corona Virus 2019. Although it hasn't impacted me personally especially much, certainly not more than average. Same for BLM - no direct personal impact, although maybe some emotional impact, and the inspiration of a letter / blog series that (hopefully) explains my views better than anything I've written so far

Covid-19 is the obvious one but George Floyd’s death is the big one for me. He was murdered on camera by cops with impunity. The look on that man’s face as he literally squeezed the life out of George fully aware that he was being filmed was pure evil.

The easy answer is Covid. Fuck the easy answer. This past April (and every April) was Infertility Awareness month. It was also the month my wife found out she was pregnant. We are grateful that the our community doesn't hide from tragedy and faces it head-on. We don't just say a psalm and go about our day, but we have conversations, form support groups and have lectures to make it clear that this is a community struggle. This April I learned to appreciate our blessing in a different way. I hope our blessing is the community's blessing and that our friends who are struggling find strength to continue the battle.

Starting with Lung Cancer, then bladder and penis blockage, and heart issues; complicated by a world changing event...COVID-19. This has resulted in me selling my business properties and local business interests.

The murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, etc. and the following protests. This was another kick in the rump to be out there and be sure that my principles are reflected in my life. I am gutted that this is still a political and divisive issue. Empathy is key.

RBG just died. The implications are terrifying. I'm scared for myself and my family and those around me. Possibly more scared than when Trump won the election. I do wonder what it will look like to return to this question next year and how the world will be different this time next year.

COVID-19 is too obvious, but the changes and regulations that have directly affected my work in the nursing home world have really impacted me. Nursing homes have never been held in high esteem in our society, and the sensationalized reports of COVID in nursing homes have made it worse in this season, I think. Unfortunately, the resulting increased scrutiny and regulation of nursing homes has been strangling. We sometimes are presented with new regulations or guidance or rules to follow every few days. It's very difficult to keep up with implementing them. Some of them are nearly impossible to implement, given that there are layers of regulation and regulating bodies on federal and state levels. I am very happy to say that we have had zero cases of COVID in our residents, but that makes all of the regulations even more frustrating. Last week, they said that all staff have to wear protective eye wear for all resident encounters, event though we know that none of our residents have COVID and we are starting frequent testing of staff so we know none of our staff have it. So there's not really a logical reason to wear the glasses. And that's just one example of frustration for things that don't make good public health sense. We also have to do temperature checks of staff, which requires someone to take temperatures on all shifts seven days a week, even though it's known that measuring temperatures doesn't affect the spread of COVID. I admittedly did have some frustration with the administration of my nursing home before COVID, but the pandemic has magnified all of them. I don't want to work in this industry anymore. I've resigned myself to just putting my head down and getting through, I have given up trying to be the best at what I do and giving my all every day and trying to positively impact change. I didn't think I'd get to this half-assed burned out state so young in my career.

Covid-19 has impacted my ability to move freely and safely in my world. As a nurse scientist and educator, I have not been able to connect and work directly with the vulnerable populations that I serve. As an educator, I have not been able to take students to locations as we would normally. All this is because of the physical distancing requirements. However, it has also helped me to re-envision how to connect and serve differently.

Losing Justice Ginsburg on Friday evening. Not only was she a voice for reason, justice, and equality, but a significant model of what a woman can achieve. She hung in their and fought for her life as long as she could. I pray it was long enough. But it’s in Gods hands.

I want to say COVID19. My life has come to a halt. I cannot connect with people. I am alone but surrounded by people who need me while I get more and more anxious about the outside world. However, on Friday (Rosh Hashanah), Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. She was a stalwart and a legend. She fought for equal rights, women's rights and people's rights. Now she is gone and I am desperately worried for this country and for our children. She fought through the process of law and the constitution, both of which seem to be in danger at this time.

The Notorious RGB passed away just days ago. And so the Supreme court will slide more to the right. I is shameful how political parties won't even have a decent mourning period before fighting over her still warm seat at the court. Washington was right, Political Parties are awful.

As for most of us, it was the pandemic. I've realized that I feel great at home and made some efforts to improve it even more. I started enjoying cooking (since no more meals were provided at the office) and dressing up (since it's a rare occasion). In general, it was a lesson in making lemonade from lemons given by life, which I'm grateful for. Also started appreciating my country even more for handling the pandemic reasonably well.

RBG died and there's an issue about who names the successor

The Covid pandemic has meant that I suddenly sit on an even platform with my colleagues - we are ALL remote. It has also meant that I truly value the ability to visit people and places, and be near them. I hope I never take a simple hug for granted.

The Presidential Election. It’s discouraging to me to see how divided the country is. I also dislike how the elections for president seem to be only about a handful of issues. I don’t like making decisions when I feel I have incomplete information.

2020. What world event hasn't happened? I'm currently mourning Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Our country lost an amazing woman. She fought for the rights of those who aren't straight white men, and I am grateful that she fought those fights.

The pandemic, made me much more isolated as I can't meet with many people as I'm vulnerable to the virus

Of course it's a pandemic: I continue working remotely - and finding new ways to work, searching for my own way - but this search seems to have no end. I started to communicate onle a lot, more than previously, but I am glad. I felt huge support during some conversations.

Covid 19 has impacted me and the entire world this year. It is hard to know what’s truth and what’s media and what’s stirred up by a government that was and continues to be ill prepared and insufficient when it comes to knowledge capacity. The economy is a disaster and our children, children’s, children will be forever responsible.

Hahahahahaha. Honestly everything is on fire and there's a global pandemic, what hasn't impacted people this year?

Uh.....*gestures broadly at everything* But it's true that world events have reached into our lives in more ways than they typically do this year. - We are in a country whose borders are still closed, months on. - Our jobs have been directly impacted because of people having to leave/choosing to leave. - Global economy has tanked it, again (second or maybe third generation-crushing economic crisis for me and my cohort of people born in the 80s) - Plans to go elsewhere and settle are on hold indefinitely - Carrying and wearing a mask at all times is not weird at all anymore. It felt so strange the first time, on the train to Beijing in January. - Things feel so far away. Travel seems impossible, even though we should be able to travel within China. The wall of pictures I have up in our house appear to be from some other age. When I could save up a little money, go to the airport, and take a flight to be near family or see a new part of the world. I tell the baby often about that world. I try to keep hope alive that we'll be somehow able to find our way back to it one day.

Covid:) impacted everyone. Started a new job and had to work from home. Was very straining and am still not doing great.

It's hard to think of anything other than Covid! The impact has been significant, but largely positive for me. I'm working from home and have more energy and time for myself. I've forged deeper connections with new friends through a shared love of cycling, and I'm fitter for it too! My husband lost his job and is setting up his own business - scary but exciting, and again it's given him his life back. I miss seeing my family, and some friends, but am also grateful that some pressures have lifted.

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I don't really know all that much about her life except for a few facts about her work and achievements, but something about the passing of a titan from a bygone era that so deeply impact the world we live in today was a shock to the system. Women owe many of what we consider fundamental rights to the dedication and hard work of RBG. As much as she has earned her rest and it's up to the rest of us now to continue her work, what frightens me the most is that no one else seems to be rising up in quite the same manner to combat the dark forces conspiring to return to fascism and oppression. It's a painful reminder that heroes who seemed like they would live forever when you were a child are just as mortal as anyone.

COVID and BREXIT, plus all the wars that are going on. I’ve stopped watching / listening to the news because of all the negative thoughts and feelings it brings up.

The murder of George Floyd affected me in a profound way. I am ashamed that it has taken me this long to wake up to the reality of the lives of those around me. I have become much more invested in, and inquisitive about, how I can think and act differently in order to stem my contribution to racism. And yet I know I'm still not doing enough. I'm trying to keep the momentum going - I know this will be the biggest challenge of all.

Corona pandemic. Easy. No family chag meals, minimal travelling, no more cinema outings (!!), masks everywhere, kids learning from home. All change. Nice group popped up on FB - What do you see from your window. Worldwide positivism :)

With the murder of George Floyd, z'l, people finally got fed up of police violence against black and brown bodies. It's been mentally stressful to suddenly be SO visible as a person of color, yet great to see clearly who are allied with me and who continue to remain silent and indifferent. I see them.

The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others by police and the thousands of demonstrations that continue today have had a profound impact. I’ve experienced a whirlwind of emotions of fear, heartbreak, disappointment in our government and law enforcement. Disappointment in the racism of people I’ve known my entire life that now feel too comfortable and proud of their racism. I also feel proud and hopeful for the younger generations that are tired of chronic, systemic racism in our governments and all institutions. Things are changing and I hope that justice can happen in the fight for racial and economic equity. I’ve realised that my desire for radical change in defense of black and brown lives are a top priority.

OMG- just about everything. Trump continues to be a horrible president and such a curious person with little empathy and care. The environment is both burning and flooding as I write. Right here in Rochester a mentally unstable black man was murdered by the police, the virus keeps spreading and Trump continues to lie about masks and prevention. Ruth Bade Ginsburg dies right before Rosh Hashanah and I just lost it...my life is okay- I am healthy, I have shelter and food, but the world is falling apart. I continue to work for causes that I think are important, hoping that the election brings about change...but this is a crazy time and there aare so many issues to worry about...I play mental ping pong daily.

Well, on a personal level, I was diagnosed with cancer this year. So that has impacted me deeply, and I'm still processing that diagnosis each day. On a global level, I would say the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia really impacted me. It was a tipping point for me. I thought about it for weeks after--in fact, I still think about it every day. What his final moments must have been like. The idea of simply going for a run, never to come home--and the way in which it happened, in broad daylight, in a neighborhood. I think of his family so much, especially his Mother.

My Aunt Mimi died a little over a week ago. So much else has happened, but I feel this is the most monumental change in the history of the universe.

Wow. It's hard to realize there were events of importance before the pandemic The rise of social justice movements will improve our world in ways we don't yet know!

No doubt the first prize goes to the pandemic. I can’t think of anything else that changes my life any more drastically than COVID-19 does. Everything that was normal from work to doing grocery to traveling was disrupted.

The pandemic has obviously been affecting our life in every single way but I am going to choose something a little different. I think the protests have been an opportunity to reflect on my privilege and give me the opportunity to engage in a more deeply biblical conversation around justice.

While COVID-19 completely sucks, there have been some silver linings: we meet weekly as a family on Zoom right before Shabbat, we have been using our driveway as our living room and have gotten to see so many of our friends each week, Zoom calls with my mother-in-law mean that we see family and friends on a more frequent basis, and not going to the gym means spending more time outdoors in nature. It has made me ever more grateful for my home and my community.

What has really hurt my heart is that we have so many friends and relatives on the entire spectrum of opinions about our President's actions. Donald Trump being president didn't start this year but it certainly has affected this year. His response to SARS-COV-19, statements, actions, and beliefs, have affected this country far more than I would have thought possible for one person to do. Concurrently, our friends and family have a wide variety of opinions on the other issues of the day; particularly Black Lives Matter, LBGTQ rights, mask wearing/social distancing/covid concerns, the Supreme Court nomination due to Ruth Bader-Ginsburg's death, and particularly the Presidential election. This has led to not being able to discuss our thoughts and concerns with friends and family since many of them cannot accept differing opinions from their own. For myself, this adds another sorrow; that many of those I love cannot disagree and still live in peace and respect.

The one year anniversary of my mom's death, I sold her house and things in a rummage sale. It seemed it had to be done. She moved more than she would've liked, and cherished her park side home & possessions though much that remain was broken and stained. She acquired so many nostalgic things too. I regret selling some of it, but I was gifted so much from her and it was painful living with reminders of weakness. I feel lost (like a looser) and look forward to feeling stronger someday I hope.

Obviously, Covid-19. It shrank my universe to the micro. Just me and my partner and our apartment and cats. All that mattered was surviving. Now we are trying to thrive again, but we remember what matters, which is this tiny unit, which is in truth our whole world.

Well... COVID19, of course. It's quite turned the world on its ear, hasn't it? We're now living in a time of more uncertainty than I've ever experienced. I now stay home except as necessary for taking care of business - no pleasure trips (well, few anyway), & I wear a mask when do go out. Strange times, but not intolerable.

Reading "The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11" over the 9/11 weekend. That, coupled with the multiple visits to the Flight 93 crash site (over the years) has helped me place myself in the right place of that drama. I think it's taken all these years for me to come to grips with what happened on that day and my response to it.

The mass shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh on a Shabbat morning profoundly shook me. It's not that I didn't know that something like that could happen.... but this event made the knowing visceral - how vulnerable we all are in a world with so much hatred and easy access to assault weapons and machine guns.

What event in the world hasn't impacted me this year? The fires taking over the west coast, the protests throughout the country for people who just want to sleep in their own beds and go to the convenience store, the pandemic that has crippled a country that is supposed to be the strongest? And then of course, just now, RBG succumbing to the fourth cancer to attack her brilliant self, which feels like a gut punch on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and the eve of an election.

Corona virus. I am a front line worker and I work in a clinic and although we are wearing a mask. We do not know who is positive once they come into our clinic. 5-7 family members have contracted the virus. They God they did not succumb to the virus.

Black Lives Matter has impacted me. I am white, my children are brown, their dad was darker brown. I have been optimistic since BLM emerged and the protests kept going, though disappointed that they were so necessary and that they've fizzled out again already. It's made me very aware that the smugness around the US having been 'great' has only ever been for white people - the reality of life for black people in the US has always been harsh and unjust, but this has been ignored.

Well, I’d say the Corona Virus, or COVID-19 has been a significant impact this year. The world shut down, everyone was expected to remain home. No social interactions and now, 6 months later, we wear masks outdoors and at any public area. It’s probably the biggest globally impacted event of my life so far.

PANDEMIC. As an extroverted hugger, I feel restless not being able to be with my friends. As a job-seeker, it has been impossible.

Covid. BLM. The Election. Covid. BLM. The Election. Covid. BLM. The Election. wash rinse repeat. I feel like at every turn I have the opportunity to be hopeless. I feel like at every turn I have the opportunity to get up off the mat and make a difference. Hard to say which door I will walk through each day.

OH MY WORD. Where to start? The fires in Australia. The COVID-19 pandemic. Children in cages at the US border. Forced hysterectomies in US ICE facilities. The killing of so many Black people by US police. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death. The fires in California. The many and multiple atrocities of the Trump administration. The rise of fascism in the US. The complacency of so many of my neighbors and kin. I vacillate between despair, rage, and desperate hope. I have more anxiety than I've ever had before. I keep thinking that we are living in a moment that future generations will ask us what we did, and the only answer I can come up with that's true is "not enough."

This one is pretty obvious: the virus that ruins lives (literally and figuratively). I already wrote down my primary feelings on it in Question #1, so I'll list some positives in here: 1) Craig is working from home, which will be useful to us once we have Little Tochka (our baby). 2) I'm able to sleep in almost every day. 3) I don't live in China, where they impose an insanely strict lockdown the moment they have a handful of new cases. 4) I have plenty of time to exercise.

This answer is easy. Covid. Since the pandemic started the world has been in lockdown. With my brain problems, I only remember this from January. Then nothing till late Spring, even so, it impacted the household. Going nowhere without a mask, no going out to eat or traveling for vacations or even to shop. The only leaving the house was to visit Rachel and her family, when we were sure we were all not sick. This has been harder personally because Larry left last fall and I have no one to talk to about it. Although, I 'm not sure he'd be much help. His leaving didn't give me the foundation of comfort I usually have sought in him. I planted a garden because of the food shortages but didn't keep up with it...next year I'll do better because I can think now. Already planning on expanding the garden. I want to have food supplies like my Mom had in her basement when we were preparing for war. So planning now, planting next Spring.

Orange, smoky sky, eternal dawn. Being grateful for the earth, sun, moon, stars, water and plants. Seeing clearly how dependent we are on our miraculous environment that is completely perfect for our life to exist. Protect the earth.

COVID=19 completely changed the world in a span of weeks. So many people were anxious about it's arrival in the US, but I thought they were all overreacting like they did with news reports about SARS or Zika. But lo and behold, now I stay indoors, interact with very few people, and work completely remotely. I have to wear a mask around my dad, and I didn't hug anybody for three months. I have never met my new boss because we have never been to the office together. So the impact has been unimaginable.

Other than COVID-19 pandemic?? There was a period of time prior to the onset of the Coronavirus. Our first grandchild had been identifying as transgender but made the decision to undergo hormone treatment in order to identify as female. This wasn’t a shock or surprise but it’s been an amazing opportunity to support a much loved young person at this special time.

Now this is a question that seems designed for the year we've had. On Friday, we made an offer on 20 acres of land in Montana-for our retirement home. It was accepted! Then RBG died. The McConnell vowed to push through a Supreme Court nominee from Trump, directly contrary to what he did to Obama. We didn't have time to mourn her passing. The lack of respect from Republicans. Its maddening. All of this in one day. But it felt emblematic of the year. Constant chaos.

Coronavirus hasn’t just disrupted all realms of life as we know it; it’s also let to more pugnacious global politics. 1. The European Union and its members in march when COVID-19 hit Europe showed how much nation-states still matter. This is not necessarily bad, but the coordination within the Union was poor. I showed scattered regionalism, and here the EU has to improve this regard. At the same time, the EU is not an unimportant player in the world, but the EU is light-weight in terms of geopolitical influence. 2. China is more aggressive, both domestically and diplomatically, see Hong Kong national security law. The consequence is nagging mistrust towards China. In addition, due to COVID-19 anti-China sentiment has grown significantly, but the deception that the Chinese government has done, combined with the attempts of Chinese in distorting the facts to the world, has been highly concerning. I would place the issue is one of the top geopolitical risks. This also applies to Putin's Russia. The poisoning of Aleksei Navalny with Novichok, a Soviet-designed poison, is an atrocious act. 3.The recent diplomatic progress in the middle east is encouraging. The peace agreements between Israel with both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is a positive development. I hope it will ease the tension in the region, but I welcome the peace process, but peace in the middle east is very fragile.

Haha, 2020 as a whole. Just the bombardment of successive tragedies and challenges. Although a lot of these have been going on for years, I guess there is something about a pandemic reaching almost every country in the world. For its overwhelming dread, it does have some positive impact. More and more are opening their eyes on the gaps that have been there all along, well, at least those who look into their selves enough to see others around them.

The COVID19 pandemic because this allowed me to stop my crasy life. This allowed me to slowdown and don't get a 2nd BURNOUT crisis. This allowed me to start to work in my mind to recover and to understand my triggers for that and be at home with my daughter. I'm so thankful for that.

RBG has died. I feel that we have lost an incredible icon, who lived her life as if there was nothing holding her down / back. She believed in justice for all, and upheld that for each court case she was a part of! With her intellect, she went onto never doubt herself - and really seized the moment with her first supreme court case. I want to live my life that way. Always in the present moment, without much fear, doing what needs to be done to help 'serve' others and not necessarily myself all the time. Somehow I have to get back to that.

I loved the day the Supreme Court came out with the decision giving LGBTIQ + equal protection under the law. I am LGBTIQ + as is my family, it was a day to feel seen and protected. I have experienced discrimination. The equal protection under the law.. it feels like the best high ever. Thank you, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for your service❤️. RIP