Q04

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

Jan 6. Those were not good humans. But they meant to be, which is scary. They knew they were right. Election of Joe Biden. Such a breath, a release from watching the news and being anxious every. single. minute. of. the. day. Feeling like I could enjoy life again. Though we were in pandemic. There's a cool web site I discovered which was livestreams or at least videos from different people's windows across the world. For some reason that was extremely calming for me in these awful, awful times where we haven't gotten to even hug the ones we love, or see the faces of friends or strangers. Withdrawal from Afghanistan. Haiti. Haitian immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. It is awful to be open to the pain of this news and to have absolutely no idea and no bandwidth to figure out what I can do to help alleviate suffering.

I’m not recovered from the attempted coup at the Capital a mere 8 months ago. Such trauma from the right wing radicals who have caused so much destruction and death.

The attack on the capitol, the crazy conspiracy theories, floods of lies (about the election, medicine, anything really) and misinformation in general. Basically people lost their goddamn minds. I can see how a pandemic and financial insecurity lead to mental meltdowns but holy cow. There are people killing their children because they think they are zombies, lizard people, or just inconvenient. People stormed the capitol building and wanted to hang the vice president. They defecated in the halls and offices. Science, facts, and common sense are not to be trusted. I don't know how this is going to be resolved. People have actually become anti-fact. I had to just stop watching and try to just live my life. But these folks are pushy. It seems you can't turn a corner with out hearing someone say some completely fabricated nonsense meant to scare people or justify selfishness.

How why indeed. That’s all I have. Never could have anticipated a freaking pandemic.

(Why is it so hard to think of one? Probably because they are too many and too big!)

The event on the world is here. Coronavirus. Isolating, masking, vaccinating, no travel, no visits. Anxiety. Disagreements. Frustration. Angst. Wondering how we can get back to interacting without fearing what unwanted vector someone might share.

The Asian attacks this year, especially in San Francisco, made me a lot more wary of running at night. Anti-Asian racism is alive and well even in the Bay Area - even in SF Chinatown. Definitely was more aware and well-prepared now. Seeing Simu Liu as Shang-Chi was also amazing. I really enjoyed the movie because it was finally a movie that was relatable to me. CRA and Always Be My Maybe also did that to be fair (especially Always Be My Maybe), but Shang-Chi was cool because it was actually 1) released in theaters and 2) incorporated both past folklore and present-day in a way that's (I hope) accessible to the general public. The "villain" wasn't really a villain but more of... a dad gone a little nuts, which I think lots of people could relate to a certain extent #justAsianDadThings

COVID continues to impact me. I haven't been able to travel to Europe to see my parents, and they haven't been able to travel here to see me. I finally saw my sister in the past few months, since the Canadian boarder was also closed.

I have been reflecting on how the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks coincides with the Yamim Nora'im/Days of Awe. For many years I was reluctant to share my story as a young eyewitness to the Manhattan skyline that morning, to avoid not reliving trauma and because many others suffered much worse. This year, I sat down to two local television interviews, as well as help organzine a powerful reunion of classmates and faculty with me on that blue-skied morning. It is clear to me from the interviews, class gathering and feedback that followed after all these years, we remain profoundly impacted by that day and continue to channel that harrowing experience into making the world a better place in our professional and personal lives. Sometimes, the most difficult forgiveness is for yourself, and I believe I took another step closer this year. May the memories of those who perished be for a blessing, wishing a meaningful and easy fast for those observing and may we all be inscribed and sealed in the books of life, health, resilience and connection.

Afghanistan - forest fires - floods - All too horrific and so much preventable, which makes it even more devastating. truly hard to watch or listen to so much heart breaking news day in and day out. It leads me to another question of what can I, as one person do, to make a difference? So much senseless behavior in terms of political war, climate change and world health and equality that we can change, if only we wanted to. I keep wondering how the world as we know it, might be different if lead by (more) women? Would we consider the survival of our young and take into account the next generations in making global decisions?

January 6, 2021. The riot and attack against the Capitol — I still can’t shake the reality that our Capitol was attacked with our lawmakers and VP inside in order to subvert and impede the transfer of power, and the country seems to have moved on like it was an unfortunate event rather than an attack on the core of our government by a subset of its own people. I can’t wrap my head around how people so quickly forget and move on. I wasn’t there, don’t personally know anyone that was there, and yet I am still shaken, bewildered, and deeply disturbed.

The world event that seems to have the most impact continues to be COVID. Just as I’m getting used to seeing people without masks people gathering together publicly outdoors again it would seem like the delta variant of COVID is threatening to put us back inside undercover isolated from one another yet once again again

I remember feeling like I was releasing a breath that I had been holding in for four years. I was standing in Grand Army Plaza. It was a Saturday. The election had just been called and everyone around me was ecstatic.

The sky was white and smoky all summer. Sucks! Climate change is happening right now and it’s impacting all our lives at all time. Idk what the future will bring but like it seems like at least we know what’s happening now

Getting the COVID 19 vaccine I guess, but it hasn’t really impacted me too much as I am still being wary about coming into contact with others

Is there anyone who would not answer “the pandemic” to this question? It has changed everything- how I work, worship, play, eat, spend money, socialize.

Travel bans. It's one thing to be thousands of miles away from family but another know that there is no way you can visit them. It hurts everyday. The fear if something were to happen to them what will i do, is so much

The intense "heat dome" heat wave in June was a pointed reminder that climate change is here. The unwitnessed fall my partner's mom took at the tail end of that heat wave (and the long, long ER wait times that resulted) was a pointed reminder that the ongoing death-cult idiocy of antivaxxers is bringing us all down.

I'll take an easy one and say January 6th. I never remember saying "I just wanted to see the electoral college votes", no idea why I did, but it's crazy. I wonder if I'll forget the moment I turned to Kathryn and said "they are storming the Capital. If this were black people, they'd all be dead" It's also crazy that it's been 20 years since 9/11. Going to freshman year at O'Connell, front seat of David Byrne's Volvo, in my cinnamon brown Tim's and getting ready to by Jay-Z's the Blueprint 2 after school. History class the first plane hit and the second plane after we had turned the tv on. The math teacher saying that algebra was more important. And I pretty much left after that. First time I had seen smoke that black in the air in my life.

The pandemic. Not being able to see my family coupled with constant stress and fear around Covid gave me new appreciation for the value of spending as much time together as possible, and for the things that matter most to me.

Delta variant. Hospital has filled up with Covid patient's again - mostly unvaccinated - and they are sicker than before. Frustrating that so many people refuse to get vaccinated. Recall election. What a huge waste of taxpayer money!!

Biden was elected President, which meant vaccines became more widely available more quickly, and Kamala Harriss -- a woman -- was elected VP. In some ways the fact of a woman being VP does not affect me directly, but in other ways it affects me by achieving something I have been waiting to see my entire life. It gives me hope that progress is possible, albeit too slow.

Trump losing was such a relief. It was like I could breathe again. I don't think I need to explain why. Otherwise, the Covid vaccine. It was refreshing and much-needed to see people again. I doubt I've ever had as busy a social calendar as I did this August. I'm better for it, even when I could have used a bit more of a rest.

There's been a lot going on in the world this year, as the punches from 2020 rolled well into 2021. Three of the most impactful (which intersect with each other) were probably: watching the January 6 insurrection unfold live while in a staff meeting, the horribly violent flare-up in Israel/Palestine and the ensuing social media frenzy, and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, symbolizing the end of a war that has lasted 2/3 of my lifetime and personally shaped the contours of my family. It's still hard to articulate the impact this has all had on me, but I think most significantly it's caused me to *really* critically interrogate my upbringing in and around military communities/militaristic societies. I have been continously unlearning my indoctrination around Israel and the political ideology of Zionism since dating Arshia back in 2014, but wow this year was something else in terms of other people coming to understand the conflict (or falling victim to misinformation and propoganda), the US/UK's complicit role in it, and the implication it had on diaspora Jews everywhere in the world. It peeled back the layers of just how twisted, violent, and ugly imperial dominance over Native peoples truly is, and sadly how Israelis and Americans can and do contribute to the oppression of others. My dad serving in the Air Force gave us a better life, even if it came at my mom's or his own personal expense at times. It provided us housing and financial stability, access to education, lifelong family friends, and unforgettable cultural experiences abroad in Europe. But the US military complex provides things like this for families like mine at the expense of BIPOC communities across the world, who have been devastated again and again by our military and foreign interference. Even at home, our government has made it blatantly obvious that they only cater to a very select (wealthy and white) few people and the rest of us can fuck off, as illustrated by the lack of consequences for most of the white men and women who violently stormed the Capitol (including my cousin Christina's husband???). It's left me even more disillusioned with the government that I used to truly admire and even once aspired to be part of, and question the role of our military across the world. It has made me into a staunchly anti-war, anti-imperialist person. I still grapple with feeling gratitude for mine and my family's experiences (while recognizing that my father dealt with antisemitism and other bullshit throughout his career) and horror and frustration at what has happened the world over because of that very same mechanism.

Ahem. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced me to lead services, teach students, and perform music into a green video light on my computer screen. Not being in the presence of the people I serve has been REALLY hard. I miss the energy I get back from congregants when I sing and teach. I miss hearing harmonies and other voices when I sing. I miss comforting people with a hug and shared meals. We all miss a lot.

The Florida towers tragedy comes to mind immediately. It deeply affected me during that time and undoubtedly reiterated my heart towards Israel. As I write this now, I understand that on some really deep level I felt like I lost a part of my family.

Not really an event but just everything that's happened this year has confirmed that conservatives are the stupidest people I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. They can all rot in hell.

COVID-19 remained the central focus for the world. In our county (Chase) in Nebraska 5 people have died total. A total of 0.125% of the population. I know 3 of the people that passed. The world is now in the throes of vaccine mandates and multiple boosters so that you can access shopping including grocery stores. Our community is existing in a post COVID world and it makes me feel like I’m taking crazy pills. I'm writing this from a patio in SB. SB seems pretty chill actually.

January 6th and the weird aftermath in which Trump was not held accountable felt like such an out of body experience that left me shocked and paralyzed. All the systems in place to supposedly keep this kind of thing from ever happening just mostly failed. And he's still running around free breaking more things, scheming to get to take back his power. It's so bizarre how many people think he's fine and great.

Global Pandemic. Climate Change. Political Disgrace. Economic Disparity. Division Among Americans. Total Dependence on Technology. All combined will lead to the USA's downfall. I'm scared and resigned at once.

Well obviously the COVID epidemic and the vaccine roll out have affected me as discussed in previous answers. It scares the heck out of me for the state of the word. We are all in this together. Another big thing to affect me is the assault on the Congress on 1/6/2021 and the following denial that anything untoward had happened by the Trumpist Repugnicans. This scares me. We have a minority party working hard to institute a false narrative that will cement their hold on power, effectively making a one party state. Lastly, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is long overdue. Thank goodness for Biden to have the backbone to do it in the face of US soldiers deaths and criticisms from all sides. What a fucking mess we were in there and thank goodness we are out. I have a sense of relief and hope that the US can spend its treasure and blood in some good cause, not just killing poor people.

The January 6th insurrection. I hope it was an aberration, but I fear it wasn't. I fear for our democracy.

Covid. People not getting vaxxed. The internet's mission to ruin western civilization.

Well golly gee, how about a global pandemic? Utter insanity. My world shut down. And then an artery blew up in my head. My work was very VERY stressful, but I was so grateful to still be able to make money. The lack of theater in my life was utterly devastating. I need to figure out how to make art without being cast in a play. However, I did love not flying around so much for work and being with jeremy and reading a lot and taking lots of hot tubs and cooking lots of wonderful food and even watching TV my new hobby! (;

The January 6th attack on the Capital was a very visceral thing for me. It could to use to be horrific for me. The fact that it has not been strenuously denounced and that our Former President and his supporters in Congress excuse and support those behaviors is mind-blowing to me. As we have watched those seemingly educated people tell us that what didn’t happen either didn’t happen or was justified, I have become increasingly convinced that we live in two different realities and that the gulf between the two is becoming too wide to be bridged. I do not know how to communicate with people who refuse to acknowledge a set of facts as being true. We can disagree about what led to those facts but the facts should not be in dispute. I don’t know how you argue the facts aren’t the facts.

Misinformation in American politics. I'm really worried about the direction America is taking.

COVID is of course still effecting everyone, especially for me working with kids. BUT OH! This year we got VACCINES! Oh my goodness, I feel so grateful that I was able to get vaccinated. And just today it was announced that we are getting closer to approval for a vaccine for children five+ which means that K could get vaccinated, which makes me want to cry with relief. I wish everyone would get vaccinated, the antivaxxers infuriate me. Even more so the people in power who have misled and lied to their (often uneducated) constituents while getting vaccinated themselves piss me off. But yes, the COVID vaccine has been a blessing. I am so appreciative of all the scientists.

Not being able to see my family for an extended period of time has strengthened my faith in myself, and has helped me commit to seeing them more this coming year.

The rancor and "no-one matters but me and my immediate household" that I have seen concerning mask wearing and vaccination scares me. The easy belief in false information and the lack of respect for those who disagree with us makes it hard to think the current extreme splits will ever heal. This is not seen in just one side.

President Biden getting things done! Between coming up with an actually C19 plan, withdrawing from Afghanistan, infrastructure and whatnot, it's starting to feel like normal again. Trump REALLY put us all in a weird, non-working space for far too long. It's nice to hear someone speak intelligently & not being so negative. I know that there are some people that are down about Biden, but think about what would've happened if Trump had somehow won another term & the destruction he would've rained down on us all.

The war in Afghanistan. The election in my country. I'm worried that tyranny always wins and I feel so impotent to change it. I want to dedicate my life to fight injustice, yet I have a hard time finding my voice.

The fires. I am contemplating leaving California, at least for summer and fall, in the future. I never thought I would even consider it. I love my home but it's too painful to be in the midst of the heartache from the fear and sadness and the physical discomfort from the smoke. I will still work every day on the climate crisis but I don't know if I can live through another fire season.

Well, there was an insurrection. It haunted me that our society could crumble at any moment.

As those who choose to dominate others have shown their faces, the world has proven itself to be the unsafe place I believed it to be. Freeing, in that I can see it clearly and gaslighting does not work on me anymore. I choose to live where I am safer. No need to ever visit Texas.

Covid is still affecting us everyday and I am interested to see how life evolves as we move forward.

The pandemic is obvious so let me choose something else. Skateboarding at the olympics! With several of my friends skating there. That was so cool and made me feel proud.

The various climate catastrophes have not yet had a direct impact on myself. However, I see each year more people getting counscious of the situation, which I find encouraging. Unfortunately, it seems we were all too optimistic with regards to the speed of change. I'm now wondering whether I should have been doing more and earlier, and will probably carry that guilt a long time.

Joe Biden beat Donald Trump and it felt like collectively the whole world sighed and unclenched their jaws. I’m not thrilled with the new admin, but I can’t say that it doesn’t feel nice to not live in such high and constant levels of fear.

The Covid vaccine rollout has been phenomenal. It has amazed me what can be done if you bring the right team of clever people together (the Vaccine Taskforce). I wish they would do the same thing for global warming and other things facing our country and the world.

The insurrection at the capital. I have become so cynical about the 24-hour news cycle that I was ready to pooh-pooh the coverage at the Capital on January 6th. And then it all turned very real, very fast. It was terrifying. I wondered (in fear) how our neighborhood would react? How would our city react? Our state - would it be safe to drive outside of the city? Our state? Our country? It was shocking - I really, again, did not think the hate-filled and misinformed people in this country were so active. How foolish of me. I was impacted by fear and realization that the fight for democracy is constant, and that we should never rest on our laurels.

Society having a vaccine shot for COVID-19 available but not taking it has impacted me this year. How? I didn't realize people were that stupid to pass up a shot that will save their life against this killer virus. And now since a big percentage have not taken the vaccine is now causing a resurgence of the Delta variant virus. Why? Now we are back wearing masks because that part of society rather not save their own and family lives. I just dont understand these people. How they make decisions? People are not thinking of each other. We all should be thankful we have a vaccine available but we dont. Shame on us. Saying freedom of choice is the reason, bullshit. What you do affects my life too not just yours. The most powerful Country in the World looking stupid.

Kamala Harris is Vice President! It makes me hopeful for my future and makes me want to fight for the future of this country even more. As an Indian American, this is huge. I hope that the media doesn't "Hillary" her and that she gets to be our first female President.

Well, obviously COVID. I never thought I'd experience anything like I have in the last year. While I have been incredibly fortunate - kept work, lost no loved ones, able to pivot to at home work - I know there has been impact, both positive and negative, from this reality that I will continue to discover in the coming months and years.

No doubt COVID has impacted everyone. I am vaccinated and now look at the odds of becoming seriously ill as being minuscule. And recognizing that if others don’t get the shot… oh well! There is nothing I can do about stupidity. 99% of the people dying are unvaccinated.

COVID seems to be all-consuming, but it has been so hard to see the loss of freedom in Afghanistan. The women and children, the girls, who learned and lost the taste of what it means to be educated, what it means to be free - how do they go on? How do they survive?

The pandemic has rolled on, possibly for far too long now, with no real consequences for our healthcare nor country at this point. I expect another winter wave of imposed loneliness for everyone. However, it has been the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, which feels strangely fresh and vivid yet a scale unknown to anything other than movies. I yearn for those affected, but we comfort in that mistakes = lessons learned. Security changed, but so did segregation.

I'm glad Joe Biden won. I also wish someone else had won. I look at what happened on January 6 and it's a stark reminder how dreadfully close we are (and continue to be) a state law away from structural shifts to authoritarianism. We are already seeing this.

I have no answer for this. Everything is jumbled together and the boundaries between weeks and months are still blurred into indecipherable noise. I can draw a clear before/after mark at the election; a huge exhale made a bit ugly by my own forecast of the aftermath of a metropolitan area suddenly bursting into spontaneous block parties during a Very Bad Time For Parties. ( Epidemiological speaking, any spike from the eruption of sentiment and ensuing "fuckitosis" that day was rendered into background noise by spikes induced by holiday travel, but that's after the fact and does not change the potent emotional flavor of the original event. ) I can draw a clear before/after mark on both November 4th and December 7th. Neither were good weeks, both infused with visceral dread ( dread that was validated first by the RV explosion in Nashville and OF COURSE the 12/6 shitshow, but I was expecting much, much worse. I actually allowed myself a full exhale at the last point. I'm reminded of July of last year, the moment ( ...processing the horrific and heart-shatteringly unsurprising Ortberg scandal and its aftermath ) where it really clicked for me precisely how much was lost and mangled during the new(ish), utterly ceaseless maelstrom of the new(ish) news cycle. What small and large tragedies will I recall with a wince, and which will just disappear/have simply dissolved into vague background chatter in the Omnipresent Malaise?

Covid-19 is still an ongoing pandemic in the world. While I am not bothered by our wedding having been cancelled, this is the longest I have not travelled (1.5 years and counting) and am really itching to... With that said, I think I am coping with being stuck in this city better than expected.

COVID is fucking annoying, and so is the government’s response or lack thereof to it. The vaccinated and non-vaccinated have been pitted against one another, while COVID is still taking lives. Also, Texas has decided that women who seek abortions and those who assist them in anyway doing so will be arrested and prosecuted for free will. The world veil is slowly falling and it’s UGLY!

Sarah Everards murder.

The Delta variant has definitely increased my anxiety and uncertainty that was *almost* under control after my older son was fully vaccinated. I can deal with the idea that Covid-19 is endemic, and I can deal with the fact that my younger children are not yet vaccinated, but it is very very difficult to deal with both while the world around us is re-opening and we - my partner and I - are quite unsure as to how best to protect our family and do what's best for our children. We are all trying our best.

There are so many deep and significant things happening in the world right now. I will not focus on any of them. Ólafur Arnalds. He's a musician, often piano, much more than that. From Iceland. I first heard this tender song on some streaming service, investigated it, discovered him. Then learned that he did the soundtrack to Broadchurch, which I really enjoyed. I've watched live concerts on youtube - it helps that he's cute, funny, has a nice accent, an odd view of the world - I have tickets to see him - which was supposed to be in October and is now in May 2022. I am currently listening to his Island Songs album, which I would describe as a song cycle, a love song to Iceland. He collaborated with friends and other musicians in Iceland. He's talented, and I think what is most unusual (for me) is that he's the first artist that I have really gone deep into in the last number of years.

See pandemic. Also Trumpists - remaining and ever growing strong! Hard to believe that so many are moving away from where David Brooks expected us to go (including him - he became a Christian Jew some time ago. How could that be? Actually his articles do reveal a leaning or groping for faith. Easier to believe than to do. Trumpists oppose moving away from destroying the planet, away from scientific medicine and scientists and the scientific method; and values like helping refugees. (Israel too w Asylum seekers - could that be us now too?) But the repsonse must be "Tell me how you came to take that position etc. Not "you're crazy, wisked stupid etc. There are reasons so many have moved that direction. Also let's welcome and work with and compromise with Moderate conse3rvative republicans - without them we won't win. And they're not all wrong! No more than we who want to defund the police etc. though Minneapolis is moving towards legitimate alternatives with police also still there.

President Biden being elected felt like a potential turning point back towards sanity in the world. As a Brit, I know it shouldn't affect me so much, but Trump's vile rhetoric really bothered me.

What's going on in Afghanistan is incredibly disappointing. It's impossible to understand how this is happening again. I think I believed in the promise of progress, that things will get better over time, and maybe there are setbacks, backlashes, three steps forward, two back. Facing the end of humanity, I'm realizing that at a certain point, it may only be steps backward. This may happen everywhere. I'm so sad for the children.

It's late in 2021 and I'm still not approved to drive. We've added to COVID-19 with new mutations called "variants." The big one is Delta which is affecting people who are doubly vaccinated with many of us ending up in the hospital and some dying. Because of this I've gone back into quarantine after just two weeks of going out before Delta asserted itself. I had two lunches with friends, discovering how my arthritis has progressed so it's very difficult for me to walk even with support. Now back to isolation as the mutations keep coming, Lambda is one of them. According to inside sources, we may still be in quarantine in April 2022. On the up side, I've done about 100 Zoom meetings, most for my anti-racism groups but also fun ones with friends. The result is I've become a much better facilitator and speaker.

Similar to last year, this year had a lot of world events that were impactful on a personal level. But I think the most impactful event for me was when Biden was elected president. Even though it was clear for a few days that he was going to win, I was jumping up and down when the race was called. It was such a relief that there was some pathway for hope for the country. The political climate is very bad now, but it could be a lot worse if that election had turned out differently.

January 6th. Fuck them.

For many COVID is over and for me it still is an ever present issue that impacts my personal, professional, religious, social and all facets of my life. We must learn how to coexist with those we vehemently disagree with (easier said than done, I know) and understand the fragility of life and to try and take these messages to heart.

The ever evolving threat and dislocation due to the pandemic has certainly impacted my life. From getting the vaccines for both me and my father, weathering our break-through infections and his hospitalization, and my testing and mono-clonal antibody treatment, has been a tremendous drain and constant background threat causing significant stress. I sincerely hope when I answer this question next year that I will know the pandemic has passed on into history.

It has to be Covid - again. I have been extremely lucky in that I have been able to work from home and remain employed - but that in itself has taken its toll. I am sure everyone's mental health has been impacted.

The evictions in Sheikh Jarrah & followed bombing of Gaza really impacted me this year. I know all too well it has been happening for a long time but in the wake of looking back at defunding police, the atrocities were hard to ignore. But I was also very aware of how Palestinian support tends to illicit anti Semitic rhetoric and that part made me very weary.

COVID was obviously very big shutting down most events and socializing. It was really hard for me at first, not having things to do or look forward to, but I guess I both did a lot of introspection and also found my love for tennis again.

Pandemic and vaccination drives. It has inspired me and also frustrated me due to anti-vaxars and poor communication . It strengthens my belief in importance of inculcating critical thinking and making people understand how science works. Bringing science, sociology and religion is so important.

Australia giving up on their Covid response. I have so many close colleagues and friends in Melbourne and Sydney and it has been really painful and sad to see them feel like their government has given up on them.

Well the COVID-19 pandemic continued and there was a coup run by conspiracy theorists that stormed the capital and those events really brought home how much people are meat-sacks of confusion. Psychology has explanations but that’s the sum of it. I've been thinking a lot about how there will always be confused people, so the best i can do is try to help people be less confused (but not too hard) and just enjoy my life. But also i have started paying attention to the world news more. Im following a little more closely. Im noticing the tactics of people who are working against the things i believe in and so im getting more informed and will be more active in the political process.

Covid. Everything stopped or slowed down or got smaller. The intimacy of a Zoom screen but also the literal physical discomfort of being on the screens all the time.

January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol—unsettled me! Simone Biles withdrawing from some of the events at the Olympics—inspired me! Heat wave and wildfires—concern me and make real the threat of climate change. Recently I've begun actually considering a move north. Joe Biden elected president—so glad to see Trump go, but politics are still so polarized

I would say the availability of a vaccine for COVID-19 impacted my year. I was so relieved when I could get the vaccine in February of 2021. I was afraid it would not really happen, and did not quite believe it was going to happen until the first shot occurred. I cried when I received the 2nd shot. I am an outgoing people-oriented person who values community. This year has been so much isolation.

I mean, Covid still exists. I guess the vaccine was a kick ass thing. Sort of giving us all some sense of hope, a little bit of normalcy. Just still worry about the little ones, about my little one.

This year has been another political shift show! Jan 4th proved this country still has enough shit heads in it that haven’t gotten past the civil war. Heartbreaking to know some of my family supports the guy that provoked it and doesn’t see the hypocrisy in it. Now that I live in Florida, I am confronted with it often. When I lived in New York it was harder to find but I am surrounded by it and it’s scary to me that facts and truth don’t matter. It’s frustrating and the truth is, it really has me have a fatalistic view of our future. I actually think we are doomed…

The ongoing pandemic. It feels never ending. Also, how it has drawn out the crazies - anti-vaxxers, anti-lockdown protests etc. I despair for humanity at times.

Maybe not in the world at large, but i recently joined a union at work and i've gotten really great benefits for it. i'm really grateful of it and my job. I hope to grow my career there and just do my best to give them my best. So it's going to be a lot of hard work in and outside work to keep myself healthy and in great shape for work.

The US Presidential Election and the subsequent assault on the US Capitol in a Trumpist coup attempt were both huge for me. The first brought me huge relief, a reward for efforts to get out the vote, and a short respite from anxiety. But then Mr. Trump really went off the rails. I try to feel compassion for his profound mental illness, but it is hard to comprehend that one person can believe that our nation's entire journey toward democracy and equality should be sacrificed to feed his personal vanity. And I am enraged at the Republican Party's cynical use of his cult to prop up and further their quest for a racist, misogynist oligarchy which has not had actual popular support for decades.

I think like many the coronavirus pandemic has been the event that has impacted me the most. There was the pulling back from public social life, the paranoia around health and safety especially while pregnant, the sadness for those affected with sickness, death, and financial stress. I'd be dishonest if I were to say that it was all negative for me. I liked the simplicity of my work tasks. I liked working on my plant room, I liked taking walks with my dog during the work day and eating at home and not having at many interruptions. I loved the time I saved not commuting. It's hard to say that knowing the cost worldwide.

Covid and how doing the right thing is now ground for rudeness and a lack of compassion by those who feel that caring for their fellow person conflicts with their freedom.

Covid-19! As I haven't made any antibodies despite two Phizer vaccinations, we have been, except for medical visits, been isolated in our home.

Biggest event in the past year (other than COVID dying and coming back) was Biden winning and all the shit surrounding it, especially the correctly-predicted insurrection on January 6. However it happened, Biden winning held the destruction of this country off by a few years. Is he the best? No. But he's getting shit done. In terms of how it affected me, it lowered the general stress levels of paying attention to politics 24/7. I don't watch CNN really at all (but I also don't live at home, so that's mainly why), but way easier to live life a bit. Also, of course, is COVID becoming more manageable and life being more or less (new) normal now. Getting the vaccine early was a huge plus, and overall vaccine campaign has made life a bit better, minus new variants. Other big events were the collapse of the condo building in Miami, which was terrible. Also Afghanistan withdrawal, which just completed a few weeks ago. Complete clusterfuck, so I hope a year from now it proves to be the right call and will not hurt in the midterms.

The pandemic, evolving constantly--COVID-19, the Delta Variant, the Lambda Variant...it continues to bring challenges to connecting with the world around me. Wanting to go out in public and "have fun." Wanting to take classes--yoga and meditation and dancing, but feeling guilty or anxious. The way it polarizes us politically and how I tend to judge others and they me by my personal beliefs about masks, vaccines, safety, elected officials.

Is release of COVID vaccines too obvious? Or not an "event?" Because of course that changed everything from last year to this one. The collapse of the Afghan government was tough to watch. As was the raid on the US Capitol and everything that came just before and after it. It feels like all of that falls under the "you can't control as much as you think" category. Good or bad, I didn't have anything to do with any of the above.

Bill Cosby being released from prison devastated me. He is a sexual predator, he has admitted to being a sexual predator, and because of some stupid legal mumbo jumbo he was released. Two days after that news I woke up to the thought that I had been raped in college. They weren't new memories, but I had always blamed myself. The fact is that three different guys took advantage of the fact that I was drunk to rape me. In all three cases I regained consciousness in the middle of the act and then blacked out again. This realization, the renaming of what I thought was a stupid drunken thing that I had done, broke me. I viewed my entire life from that point on differently. It doesn't make sense why something that happened almost 40 years ago should have such a big impact on me now, but it does.

The attack on the Capitol which is so infuriatingly insulting to me as a Black woman. When I look at how minority marches have been treated--turning fire hoses on people, labeling them looters/criminals, beating peaceful protestors, pepper spraying them etc--and then how they treated the white people LITERALLY ATTACKING AND ENDANGERING THE COUNTRY'S ELECTED OFFICIAL'S LIVES, it's infuriating. They treated them with a respect that is never afforded to minority protesters no matter how peaceful. They LET THEM INTO THE CAPITOL for HOURS before PEACEFULLY getting them out. Only one life lost. I'm not saying that person's life is not a loss but what I am saying is that there is a STARK difference between how I and people like me are viewed/treated and there's no excuse, no covering under 'well were they really peaceful'. The difference in treatment is stark and I am sick of it. I don't trust America at all. I resent it. I still see my privilege of being a citizen here and can appreciate that but I feel no real tie here. I know I am unwanted here and am not sure if that will change. So I will focus on me and mine and trying to stay right with God but I do not expect anything else from this America that I call a disappointment. It does not love me and I am pretty sure I do not love it back.

well, golly gosh gee what can I say? ---COVID---no more office, no more coworkers. ---Joe Biden won the election ---insurrection at the Capitol

The development of the COVID19 vaccines. I took the J&J. No problem. Vaccination will re-open the world and reduce harm and death. Anti-vaxxers and non-medical non-vaxxers are ruining this. So idiotic. I could name so many more events (Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, wildfires/climate change), but the vaccine affects me and everyone directly. (Side note: as Judy Gold the comedian said, Trump's loss affected me, too, because now I have more free time to think of other things!)

January 6th, 2021. Say no more. I hate it here...

COVID-19 without a doubt. It has changed the people I've been able to interact with, my mobility, work, who I work with and so much more. The consequences of this are still being seen.

The COVID-19 pandemic. We've been in strict lockdown for over 230 days over the past 19 months. These conditions have involved curfews, 5 km to 10 km travel limits from home, mask wearing requirements, unrestricted police powers, only 4-5 legal reasons to leave home, most businesses closed or restricted to take-out only, limits on how long people can leave home, etc. This has affected almost every aspect of my everyday life.

Most recently, seeing the departure of American troops from Afghanistan and all the Afghan people desperately trying to leave their country reminded me of the stories of Nazi Germany I grew up learning about and how borders slamming shut and people stuck to live in fear of what is to come from oppressive regimes. It breaks me that humans have such little empathy and willingness to see each other as humans. The degree of suffering in our world is sometimes staggering to me and the way that I turn away from these events, back into the mundane stresses of my daily life is disturbing to me.

The January 6 coup attempt in Washington D.C. was a stark reminder that some people are totally possessed by greed and the need for power, and will do anything to keep it or gain more of it. It also highlighted the fact that a change of the old guard is coming. It won't be easy, or pretty, but it will come. I feel inspired that it will be for the betterment of our society.

Jan. 6th. The deepening division between left and right - not only in this country, but in other purported democracies as well is disturbing - the desire for a "strongman" leader by many suggests a move away from self-rule. So, is this the last gasp of the old authoritarian age with power in the hands of the few giving way to the (relatively) new idea of democracy; is it a movement that will gain momentum - return to perhaps a more autocratic way of governance, because the world is not quite ready for a form of government that requires participation by all; is it a struggle that will always be here to some extent, because humans want freedom... freedom of choice... nonetheless, we also want direction from a power greater than ourselves...? Can democracy really work?

MOS free vouchers! I became MOS Associate and won RM250 for my MIEE lesson plans. Oh well. Also, my webinars are now paid. Yes. Finally making money and received better recognition.

Well, there's been the small matter of a global pandemic...I think the most impactful part of that, to me, is feeling almost hopeless about the large number of people (including those related to me) that refuse to put a piece of fabric over their mouths to protect my medically fragile kids. That and having to say sentences like "they don't believe the same data that we do," which really drove home to me that the people who raised me to think of society at large as a "post-truth culture" are hypocrites in love with power and their own self-image.

I think besides the pandemic it was Biden winning the presidential election. Before he won, I really questioned, would the "good guys" win this time? Were there enough of them to show up and stand up? I do think this made an incredible impact on the world and myself personally. It's like everyone just took a big collective deep breath of relief.

I feel like cutting and pasting last year's answer. Thankfully (?) Regrettably (?) I remain aware of the whole damn world, from its smallest injury to its jaw-droppingly stupid act of insentience; and, to be fair, from its smallest bird song to its largest restoration of habitat. This is not like being on acid, where the filters drop completely, and it is not like being on auto-pilot, where the filters are permanently in place. Take January 6, 2021 for example. Though I fancy myself an anti-authoritarian and devoted aspirant for pure democracy, watching the insurrection unfold unleashed the awareness avalanche of systemic fucked-uppedness: race, class, hegemony, tyranny, 50 years of disinvestment in critical thinking, intentional separation from our actual national history-- where was I going to start on January 7? What was I being called to do? My answer is unfolding, but it started with a commitment to exclusively support the leadership of people shunned by these broken systems. Solutions must come from our country's people of color. From Charlene A. Carruthers' text Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements: there are three collective commitments our movements must take up in order to regenerate: 1) Building many strong leaders; 2) Adopting healing justice as a core organizing value and practice; and 3) Combating liberalism with principled struggle.

Climate change continues to baffle, depress and terrify me in equal measure. I'm baffled because I cannot understand how there are still people, companies and governments who don't consider this to be the most urgent of emergencies; depressed because the rapid creation of a COVID vaccine showed that it is perfectly possible to respond to an existential threat in good time if enough money and resource is thrown at it; and terrified because I genuinely think that there is going to be a cataclysmic change to our ways of life within my lifetime. Aaaaand I don't really have much more to say on this - no positive little ditty to end with because honestly, I think we might be doomed. Lol!

Joe Biden won the election and I was overjoyed with relief. The country would survive the mad child. Then came January 6th. I was excited to do a zoom meeting with the Bronx Zoo foz group after I returned from dropping Cary off at school. As I walked in the door, Ron said, you have to see this, they are breaking into the capitol. I went on to the bedroom to do the zoom but I kept thinking about what in the world was happening? When I returned to the TV and saw the news I was; scared, disgusted, shocked, irate, and ultimately horrified. Donald Trump had told his followers to go to the Capitol to stop the electoral vote count for Joe Biden's presidency. Now its 9 months later and it seems much of the world has just accepted that it happened. The republicans continue to say IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL!!! Well it WAS! Our country was nearly taken over by a lying dictator. Capitol police officers and finally the national guard had to be called to protect our democracy. If that man ever gets in power again, I do believe our democracy is finished. After seeing the evolution of the republican party and the ineffective politics of the democrats, I am not convinced that he is done yet. I have been awakened this year to the possibility of autocracy and even civil was in America. I will never look at politics as benign or the us constitution as a savior to democracy again. I look to my faith and hope in the Lord to ease my fears and remind myself NEVER to put my faith in "princes" or governments again. Yeah, big impact!

So far, the year 2021 has simply been 2020b ... Climate-induced wildfires, pandemic (but yay for a vaccine!), masking, political nonsense, travel bans ... I'm so grateful not to have to work in nursing, retail, education, or other people-facing situations, and feel great empathy for those who do.

Pandemic obviously and how it has divided us as a people locally, nationally, even globally. Also, the election of Mr. Biden, the lies of the former President, the attacks at the Capitol. Then the extreme weather and climate change. It just feels like the whole planet is on fire and convulsing. Stressful.

Hahahaahaha. There have been a lot of impactful world events this year - the obvious aside. The most recent events in Afghanistan were difficult to watch from the outside so must be unimaginable from the inside. My dad was involved in the evacuations and even thinking about it makes me anxious. That was something to deal with - wanting to support what is clearly a necessary and just cause whilst balancing those emotions with being worried about his safety and feeling selfish for not wanting him there.

COVID has continued to impact the world at large this year. We had a brief few weeks of hope as vaccines rolled out, but the Delta variant quickly reduced us back to communal quarantine. At this point in the year, we are also beginning to see some of the longer-term impacts of COVID such as mass losses of healthcare workers who have run out of energy for their profession, and shipping delays which are causing grocery and other prices to soar, all in addition to a surging labor shortage. On a different note, this year America finally pulled out of Afghanistan. This historical development should have been met with mass celebration, but the execution of America's exit was so poor that the Afghani government fell to the Taliban immediately, resulting in one of the most horrific humanitarian crises of our time. Because of this development, I have invested my summer break into learning about this pattern of colonization and abandonment that America has inflicted upon countless people groups, and I am deeply grieved to only be learning about this now at 27 years old.

Two of my friends died. It left me sad and feeling vulnerable. My husband is not well either and that makes me feel helpless. What can I do in the face of the inevitable?

Pandemic continued. Vaccinations helped a bit, but still concerned about variants. But we all got vaccinated and that opened things up a little bit for us. We can now enjoy time with close friends directly, with caution. Hopefully next year, this will be a distant memory.

The continuation of covid and the proliferation of misinformation. Its just so crazy that we can't agree on what a fact is, that now everyone questions experts because they have the ability to go online and look things up. I'm not sure there is a way to fix this problem and I think its only going to get worse.

A world event - so many. Covid and the isolation, the shutting down of neighborhoods and small businesses, the increased polarization of how people respond to basic health information. Afghanistan, and the descent into a fundamentalist, totalitarian, mysogynist government after hundreds of thousands of deaths. Climate change, with the floods, fires, and heat waves. Texas' anti-abortion laws. It's been overwhelming and heartbreaking and infuriating.

The Covid-19 pandemic has dominated absolutely everything. For me, the restrictions minimized, if not entirely eliminated, what it was possible to do on a daily basis, and what I hoped to enjoy during retirement. My only escape, once available, was going to the gym a few times a week. Otherwise, I kept to myself almost all the time. These limitations served to make me feel angry and sad and cheated.

I am very excited about the ability of private industry to meet the needs of the country's aerospace needs. I am disappointed in the focus on Fear Porn in the media. I think this is driving a wedge between people who are letting their lizard brains dictate their actions rather than their sapien brains working through the issues rationally (which is how we have survived as a species).

As with last year, I can't think of just one, but at least I can narrow it down to two. The first is January 6th, the day of the assault on the U.S. Capitol. I just watched a "Frontline" documentary drawing a line between September 11th and January 6th, and while I think the argument could have been more nuanced, the overall point is right. On September 11th, the terrorists did far more damage to America than they ever could have imagined. On January 6th I was horrified, scared (especially for Ben, who lives just 10 blocks north of Capitol Hill but stayed in his apartment the entire time) and devastated about how broken our country is. I remain devastated and not sure what to do to help fix it. The second event is related to the first: the rollout of the vaccines and then the gradual understanding that so many people would refuse to take them. I cried with happiness when I got my vaccine and during June and July, I felt more optimistic and excited that the pandemic would soon be over. Then Delta started, and I began to understand that the major reason it is spreading is that so many people have refused to be vaccinated. As with January 6th, I'm horrified, scared (for all of us), devastated, and not sure how to help.

Joe Biden elected President was such a relief. I was so pleased that Trump is no longer president. But I do fear he will run again in 2024 and be elected again. The GOP scare the shit out of me right now.

Joe Biden was elected President of the United States, thank God. I have hope that kindness, intelligence, and decency will actually prevail over the evil forces of hatred, ignorance, anti-science, racism, bigotry, misogyny, and violence that are so LOUD and FRIGHTENING in our country today.

Covid. The fear of it. The changes due to it. My Dad getting it. The division in the country over vaccinations and masks. The hate. The misinformation. Covid.

COVID. It delayed my husband retiring. It stopped us from taking a 40th Anniversary trip with our grown kids. It has stopped us from traveling. It's sad how many people have died. It makes me mad that there are so many people who won't wear masks or get vaccinated which means this will continue to hinder us for years.

Two disconnected events had similar impacts on me this year, deep feelings of helplessness. While deployed to the Middle East, the part of Central Europe where my husband and I live flooded. I could do nothing to help from so far away as my husband had to prepare for rising water. Our new home, in a new country was at risk. I could do nothing to help my husband, hardly even calm his nerves. The second was the collapse of Afghanistan. My drive to serve my country wholly encompassed my desire to help people and make the world safer, maybe better. The reality of that not being true has left me feeling helpless again.

As if the pandemic isn't enough! The January 6th insurrection has impacted me tremendously. I was always tolerant of those who had differing views than I had. You didn't have to think like me for me to like you. But now, if you believe "the big lie" and you spew hatred towards Joe Biden, I don't want to be friends with you or spend any time with you. It has really changed my view on what it means to be an American. I fear for our country and I'm embarrassed by those who choose to call themselves "patriots."

Covid, covid, covid, covid, covid. Awfulness from the top down. Leadership on "both sides" failing us. Democrats pointing at us all like individuals and saying "you're to blame for not getting vaccinated" when they did their part to disenfranchise entire generations from any consistent health care then are baffled when people don't trust physicians. Republicans committed to death by rugged individualism and taking down everyone else around them as they go. All we have is each other, because nobody in charge cares enough to do anything.

The defeat (thank god) of Donald Trump, the insurrection on Jan 6, the inauguration Jan 20. The ongoing pandemic—but thankfully we now have vaccines. That's hugely impactful. We still have fires, it's been our hottest year on record, and the new Supreme Court justice is going to impact everything (😱). And out of sheer survival instinct, I continue to keep my head down and keep on trucking. (Of course working to better the situation for the homeless has an impact on me every day.)

Covid is pretty much the biggest thing. Not many changes from last year, other than less fear, more socializing, more awareness of health.

I really want to say again - are you fucking kidding me? Both in terms of COVID and this year also the election and the attempted coup by Donald Trump when we wasn't reelected preceded and followed by the continuing saga of his misinformed minions claiming that the elections were stolen by everyone from deceased Venezuelan dictators to the Italian parliament. The Republican party seems to be held hostage by conspiracy theorists who busily deny COVID, refuse vaccines, spew assorted hate including anti-Semitism, and most recently have started taking a deworming medication for horses because the human form of it is an unproven preventative and remedy for COVID. In the meantime, the more organized (but no less nefarious) parts of the party are passing state laws to curtail voting and now in Texas to ban abortion after 6 weeks and to leave enforcement up to vigilante private citizens. So how has it impacted me? After the election last year, Trump refused to concede and I remained riveted by the news. I hoped it would get better after the victory was declared, then after the electoral college process, then after the election was certified on January 6. But Trump held a rally on January 6 and then instructed his followers to storm the capitol, which they did. In my life I never believed I would see an armed insurrection in the capitol, but I was watching it on live TV. Still, after Biden was sworn in on January 20 I felt like I could relax a little. He got busy fixing some of what Trump had broken and his administration is not the flaming shitpile of chaos that Trump's was, so that while Biden's actions made news, it was news like getting another stimulus package passed and setting and meeting targets in rolling out the vaccine. It was news about getting the right things done without making news about infighting or personal excess. Congress remained a cesspool (although the Democrats control both houses, they really seem to believe they can work with Republicans despite all evidence to the contrary). And the judiciary is plagued with the incompetents appointed by Trump. Nevertheless, Biden has kept on working and even got some bipartisan cooperation. I still felt stressed but what I see happening in the world and in my country, but I didn't feel like I was watching a political disaster unfold on a daily basis. I really felt like I could let my guard down. There's a lot to fix and precious little interest from the Republicans in fixing it, but I don't have to worry about bat shit craziness in the White House. I just have to worry about how all of the damage Republicans are doing to voting, healthcare choice for women, failure to take action on climate change, failure to respond appropriately to the pandemic, etc. will continue to impact all of us moving forward. Really, it's marginally better than it was before.

Trump losing the election gave me a sense of hope finally but there’s so much work and so much healing yet to bridge the divide between these two halves of our country

I wish the election could just be the end of the story... but of course Trump ruined that too. The January 6 insurrection was such a stunning and scary moment, even if it wasn't exactly surprising to see those ignorant assholes scaling the walls. But what it revealed about our dark divide is so freaking disturbing. I am truly terrified at how close this country is to the precipice.

Joe Biden's election has been a huge relief after a really difficult year. Simply having a president again who doesn't actively hate people like me is like being able to breathe again. Simply having a president whose face and voice isn't a trigger for revulsion and fear. It's not all been roses and rainbows, but the bar was set so miserably low that basic human decency has been a welcome breath of air.

The passing of Giuliano Grassi, Secretary General of the European Biomass Association (EUBIA) who I had the chance to work with in my early career made ruminates about the people who paved the way for my success. As a 25-year old, having someone as experienced as Giuliano (he was 82 when he was traveling back and forth to meet us as part of the project) interacting and listening to you openly and with curiousity made a world of difference to how you believe you're making an impact to the world.

Pandemic pandemic pandemic. Politics and pandemic Misinformation and the pandemic. The fucking pandemic.

The resurgence of the virus despite the vaccines. That has been really hard. It felt like we were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and then it got pulled out from under us. I'm still really terrified of getting the virus - and more so of the kids getting it. The unknowns with long-haul COVID terrifies me. I wish there were more clear answers, so it didn't feel like every day is filled with judgement calls.

What, you mean *besides* the global pandemic?

In my state and surrounding states there have been many forest fires. The air quality has kept us inside many days. I am grateful that the firefighters have done tremendous work.

The election of Joe Biden as president of the United States has had an important impact on me personally. During the previous administration, I experienced daily anxiety as I listened to the news and fretted over what our former president had done or was considering doing. I appreciate that right now I do not live with that ongoing concern and discontent with my government’s policies and actions. Instead, we have a president who believes in science, respects diversity, and values bipartisanship. This is much more in alignment with my values.

I have to go with the Delta Variant. Who knew words like “corona” and “delta” would have this weight. I suspected something was coming in 2020; I didn’t expect this. The impact on me has been surprise (though I know viruses mutate), shock that it’s continuing (though I knew the chance was high); caution to assume I know anything. It’s settling in, this may be with us a long time. I e also wanted to stay in longer, to huddle in and dig deeper, the way I couldn’t in 2020. Now the theme has changed: in 2020 it was hard to settle into the time because all was shock and danger. Now it’s hard to settle in because the world is moving at warp speed again, not giving us a chance to process what we’ve been through.

The emphasis on politics and the resulting divide amongst my countrymen is disquieting. Our response to existential problems has been to turn on one another, rather than to deal with pressing issues. Performance art and virtue signaling are now substitutes for actual governance. Families and decade-long friendships are breaking apart by the actions of a gaggle of unscrupulous attention seeking scoundrels. I live in a very conservative neighborhood and it's become uncomfortable for my wife and me in interactions with neighbors. Long before the Trump era, our friends knew we held different views, but we were accepted and we frequently got together for block parties. No more. What the hell has happened to this country?

Once again, COVID. This virus has changed the world in so many ways. We are more isolated now than ever before in all of history. Thankfully, technology has enabled us to stay in contact and forge some semblance of a normal life. Unfortunately, this is not enough. Humans are social creatures. We need to be together. We need to touch each other, to wipe away each others tears, to hold one another. We need that high-five for a job well done. I hate to worry that being close to someone might make me sick or that I might pass something on to my family. It isn't right. I want to go back to the way things were. To move about this world freely and openly. I want to be close to my friends and family without fear that doing so make make them ill. I pray for these things every day.

witnessing the startling amount of willful ignorance about medical science that is causing the pandemic to continue.

The COVID-19 vaccine was rolled out in the US, and I got jabbed! This event has transformed my life, making it possible for me to spend time with friends and family members again. I feel a renewed sense of gratitude for my mundane life, because connection makes it feel so much more meaningful.

COVID keep me inside and on Zoom. The president's election made me hopeful for better government. The BLM movement made me more aware of the issues with police and incarceration in this country.

Uhhh covid....and I suppose the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has been a massive thing. The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is today and I get pretty emotional when I hear stories about it. But those are the main big news stories I think, so definitely a lot less than last year....

Biden was elected! It was so exciting and such a relief. Thank God.

My husband committed to our marriage and moved to ME full time, we got a place for ourselves I feel stronger in some ways but after all this time I want more from him and am struggling to find the right way to express that

I can't even begin to process the magnitude of the events that have happened this past year - Biden's election, the conviction of the officers in the killing of George Floyd and the killing of Elijah McClain, the horror of climate change events like Hurricane Ida and the wildfires in California, the development of a COVID vaccine, the riot on Capitol Hill, the end of the war in Afghanistan, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and so many more. I've personally been most affected by the ability to receive the vaccine. I feel safer being out in the world, in public transit and in restaurants, and I'm looking forward to my first live concert since COVID (Lake Street Dive in October!).

It's been hard to have faith in others this year. Between covid, climate crises, racism, politics, I've never felt so resentful or disgusted by other people. It feels like the entire world has overwhelming anxiety, and it makes me wonder if we can ever go back to feeling safe in our routines.

Covid sigue siendo muy fuerte. No puedo procesar aún que la vida como la conocemos cambio de un instante a otro. El contacto, la ligereza que se sentía al conocer y desarrollar vínculos es tan distinta, el sentimiento de libertad también aún se siente comprometida. Cada vez menos pero el mundo no es igual, nadie es igual.

I guess my answer will be the same as last year - the pandemic. still stuck. still shocked people won't get vaccinated. Still shocked people won't wear masks to protect others. still can't see family and friends easily. still don't go out all that much. still afraid.

Oh, boy — so many choices this year. Covid pandemic. Storming of the capitol. Trump’s denial of the election results. The 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Our troops leaving Afghanistan. Fires in Australia. Fires all over the west. Floods in the south. Watching the PBS Newshour 3x a week keeps me in touch with all of it and often reeling from it. Amy M. shared something one of her coach friends mentioned, that we have evolved as tribal people and having a global community as our trainee may be beyond our capacity to fathom, let alone address. I don’t think any one of us has the ability to do anything of real substance to affect all of these events. We can each turn our attention to one, I think. On a more positive note, the 2020 Olympics in Japan which were held this summer (in 2021), had an impact. With the expansion of non-network channels (is it still called cable?) we were able to view much more than the major networks were sharing. It was astonishing to view young kids winning gold in skateboard competitions, to see the power and skill of women kayakers, to watch archers aim at and strike a target so far away I could barely make it out, to follow climbers as they scaled walls like monkeys. It was all so amazing, so foreign to my own life and how I use my body. Times like this, I like to draw on the notion that we are all connected, so the experience any one of us is having is shared by all of us. And, because someone else is having the life of a climber or gymnast or world-class runner, I don’t need to do that as well. I do what I do, my contribution to the mix.

US retreating from Afghanistan has helped me learn lots about the history of the area in general.

So many events have impacted me: Biden was elected, RBG died, the killings of black people by police have continued, the battle over the vaccine in this country, the restrictive voting rights legislation, the abortion ban in TX, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and witnessing the effects of climate change. All of these events show that we have so much work to do to bring forth a kinder, more humane and sustainable world. But also that there are people in the world who are so inspiring, so insightful, so fearless and who give me hope. It is this balance of oppression and hope that has been restored since the election. That is the biggest thing that has impacted me by far. Before the election I felt that the “dark side” was really in control and now it feels like balance has been restored.

The riot in the capital. The sadness that people feel they have the right to deny the truth, distort facts and promote hatred. Seeing so many people acting out of a false reality they have bought into. Fears that leaders like the ex pres. "Orange Devil" who promote lies and disunity will continue to fan flames of false self-righteousness, hatred and a flagrant disregard for the truth.

Covid. A greater sense of disconnection, and being taken out of routine as well as support. It's been hard to not feel the chaos around the world, and the distrust and strife. Then again, there's always something; this is this time's biggest challenge. It's a call for growth.

Oh no. Hahahaha. The continuation and worsening of the COVID pandemic. The realization that solidarity was shallow for a lot of people in 2020 and that very few people give a shit about others. The lengths to which people refuse to budge an inch to get 95% of what they want while not harming people, vs. getting 100% and causing great harm. It's really jaded me. I feel pretty exhausted. I do try to reframe it into being thankful for those people who *do* happen to give a shit, many of whom are in my life. But I have become more misanthropic and distrustful of people in general. I read somewhere recently (apologies for lack of proper attribution) that it is important to retain an orientation towards hope, a practice of seeing things with hopefulness, even when acknowledging an abysmal state of affairs. Sometimes I'm able to channel that energy, but I'm often left wondering: how much worse will things get in my lifetime / in the next five summers? Honestly, this has also been the first year that climate change meaningfully affected me in a conscious and perceptible way, beyond being something I happened to care about --> something that directly impacts my experience of the day. There were several days this summer where the air quality was intolerable and made me sick, and our apartment being on a hill was not helpful for the concentration of small particulate matter in the air. It felt apocalyptic. I couldn't walk outside with Peanut without feeling sick, even double-masked (I wonder how he felt). The sun was burnt orange at 11am. It's difficult to think that we aren't somehow near the end of humanity's tenure on this planet.

This question is endless. COVID, racial reckoning, the insurrection, election, inauguration - its all been a lot. In particular, the insurrection was not talked about in my family - which is so interesting and disappointing. I remember I was working on slides, and some events unfolded on TV and next thing I knew we were living in a military zone in Washington DC, we had curfews and people with firearms patrolling and our little family decided to go to the beach for a week for our own safety

Attempted coup at the US Capitol. Shows how razor thin democracy is. Feels as if on teetering on the edge of life as I've known it. I carry psychogenetic makeup of child of Holocaust survivor and I see the world crumbling.

The ongoing pandemic, the vaccine, and Biden's election all feel pretty significant. Also the Evergiven getting stuck in the Sue Canal (classic). Just after the vaccine started to be pretty widespread, we had the feeling that the world was opening up again. I met new people, I wasn't wearing a mask. It felt so, so nice. But with the rise of Delta, we're basically back to pre-vaccine levels of caution again. We just don't go out and do much anymore. We're now trying to come to terms with the possibility there there is no "post-pandemic life" to look forward to. Just something different. Will I ever not wear a mask in the grocery store? Will I ever go to bars, parties again? I am happy that I've bought a beautiful house and adopted a dumb dog and that I love my partner so, so much, and I think I've more or less permanently become more of a homebody than I was before, but I think I'd like to go out to do things again. Re: Biden. I was relieved, but also disappointed. I feel less trustful of the government than ever. Similarly to thoughts above, I'm wondering if there is no fixing this. And if that's true, how should I live my life?

I mean, obviously the pandemic. But the greater impact on us personally was the rise in antisemitism in the US following Israel's most recent conflict with Hamas. All of a sudden, the rocky foundation we've always relied on has shifted, and the US doesn't feel quite as safe anymore.

Climate change is closing in. I worry about our futures. Will my kids even have one?

Lots of storms and catastrophes this year in the world. I write this every year, but it is getting worse. Some are natural disasters; unprecedented flooding, fires, hurricanes, but some are buildings exploding or collapsing, or increased hatred and violence. It was a very scary time in Israel for a moment, but it opened up a huge divide in anti-semitism, even in my peer groups

The dragging on of the Covid pandemic, the assault on the Capitol by right-wing extremists, climate change, and the sad events in Afghanistan have all had a deep negative impact on me. On the brighter side, getting rid of Trump & electing Joe Biden, as well as the roll out of Covid vaccines give me some hope.

Hard to pick - thinking about the presidential election - the relief and fear and questions.

The Pandemic is still hovering. But seeing the insurrection and how it seems to have sealed this continual shock that a majority of people are willing to buy into a lie that has an ongoing undercurrent of hatred and bias. It numbed the joy of a new leadership...and every time one of these crackpots hog the news they have given fodder to my comedians. But, I fear that what is on the horizon isn't a comedy.

I don't like this question. I hate how people are being forced to vaccinate. Even when all safety precautions are being utilized, everyone else is protected, and there is a legitimate health concern involved, all people see is the label. I wish there was less judgment on both sides. Covid isn't going anywhere for awhile... we all have to make the choices we feel are right.

Well.... the answer is COVID, COVID, COVID. And Delta, Delta, Delta (tri-Delt!). It's affecting everything we do. The vaccine became available this spring, and it was such a joy to get vaccinated in April/May. Such freedom! Unfortunately the Delta variant has put a damper on our celebration. I suspect this is going to be an ongoing trend. We'll have times where it's relatively normal, and then times where we all have to be careful for a while.

The pandemic! Isolation, anxiety, loneliness, then changing to new ways to deal with these things, like zoom, mask wearing and vaccinations.

The amazing work done to create, supply, and provide vaccines has made a difference in my work and my personal life. I received the first vaccine on January 9th and the second on February 5th, dates that are engraved in my memory. Because of this, I was able to feel safer as I visited my patients and spent time with family. I was more comfortable flying home to spend time with my ill, and later dying, mother, knowing that my visit did not put her at further risk. At the same time, seeing people reject vaccines due to the lies of pseudoscience has been frustrating. Reading of so many people getting sick and dying unnecessarily has made me angry. As we look at the liturgy and themes of Yom Kippur, I find it difficult to let go of my anger and impossible to think of forgiveness. I pray that as I move through the liturgy, I will be able to find words leading me to compassion, at least for those who believed the lies. How to find forgiveness to those who knowingly lied for profit, for ratings, for political gains is another issue……

The day that the US capitol was attacked. It just felt so wrong and hurtful and disheartening. I felt sad for the President, for the police officers, for the people inside the capitol, for America. It was so disgraceful that our country had resorted to this sort of retaliation and anger when that just should not have happened. Like ever.

LOLOL all of it. It was the 20 year anniversary of 9/11 last week. I saw this Tiktok recently about millennials and all of our trauma. We watched thousands of people die on television when we were in elementary school...school shootings have become commonplace in our society...the economic recession...the pointless 20 year war in Iraq...COVID...it's all a mess and something that has arguably impacted millennials the most. Generational (collective) trauma is REAL. We're the most depressed, anxious, in debt generation to ever exist in America.

Well, the elephant in the room is obviously the COVID pandemic. a small but meaningful impact was the realization of the intertwining of of global production and transport chains when certain produce at the grocery store was unavailable here. And the awareness of how small Holland grows so much produce.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan. They just LEFT! And all the are Taliban just back where they were when the US et al went in to save the Afghanis. Isn't that just politics?

Well obviously Covid affected everyone. I am sad that people in the US still cannot get on the vaccination train which is stretching this out. I am sad for all the people who have passed away unnecessarily. I hope that we can get past this and start living normally again. It will also affect my travel plans as well.

The Trump led insurrection at the Capitol on January 6 showed me how much I live in a bubble of relative rationality and kindness, and how fragile that bubble is. I was frightened, am still frightened, and also resolved to work on better understanding the kind of hurt that gets turned into that kind of ugliness and destruction, and yes, to keep fighting hate with love..

Covid. Wishing the people who haven't gotten their shots would. Simple as that.

I have never cried from the death of a public figure. I did when RBG died. It was a reminder that holding on by a thread is no way to live. If you're one 87 year-old away from catastrophe, then you gotta get off your butt and build some cushion.

The election. The insurrection. People being incredibly selfish about Covid protocols - lots of sick and dead people and variants as a result. Climate change being recognized and ignored at the same time. Afghanistan.

Joe Biden's inauguration was somehow moving. It was a great sigh of relief to see Trump expelled from office -- a kind of catharsis, really. I choked up at the inauguration. The Star Spangled Banner always moves me -- weirdly so, since I'm not overly attached to my identity in my country of origin. The hardest element to process in this was probably the visit to Mosul, Iraq the weekend before the 4th of July back in the US. The juxtaposition of those two experiences was hard to reconcile. Culture shock hit big, and I find I have a certain resentment towards America's consumerist culture and wealth in the aftermath of having seen Mosul. Of course, coronavirus... that still hasn't gone anywhere. We're all just more accustomed to having it around.

It's almost impossible to pick just one. The effects of the war in Afghanistan will live on in our collective memory forever. The images and tales of women and children fleeing and hiding from the Taliban are haunting. Of course, then there's the continued issue of undocumented kids corralled at the border... The bright spot was access to the vaccine! Amazing, how much work on every level went into that. Of course, never mind the people and leaders who are dismissive of the vax and refuse to take it. I've entirely lost patience with that mindset. It's about the collective and not the individual at this point. Watching the Iron Dome in Israel protect its people was both incredible (in its technology and strength) but also sad, in that it's necessary. The hurricanes, fires...When will this ever end?

Pandemic. In some ways it's been liberating - no commute, not having the stress of performing for people. In some ways it's shown me how much I depend on seeing my friends, even casual ones; and also going somewhere else for work. And for my son having social outlets other than me. I don't know that I'm ready for the liberating parts to go away, as horrible as the implications of that admission are. I have watched with detachment the other world events - George Floyd, hearkening back to Tamir Rice and many, many others before them. President's Trump's public un-hingement and the revelations that his top military commanders were actually fearful that in his pique he could start something internationally that had big consequences for the entire world. The attack on the Capitol. That's one that I just can't even look at in my mind - the foundations of our democracy and the ideals and places we as Americans hold sacred, smashed. I can't even look at it straight-on in my brain.

Jan 6 was an eye-opener, but, really, the thing that impacted me the most was the IPCC report about climate change increased my fears for future generations, and made me deeply sad. As a result, while yes, changes per individual absolutely help, we really need to *fight*, including strengthening the voice of the scientific community and fighting against complacency and willful ignorance.

Pandemic continues—with variations. Now that we are into year two, I feel that some of our “temporary” accomodations may become long-term or permanent. I have learned that I enjoy being busy, active, sociable during the daytime, followed by quiet evenings at home to prepare and eat dinner, play music, read, sometimes watch TV, and go to bed at a regular hour. I like dressing casually and comfortably almost all of the time. I very much prefer getting together one on one with a few good friends (or as a couple with one other couple). I love spending time with family and friends in our back yard. During this prolonged period of modified “shelter-in-place” I feel grateful to be an elder in the community. We have less need to be out in the world to fulfill our needs or our obligations. We are learning to adapt in ways that can serve us as we move into the last part of our lives.

Well this hasn't been a great year to be a woman. Afghanistan is being taken over by the Taliban and Texas just created legislation that makes it illegal to have an abortion. So while it hasn't impacted me directly, I have a low level of constant anxiety that bad things are coming and I have no way to fight them.

On January 6, 2021, after Donald Trump had been voted out of office, he told his followers to come to the White House and do something to get him reinstated. So they did. He told them to go to the Capital Building where the votes were being counted. They did and they literally stormed the Capital Building, attacking members of Congress and police officers. They climbed the side of the building. They destroyed things. They even killed a police officer. I was coming home from work with Stephanie with whom I was commuting back then. She is anti-political. So when Tracy called me or texted me to tell me what was going on, she really didn't care and I couldn't make a big deal of it in front of her. When I got home, Tracy and I just sat and stared at MSNBC and the insanity went on. So many of those people were part of Qanon and are white supremacists. It was terrifying to watch. The amount of anti-Semitism as well is terrifying. I think I was also on the phone with my father while this was happening. It was unbelievable.

Covid has impacted not only my life, but everyones. Its impacted my life personally by being hospitalized.

An event? Only one??? Ha, it's weirdly (or not so weirdly) hard to think of individual events out of the ceaseless tide lately. I'm going to say: it's all impacting me. My emotional reserves are depleted and not refilling at anywhere close to "usual" for me, and I'm hitting overload much quicker & much more often.

As the pandemic continued, I have become more accustomed to staying home, being alone, and moving at a slower pace. I no longer need big groups of people for my energy. I find that I enjoy solitude or at least just being with one or a few people.

I started watching Jericho again, the tv series describing the collapse of America as homegrown terrorists destroyed most of the nation's major cities with nuclear bombs. The small town of Jericho pulls through with a sense of community and strong leadership. Watching that show is toying with concept of chaos and the thought of the destruction of everything we take for granted - currency stability, supply lines, communication, electricity, heat. It's a terrible fascination, brought on partly by the fantasy of being the superior survivor, and partly the search for hope that we could make it back from such a collapse. But mostly, it's fascination with destruction. The curiosity that spurs us towards the things that threaten us seem uniquely human. Our impending destruction is somehow irresistible, and it pays off for our species. We discovered new foods, tamed new creatures, created power and strength with fire and weapons This insatiable curiosity for things that could kill us pushed us across the globe, advanced science and war, and created the species we are today. But when fascination turned into clear and irrevocable danger, our animal instincts usually kick in, and we scramble back from the precipice, hearts pounding, breath catching in our throats. The people who not only toy with the possibility of destruction and chaos, but spur it on, setting bombs, shooting children shouting "fire!" in a crowded theatre - they are either too stupid to understand the consequences of their actions, or they are insane. On January 6, 2021, a group of the insane or stupid or both stormed the Capitol Building, spurred on by Donald Trump, to overthrow the democratic process. They broke down doors and looted congressional offices, as the Congressmen and women huddled on the Congressional floor, officially electing Joe Biden as President of the United States. The last year and a half has seemingly broken a core pillar of trust within me. Everyone grows jaded as they accumulate years and experiences, that's true. Innocence and trust are cherished traits of youth, to be protected, but not expected to last well past puberty. I have always felt old and weary before my time, named after the matriarch whose name can mean "tired eyes." Yet I felt a shift this year, a chilling deep in my bones, towards my fellow humans. I had believed that they would stop short of the insanity of an armed attack on the Capitol. I had believed, somewhere deep within me, that the good and intelligent could prevail, and that the laws and rules put into place would keep chaos from descending. I had believed that they would walk away from the edge of the cliff when faced with imminent death. I was wrong. I can see why I believed the things I did. There were Black responses to the January 6 attack that expressed frustration with white liberals' shock at the attempt to overthrow the Democratic process. Their frustration is logical, having lived in a nation so firmly stacked against them their entire lives, yet we were blind to the inherent fragility of our illusive order and peace. Why trust in law and order when it provides no justice or protection for you and yours? I'm left wondering if I can ever get back my faith in humanity, and if I should even reach for it. I see it in moments, live it in joy and peaceful seconds, but the pillar of trust has shattered, and I'm not sure it can be put back.

COVID-- forced us to slow down, rethink travel, my business, and so much more. I feel like I have weathered the storm for myself, but fear for the world.

Oh, my blissful bubble of ignorance. Extreme weather events - part of our roof blew off! - have reminded me, yet again, that climate change is A Thing That Needs To Be Addressed. I'm starting One Spirit Interfaith Seminary on Saturday in the (probably vain) hope that it will help me find a direction / outlet for the ideas I have around spirituality and addressing climate change. And/or because (covid response aaaaarrrrrgggghhh) I need a break from the Swiss. In my wildest fantasies I would keep up to date on what happens in Afghanistan. Could I work with refugees here?? Verbleibende Frage: what is the point of me?

A new President! I am afraid TFG doesn't seem to ever go away and his evil has permeated the whole country and divided our nation. I believe the rest of the world wants to reset with a more reasonable head of the free world. This Delta variant is very scary and I worry about it and how many people don't take it seriously. We have an idiot for a governor.

The insurrection at the Capitol was a shocking evidence of how differently people can view freedom, and how much damage can be done by misinformation. It has become difficult to know where to get reliable information, and when coupled with the speed at which ideas are spread and action is taken, this makes the world seem very volatile and dangerous.

Covid 20 years later after Sept 11 Jan 6 insurrection George Flyod verdict These were all major events in history, that are sure to shape our futures.

PANDEMIC— when our world turned upside down in March 2020, life became very isolated… little did we know that this would still be an issue a year later… COVID brain set in, losing all sense of time. All normal social interactions ceased, all the markers of our daily routines vanished. With my cancer diagnosis in December, i added “chemo brain” to my sense of isolation… even when things let up a bit in the summer, i still had to be very careful. The anti-mask, anti-vaccine people made it impossible to know who to trust, so i just stay apart from life. That really makes me so angry!! We didn’t need to have the amount of disease we have— why couldn’t everyone realize this?? This is about everyone’s right to live, not about any one person being “free” to inflict harm on others by not being socially responsible.

The presidential election, the storming of the Capitol, the mounting signs of endtimes -- the changing climate, the attacks on democracy ... I have pulled back, become less attached, worked at removing myself from the IV drip of media consumption. I want to be informed and do what I can to resist evil and repair the world, but I worry the algorithm of engagement deployed by social and news media is unhealthy to me and the world. I quit Facebook, stopped reading the news first thing in the morning and am trying hard to cultivate my own longer-term, deeper-directed narratives apart from the zeitgeisty stories pushed from on high... I am trying to disengage from the outrage machine and make concrete practical steps to help.

I already wrote about Covid in my previous answers. The other two big ones are the murder of George Floyd and that Biden got elected. Whew on the election! What a major relief. The capitol being stormed in January was terrifying. It makes me worry about the future of our democracy and violence by American citizens. Around here there are plenty of trucks with aggressive Trump flags that say things like 'Fuck Biden. Trump Won.' Yikes! I feel threatened when I see those flags and concerned for my safety. I'm also concerned for the safety of people of color, immigrants and others who are not straight, white men. The murder of George Floyd mobilized me to go to street protests and take action to uplevel my anti-racist work. This work isn't new to me, but I had not been actively engaging in anti-racist work in my business or personal life. Thankfully, I found an entrepreneur group led by a Black woman that taught me a lot and allowed me to connect with many women entrepreneurs of color. I was also prompted to volunteer for the Biden campaign to work toward change on that level. And in my meditation teacher training, we have a substantial DEIA component that I am eagerly engaging in. So I feel some hope for the future of racial equity in the USA with so many new white people joining the fight and with others renewing our commitment to anti-racism.

Holy cow. The pandemic and the presidential election have impacted us in transformative ways. It has hurt me so much to see Americans embrace Trumpism and all it stands for. There will always be a subset of stupid, selfish, hateful people but he gave them a voice and made it seem their viewpoints were valid and worth formalizing into government programs and laws. Disgusted with some of my fellow Americans. On the other hand, watching the resistance has been inspiring.

The second year of the pandemic. My baby has lived 1/4 of her life-the way it is part of her world. The vaccine coming for her ( i pray) . My work. I feel i am contributing. I love being on this team. Colleagues! I am proud. I won an award. We are contributing to solutions. The election. The beautiful inauguration- gifts for healing! When i pulled lauren to me - up in my arms in the kitchen- listeninv to katy perry firework - inauguratuon version to tell her- that is you- you are a firework- we are gonna get thru this and you are gonna shine!

It’s not any one of event. It’s several. There have been so many fires and other natural disasters, but I worry that we’re at a tipping point in our world where everything is going to go downhill from here. I’m signing papers soon to buy my house, a house I am worried won’t even survive the year given all the fires lately I think back on the Eckhart Tolle book I read. He said that the world was coming to an end due to human causes, and that at one point we would from a far off place, look down to witness its destruction by our human hands. I fear that point is not far in our future, and that Eckhart was prescient.

Covid 19 has changed my view of working from home. I took my test for the Builders license in Michigan and passed last October. I still wear a mask and anyone who thinks it's a barrier to their freedom is a selfish ignorant idiot.

the pandemic and people dying is horrific, glad we have vaccines as Americans

I am on repeat. Covid has changed my life forever. In someways I have pulled back from the world and found inner peace. I look out and learn but not at the expense of my own well being and peace of mind.

getting rid of the orange one. A little hope that consideration and kindness are greater than selfishness in our country. Not much, but some.

It's hard to think of something besides COVID-19. It has shaped so many (all) of our decisions and current lifestyle. At this point it's hard to imagine the world before the pandemic, or what life would have been like without it.

COVID. It ripped through the patterns of the world. Revealed new textures and obstacles. Got people sick. Inspired innovation, changed traffic patterns and allowed us to move into a new life in another city.

The events of the world have defeated me this year. I have been emotionally exhausted and having to focus on myself to such an extent that I have had to stop reading the news as I have nothing left to engage with. I read a book in which it advised compassion, not empathy, for the problems of the world and the people around us. I agree with that as compassion is far more productive - I do not need to, nor can I, feel others' pain as they do, so instead should listen and aim to support and change it where I can. But that also requires energy, and with all that has changed for me - and that literally is every aspect of my life - I haven't had much energy to spare for the outside world. Maybe when I do, it'll be a sign that I am healing.

The big lie. The insurrection. The assault on Democracy. On truth. On Fact. it has made me realize the average American is even more stupid, and drastically more vile than I ever realized. How do you begin to combat that? Rational debate is gone. There are no good faith actors. Do you take up arms? Do you leave?

The wonderful peace and quiet that has come since Trump was ousted and made to stfu has been blissful. The sheer luncacy of Jan 6th was a stark reminder of how dangerous he is and how many deranged people there are out there.

The vaccine was developed, but I was really put off by the way it was and still is mandated. It just seems weird, like most things do these days.

Lockdown. Continued sadness from not seeing people FTF.

Of course the Covid has touched everyone in some way. Hopefully it will have run its course by this time next year. The other thing that has affected me is the destruction that Biden has caused America since he came in office. Everything he has said and done seems to be fueled by hatred of Donald Trump and the Republican Party, and the desire to be in complete control. I have to believe tha God has everything that is happening under control and that it is in some way fulfilling the Bible. I have to hold on to my faith in God and believe that he will continue to protect his children. Lord God have mercy on us all.

As a shift lead at Walgreens, I had the opportunity this year to get trained as a Certified Immunizer, under the emergency authorization for pharmacy technicians to administer COVID vaccines (where it used to be only pharmacists and doctors allowed). So far, I have given about 550 vaccines, including my sister's, my brother's, and (hopefully) my fiancée's booster shot once she's eligible. I'm proud to say I've gotten pretty good at it - a literal majority of people now tell me "This one didn't hurt as much as last time!" or "Wow I could barely feel it!" Several people have told me how I lessened their anxiety around getting a shot, due to my bedside manner and usually-painless immunization skills. I volunteered to get trained because I wanted to do my part to [1] help the severely-overworked pharmacy staff in my store, [2] to serve my community, and [3] to be a part of history as someone working to end this pandemic. It's a mitzvah I will be proud to tell my grandkids about, decades from now, when they learn about this pandemic in history class...

biden being elected. it's so important to vote

The rapid fall and poorly organized evacuation from Afghanistan. The 20 year war was a clear illustration that we cannot trust our government to do the right thing in foreign affairs and that we've thrown away the lives of 2500 US servicemen and 10K injured for almost nothing. We completely misunderstood the lack of commitment and capability of the Afghan army to defend their own country, from a poorly equipped but committed bunch of Islamist extremists. We gave them hope for a better life, they made risky commitments to help us, and the whole thing collapsed in a few days like a house of cards. We squandered the best chance to negotiate with the Taliban when they were weak, and tried to negotiate when they were strong and didn't need to make a deal. This affair has made me even more cynical toward the competence of our government and its authority to put our military into harms way. I was very disappointed with the way Biden and his advisors handled it, which showed a real lack of planning for the worst contingency, which created a chaotic situation that made us look weak and pathetic, and condemned to death many Afghan's who helped us and women to severe restrictions on their freedom and dress.

The storming of the Capitol was terrible. Painful. There were a number of emotions at the time and I feel like following. Such sadness at how polarized we have become. Scared that these are the types of people that are around us. Disappointed in many of our lawmakers. On the other hand, the Inauguration was the first time I felt hope in the longest time. I cried and cried when Joe Biden took the oath of office and throughout the concert afterward. Such relief that nothing went horribly wrong like January 6. I had more energy to be involved with the country and the political process.

Covid-19 is still the winner, well maybe. There was the discovery of unmarked graves of children who died while in residential schools across Canada. Notably Kelowna and Marieval in Saskatchewan. It brought to my awareness in a powerful way the devastation that Indigenous people have experienced in Canada. I did not learn about this when I went to school. In fact, the founder of my highschool was a strong supporter of residential schools because they help to remove the Indian out of the child. Enough of protest that my old highschool will have a name change. This specific event (of the "discovery" of graves that the Indigenous people having been telling us for years) broke my heart and I have found much greater compassion for Indigenous and the struggles they go through as a result of colonization and severe discrimination.

Covid is still impacting me. We thought it was safe and then a variant came around that is almost as bad as the original. More variants are coming around and people don't care. Then they die and right before they die they start to care. "If only I had done this..." You had the chance you didn't safe yourself. I want to get back to normal. But I don't remember what normal is.

The development of a vaccine for Covid-19. SO SO SO grateful for this.

Umm... covid? BLM? Biden's election? More conflict in Gaza? The whole freaking world on fire? Shit. What hasn't affected us? Is there a world event that hasn't impacted us? It would be great to have less impact for a sec.

Trying to think of something that’s not Covid-19 related to answer this is hard. Vaccines helped my job this summer. Delta has us all concerned for fall/winter job security. Climate change impacts us all every day. The US election felt lose-lose, and we just wound up with the less bad option in the moment and have to hope that next time isn’t all the worse for it.

As I said before, the election and the Capitol Insurrection and then the inauguration affected me deeply. Also, however, the response to Covid - the heroism of the vaccine developers and the frontline workers, and, on the other side, the cowardice of the contrarians, whose refusal to believe science or restrict even a tiny bit of their personal freedom put us all at risk. Overall I guess I feel more inspired about human nature. But I sure do feel disgusted with its lower aspects.

Covid Coragem, não fugir, enfrentar as dificuldades

The broad cycle of the 2020 election, from the actual voting to the attack on the Capitol, has shaken much of my faith in American democracy. Like a lot of Americans (I think), I held the view that American democracy was eternal and unshakeable, even if it might be imperfect and unequal. However, seeing how close we came to a coup in January and how many people believed in that coup made me wonder if this democracy will last through my lifetime. This event ties into many other elements of American society and news (polarization, social media, COVID conflicts), but it showed more concretely that this countries system of government may be on its last legs, and that scares me.

The insurrection in January. A new (sane) president being sworn in. The pandemic, still. Society has never felt more fragile and I'm not sure how to best live with recognizing that.

The January 6 insurgency was an event that showed how easily we could break into anarchy. It was scary. The fact that Congressional Republicans couldn't legislate against it exacerbated my fears of the crazy time in which we live and the crazy people running the country. I don't know the country in which I live. I might go about my life as usual, but if I stop to think about it...it's overwhelming and disorienting

Covid. It's been good and bad for me. I've really learned a lot about myself since the pandemic began but now that 2021 is almost over I'm very anxious for everything to be back to normal and I have a lot of FOMO that I'm missing out on my early/mid 20s.

January 6th. What a horrible, disgusting event. Before that, winning the November election by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. And then getting Warnock and Jon Ossoff elected, that felt pretty darn good. But to watch our democracy under attack, with so many people voting for the previous Oval Office occupant, makes me ill. And it makes me despair. And it makes me more motivated to stay involved in politics, to get more people to do their jobs as citizens and vote, and to pay attention.

Biden's election. Thank God, and I mean that very literally, without taking The Name in vain. Otherwise, I would have genuinely feared for the future of democracy, and the safety of my family.

Kamala Harris!!! i finally live in a country with an asian-american, black female vice president! i didn’t know just how much strength and courage it would give me. her step daughter is also a treat to watch in the world.

I am much more hopeful now that Joe Biden being elected, especially with his concern and action he wants to take regarding climate change.

The events in January, between the riot at the capital and then finally the swearing in of a new administration have made me think differently about my country, about being a Jew in this country and about civility and trust in public institutions and politicians!

This past year has been almost as insane as 2020. From staying up all night on election day waiting for results to come in and texting my boss frantically as each news release came out (thank G-d we pulled it off!) to the domestic terror attack on the Capitol building Jan. 6 while the electoral college votes were being certified, to the ridiculous misinformation campaign of anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers that have led to the current huge surge in cases across the entire country (thanks to the Delta COVID-19 variant), I am exhausted daily and I really don't know how I'm going to make it through another winter like last year. At least all of my friends and family members have been vaccinated, so I won't have to isolate from them for so long ever again! We also just remembered the 20th anniversary of 9/11 just after the U.S. finally pulled the last of the troops out of Afghanistan (that was a total disaster, and the Taliban took over immediately...), which brings up a lot of memories of that day. It's still crazy to me to think I can recall memories of things that happened two whole decades ago--wow, I'm getting old! OH and Trump was impeached--twice! Forgot that was also part of this year, it's been such a long one. What a ridiculous, deceitful, hateful crazy maniac. That's all the time I'm willing to give to him in this self-introspection portal. I hope he disappears into obscurity and is not allowed to run again in 2024!!

I would say the election of Joe Biden over Donald Trump has had a very large impact on the entire world. While I would have liked a more progressive challenger like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, it was a relief that Americans were able to (somewhat) come to their senses and not re-elect Trump. I feel there are several positive changes already implemented by the administration, but mostly it’s a relief that the news doesn’t constantly feel like the next outrageous Trump quote or action.

My world seems so small sometimes these days. I can't focus on the big picture. I'm focused on the things closest to home and getting through each day.

COVID-19 has continued to slow us down and reconsider everything, opening up space and time we've never had before.

There are so many…….the terror attacks on civilians are most horrifying. The troops actively engaged in military maneuvers, the civilian casualties in those areas, the damage to children and their futures, the resulting graft and corruption….. it makes your head spin. We must find a way to forgive the people instigating these attacks!

COVID - slowed me down - couldn't go anywhere or meet with others in person - so I had so much more time to myself and learned the value of that. (Will not go into politics)

I am so so ready for the pandemic to be over. Glad to not have a second term for Trump. The weeks leading up to the election I was making a lot of calls and then as soon as the sun would go down I would just get into bed and be on Twitter and the news. Eating pizza in bed beginning at 6:30pm or earlier. That was what it was.

COVID, staying inside, quarantining, the works

Joe Biden becoming President. I expected things to go back to being sensible, but they didn't. All that happened was that an incompetent President is now getting an easy ride from the media, and much of the Trump hype was the media throwing a tantrum that their preferred candidate was out of power. I'm not a Trump supporter, but it did show me just how much spin goes into reporting the news. I wish we could have a President who was not a mentally incompetent old white dude.

The different experiences of people across the world with COVID ... hearing about COVID orphans in India - kids who have lost both their parents ... of exhausted nurses and doctors having to make heart breaking decisions about who to help amidst overcrowded corridors, holding iPads as loved ones say goodbye ... it has devastated me. It has also helped me realise that while lockdown in Melbourne has been harsh, it has also incubated us from a whole different level of pain and heartbreak. That said, the word of the moment is 'shadow pandemic' - which speaks to the immense mental health impacts the response to the pandemic has taken here. Soaring demands for mental health services, increased suicide ideation and attempts, a spike in self harm and eating disorders, and the pervasive loneliness that is near impossible to even begin to quantify. So in short, I oscillate between thinking we're so lucky, but also so impacted in our own unique way with the longest, most intense lockdown of pretty much anywhere in the world. What is for sure is that these years of lockdown are going to have long-term impacts - economically and psychologically.

I’m going to avoid the obvious choice of the continuing pandemic. I don’t even want to delve into this subject: the insurrection at the US Capitol, January 6, 2021. I’m fatigued about the pandemic almost most as much as I am about thinking about trump and trump-supporters. The uneasy feelings linger. We all know -as the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 approaches how the world changes in a matter of minutes. Yes, it’s far longer than a ‘blink of an eye’ but, we’re not out from under the mindset that brought a trump presidency and and the attempted overthrow of our democracy on January 6. I’ve lived with anxiety far too long and for health and well-being I need to get beyond the anxiety.

Covid vaccines are available, but because they aren't mandatory and have been turned into an identity-politics trope by cynical power brokers trading on fear, far less of the population is vaccinated than they should be. A super-infectious Delta variant has been causing "breakthrough covid" in vaccinated people. I have been vaccinated with two kinds of covid vaccine and I still feel afraid to mix in larger groups than 1 or 2 people. I still have not had a symptomatic covid infection but I'm very afraid to meet people I don't already know.

Leaving Afghanistan. Long overdue. 20 yrs since 9/11. Brought me right back. That and Covid have reminded me life is short and it’s not guaranteed. Time to get on with the living.

Ronaldo returning to United!! So far so good...

Trump losing was like an elephant jumping off my chest. His refusal to admit his loss brought part of the elephant back on, but not watching the news, for the most part, was a wonderful new choice. The January 6 insurrection was horrfiying as I watched in real time. I was so proud of the African American Capital police officer, aptly named Goodman, who thought so quickly on his feet and led the protestors up a floor away from the chamber. How many lives he probably saved? Still a humble guy. So many corrupt Republicans keep spreading the lie that the election was stolen. Last night we learned that Elder conceded the election as Gavin Newsom garnered 2/3 of the vote, remaining a great governor of California. We're such a divided nation with anti-vaxers filling the hospitals again and protesting masks, even in schools. With the Delta 4 variant of COVID, more children are getting ill. What does it take for stubborn, un educated people to see the truth? We used to be the best country in the world. It's like an arrow in my heart. I'm just grateful that y husband and I are on the same page politically. He updates me daily. I'm lucky that my daughter is grown and married and that the pandemic hasn't affected us personally. We retired at just the right time even though we have very little money.

The kids at the border, still. Why haven't I figured out what to do to have an impact? Why? The Holocaust. I remember being a little kid thinking, how could those Germans not have done anything?

Covid, in the first few months, was like pushing against fabric, stretching it. As it went on and on, the changes are so fundamental, and we can't go back, reclaim 'again'

The crazy post-election stuff culminating in Jan. 6th. A really dark day for the USA. Glad I was a bit removed in Puerto Rico. The revisionism since then has been perhaps even more shocking. And then a sudden and somewhat botched withdrawal/evacuation from Afghanistan, the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and the opportunity to reflect on how that led us as a nation in the wrong direction...

The thing that comes immediately to mind is the Pacific Northwest "heat dome" event, where temperatures in Portland and Seattle hit record highs (117F) for several days in a row. People died. Trees died. Roads buckled. Powerlines broke. Mass transit couldn't operate for days. Welcome to global warming!

I find this one difficult to answer because I'm so shut off from the news. I'm aware that things have kicked off in Afghanistan but I've only seen a few headlines. I'm not that surprised that things collapsed. I guess Biden winning the US presidential election was quite a big thing. It's nice to know that Trump is no longer in power, that the news cycle will no longer be led by what some guy wrote on Twitter. Things seem to be mostly back to normal. But how would I know? I don't follow the news.

the continuing pandemic--every day in every possible way. the election. the insurrection. My capacity to respond has been stretched and broken and stretched some more. I struggle to feel and preach hope and possibility.

The virus continues. But I think the recent intifada, a few months back, had a huge impact. The resulting social media campaigning truly threw me. It was immensely lonely, as there were so few people- Jewish and non-Jewish- that truly understood my ideology of peace and coexistence. And even then, some of those cohorts have family that lives in occupied lands. I was heartbroken to see friends post their thoughts and comments without a care for the echoes and ripples they create. To have folks laud their ig quotes and Infogrames, wondering why Jewish people are getting scared and even a little angry--as extremists and hateful folks hijack demonstrations crying for the rape and murder of all Jewish women. And that so so few of my friends had a clue, care, or a notion. It was the loneliest I had felt as a Jewish person in a long time. When we make BLM movements, they are huge. (Rightfully so!) And SO many folks create conversations, I can find like-minded folks quickly. Defend those who need defending, support those who need supporting, and engaging with those who stand a chance of learning. This experience was so hurtful because it was silence, or dissent I was met with. Difficult to say which stings more. Some conversations went well, others are ongoing, and I blocked a few folks. Mostly militant-Zionist, Trump-supporting, TLVian Jewish men. Go figure. It's so difficult to fathom we share a heritage, and that shared heritage led them to a place that they believe they have a right to exist over another. That any group or place shouldn't have the right to exist. Whoever you are, whatever you support. That notion is always wrong. (except for Nazis...) Also worth noting, the majority of my friends who did reach out to check-in with my emotional state, ask questions, and/or learn resources were POC.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and now the Supreme Court is leaning very right. I feel that my family personally, as well as many others, will be affected in the negative sense, for many years to come.

2020 elections- relief that we have President Biden, but worry that the Congress remains unable to pass important policies and that 2022 elections will bring worse division in Congress. January 6 assault on democracy and insurrection was frightening not only because the US teetered on the brink of chaos and coup, but also because so many officials continue to lie about what happened. It is hard to understand the view of reality held by such a large percent of Americans. The roll out of vaccines should be celebration and relief, but instead it is another wedge. How can people believe god will protect them without a vaccine, even though they are willing to take other v's like polio and hepatitis/ they are willing to use seat belts? Delta led to a surge in deaths and severe illness needing the hospital among the unvaccinated, and children are getting sick because they are too young for shots, but still people refuse the shots. I cannot figure out a solution, and neither can President Biden. At least he is requiring federal workers and large employers to get shots or get tested.

I feel pretty separate from the world. There's covid of course, but I stay pretty isolated. US troops pulling out of Afganistan has been difficult to think about in a helpless way but it is not like I have anything to deal with like the refugees. The push against critical race theory in my new district made me consider running for school board but I ended up not going through with that. I dont know if I can go back to teaching, but I do still feel very strongly that school the way it is is bad and harmful for so many kids.

The anti vax movement, distrust of science and of medical professionals has been very frustrating. Dealing with another round of extreme violence in May was depressing and has shown me that I can stand up for what is right in my eyes.

The world has re-opened and I'm back at work. My hopes were grand. The world was so different that I thought it couldn't go back to the way it was. This was a good thing-I loved my new reality and planned for my future in that context. Life has proven to be unpredictable. Making plans is silly because your reality can change in an instant. Enjoying what life gives you is where it's at because you have no other choice.

Ah...... COVID, Presidential election, protests for Racial Justice, you name it we've had it! I've thought a lot about who I am and what I believe, what I stand for. How I want to show up in the world, and where I've not measured up. How I was subconsciously taught over the years of my life.

Still the pandemic. Still supply chain shortages - shipping times are long, lots of things are out of stock, I've had to adjust my expectations for shopping. You can get toilet paper now, but good luck buying an appliance or clothing in a timely way. But I'm aware it could still get worse. It's weird because I realized now how much I took 2-day shipping for granted. What a spoiled luxury that was.

covid. wake up call. it's all made up.

covid, having to work from home not being able to travel and basically shrink from global travel to a 20 mile radius. I appreciate local more but I am dying a little bit inside.

The world feels like a giant mess and I just can't figure out a way to productively engage with all the problems. I find myself retreating and I'm not proud of that. But I just don't know how I can have an impact...

Seems to me that the world is turning every day into a less welcoming place, less friendly and less safe. I am worried for the future and for the future of my child.

I’ve actually been in a bit of a bubble from the news. We overloaded a lot, watching covid briefings every day during lockdown. And now I’ve somewhat switched off. There was the collapse of the tunnels at the Israeli venue on lag b’omer. That was very sad and I know my brother and parents were very affected. But I feel like I was kind of detached from it. And a lot of other events feel sort of far away and I don’t remember them because my baby daughter took all my focus. I definitely became rather consumed by early motherhood.

Obviously the pandemic because of like lockdown are restrictions, and home learning. But, also, the thing in Afghanistan, how after 40 years America had helped them, and then they said they were good, but the corrupt government just let the bad hours take over, and now women can’t work, and they are being sent of to marry the bad soldiers. And, the Afghanis are too proud to just let America like, rule them, which would be for the better. This makes me realise how lucky I am, how corrupt people can be, and how peoples pride gets in the way of the thing that is actually good for them and/or others.

The 2020 election. It was humbling and energizing to see the people come out and support both candidates with the fervor they did and thank god the good guys won out but it also went to show the lengths to which a significant minority of our populace will go to keep power. the white power movement is no joke and their terror will continue until and unless we come down on them honkys hard. We have made much progress since then but it just goes to show how heavy the lift is to make progress

the vaccine being released! I got my vaccines in April while in Alabama, and after that I've felt much more comfortable and safe being in public, around other people, etc. Not only for my own health, but for the health of other people.

There have been several events that have had a great impact this year: Presidential Election, Insurrection Attack on January 6th instigated by former President Trump, Covid 19 Pandemic, Vaccinations Developed, Climate Change, lots of Hate Crimes, to name a few. Unfortunately, there has been too many needless deaths due to Covid, mass shootings, hate crimes, and racism. The theme that affects me the most is all of the lies that are being told regarding all of the above events plus more. I find it extremely exasperating that the lies are being told in the first place and many people believe them not questioning the validity of them. I had to stop watching the news, for I just yell at the TV and sometimes say unladylike explicative words. I do read the headlines and some articles to keep up on the news.

Biden was elected, replacing trump. I had no idea how much of the anxiety and heaviness I was carrying around came from shame of my country and fear of the actions of our leader until he was replaced. Of course I've also been deeply affected by the pandemic, but this apocolyptic reality has has come to feel like the new normal. That is, with constatntly changing parameters that I have to navigate and reavaluate on a daily basis, which can be exhausting. All in all, it's been crazy, but crazy is the new normal for now.

Covid 19 pandemic prevented me from attending Shalom's Bar Mitzvah in Israel in January 21, and from going to visit in August 21.

I feel deeply impacted by the election of President Joe Biden, specifically as a second term with Donald Trump was a real and terrifying possibility. I feel incredibly grateful specifically because I wanted to introduce my firstborn child to a world where the president is someone who can be admired and respected, as well as critiqued and questioned. I want my child to have a reasonable belief that American democracy is an institution worth respecting and protecting, and with this president at the home I feel that I can confidently share that message with my children.

Obviously COVID and also the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol

The multiple natural disasters most likely due to climate change have reminded me that over the next few decades our lives are going to change whether we want them to or not. I am thinking a lot about how to be prepared for living in a hotter wetter windier world with the potential for mass migrations from equatorial climates.

Biden's election was a HUGE relief, along with being able to get a vaccine. The Texas abortion law was infuriating. Pulling out of Afghanistan was extremely sobering. Struggling with the Supreme Court and the wide impact that seemingly small events have.

The Presidential election outcome made me very happy, but the Republican response sickens me to this day. The January 6 attack on Congress, fomented by Trump. The pandemic raged on. A vaccine was developed, which I received, yet almost half of the US population refused to get it and they are now crowding hospitals with COVID’s Delta mutation, dying, and denying hospital beds to people who really need them. I am appalled both by the ignorance and selfishness of people who refuse the vaccine. The US finally left Afghanistan after 20 fruitless years. Climate change has truly reached the tipping point. I think we are at the point of no return on that. These events have left me reeling. It’s just too much horror. It’s no wonder I feel paralyzed.

The whole covid fiasco and all of the government interference and intrusions into our personal lives. The massively illegal actions of the government and trying to change America into a communist or socialist country. All of this shows that we have to be massively ready to take care of ourselves and fight for our own rights at all costs. People need to start standing up for themselves and each other and not allowing the government to just rip away every right that we have. Also it's shown how totally blind and stupid people are and that they will not research things on their own and will follow so blindly the one party ideas and then take that on as their own and allow injustices to themselves and everyone around them without even checking into things at all. Blind acceptance is so complete and so ridiculous and it's so harmful and people just don't see it and won't wake up. America will fall and it will be the American's (living here in America) fault.

None, or indirectly.

Product and labor shortages. Post-covid 19 pandemic mania (although we are still fully ensconced in the covid pandemic) and where the world economy is in terms of the workforce and the impact on product availability is big in my world, and in the lives of others around me. Being in plastics, lacking the availability of resin, and suffering the labor shortages has ultimately led to the company I work for being acquired by another and the potential loss of my job. I know of people who work in the auto or machine industries also suffering from parts availability and labor shortages. Restaurants struggle to stay open due to staffing issues. Warehouses lack labor to load trucks, thus leaving truck drivers with no loads to deliver. It extends further into examples such as a shortage of rental cars or a months-long lead time to order new furniture. Will things settle down and someday return to "normal" or will labor issues continue to affect lives and ultimately change the way we do things?

Who is going to say anything over than the rona? All our lives were disrupted by this. The US election was also big, had us on pins and needles for several days. I hope that future elections will not be as close or as tense. And the Jan 6 insanity at the Capitol... I have GOT to GTFO of this country.

Commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. I watched several of the shows that commemorated that tragic event and found myself very moved all over again. I still have a few more of those shows that I recorded; I'll have to see if I have the wherewithal to watch them, too. The other thing that significantly changed so much for me is that my rabbi died and my synagogue merged with another, much larger synagogue. I miss my rabbi terribly. I don't like being a small part of a giant synagogue, so I haven't "warmed up" to the new one yet. Haven't decided whether or not I will do so ... or will simply join my wife's temple.

On January 6th, 2021, insurgents inspired by the angry rhetoric of then-President Donald J. Trump stormed the US Capitol building in Washington, DC, as votes were being counted to certify the results of the presidential election. I watched in real-time, through network TV footage, Twitter accounts of journalists in the building, and later through the myriad of social media pictures and videos that were posted from that fateful and shocking day. I will never forget the pit in my stomach, the anger at a government that seemed unprepared to protect itself and one of its most visible symbols, and the sadness that so many Americans could be persuaded to act in violence toward the institutions and elected officials dedicated to preserving their freedom. We are a nation of laws, or so we thought, until the populist, egotistical maniac elected to the highest nation of the land broke them all to serve his family's financial interest and his own political survival. 8 months later, many questions still remain about the source of unrest, the organizers behind the rally, and the financial support to bring together so many people from around the country (in the middle of a pandemic, no less!) to pursue a questionable, illegal, and deadly attack on the US Congress. It brought to light some of my worst fears since 2016 about the racial prejudice and social inequality that strains the fabric of our country. And in the aftermath, despite the hope-filled and inspiring inauguration of Joe Biden just two weeks later, the core root of these issues remain unsettled. There is homelessness and poverty in every state, reform needed in education, a crumbling infrastructure, and a billionaire class that continues to accumulate wealth on the backs of lower and middle-class families who are struggling to get by. I hope we can look back on January 6th as a pivotal turning point, when the overwhelming majority of people agreed that no matter our political differences, this experiment in democracy is fragile, and worth protecting. I hope. E pluribus unum.

COVID impacts life daily. I got vaccinated, but it isn't approved for kids yet. We are still living in relative fear - though things do seem to be improving. The storming of the capital by a bunch of Trump folks was wild. Insane. Disappointing. Infuriating. Terrifying. What is democracy? Do we have one? It doesn't feel like it.

January 6th. We were riveted to the TV. So crazy. So offensive. I'm so so glad it all ended on January 20th. I wish the rest of the country agreed with me. I fear for the future of the US.

The events of January 6, 2021 in Washington,DC. The insurrection and storming of the Capitol Building. It was deeply disturbing to me. The only thing that would have been worse is if it had succeeded. The one image that ripped my heart out was seeing a man walking through the Capitol with a Confederate battle flag. Later, I listened to the testimony of the officers who were serving that day and felt sick. It feels as if we as a nation will never recover.

I was deeply saddened by the events in Afghanistan. I firmly believe that war is not a way forward but the idea of hundreds of thousands dead and trillions of dollars spend for nothing... so depressing. What we could have done with that money.

Forced vaccinations and the polarisation going on in the world. Black lives matter. Return of the Taliban. I feel so saddened for people that are in situations that they don't want to be, that they don't have the freedom to choose over. I also feel lucky, unfairly lucky, that I happened to be born in my situation. It makes me angry that people are judging others harshly; the world is not black and white.

The election of Biden was a huge moment! It's incredible to not be constantly embarrassed and ashamed by my country's leadership.

The COVID-19 vaccine becoming available! Not sure if that's a specific event, but the day I became fully vaccinated was a huge weight off my shoulders and made me and my family more safe. It's led to many uncomfortable conversations with family members that disagreed on getting it, but it's been incredibly positive overall.

Still covid- keep having to check new regulations for travel, meeting people etc. Tired of it now. Also shocked by the way an entire gender can be put into subjugation. Women under the Taliban have no freedom. I am astounded. How can it be in these times?

I don't really know. Everything is still in limbo because of Covid, and I don't feel like anything has had a real impact on me. The Olympics happened and that was great to watch. Biden was inaugurated, and the administration been a shitshow. But my life has mostly gone on as before, with the minor changes that come with various years.

Biden's election. It's like a HUGE weight came off of my chest.

I can't really talk about anything other than the pandemic here. The fear, stress, and horror of it all I don't think I am processing while in it. The pandemic just adds a thick extra layer to everything making it scarier, more challenging, and complicated.

I think I said something similar a few years back but I can't help but feel a bit isolated from world events atm. It's not that I don't care - People are in such shitty situations and need help. The world is burning and needs help. And I want to help! I (feel like I) used to be so active in caring about things, wanting to volunteer, learn Arabic helps Syrians etc. And that just seems to have stopped. It's a wonderful thing to have the privilege I have to be mostly unaffected by the world but its not a thing that's sustainable, healthy or productive. Remember, even small things are things.

Being vaccinated was momentous. I could feel a change in my life almost immediately. It meant that I had freedom and opportunity again; it was an invitation to grow. How often do you get to experience an actual miracle?

The Covid Delta Strain, and that we live in a world where these numbers can keep getting worse and people will be like "lets make that money " in stead of trying to Save lives. It makes me want to give UP. l keep working only because my clients continue to show up.

Nov 20 and Jan 6. Trump losing the election and the storming of the Capital. I was both relieved in our democracy and then thoroughly terrified for it all over again

The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine impacted me in a completely unexpected way this year. Prior to 2021, the prospect of the vaccine's arrival sounded like a gift that couldn't come soon enough - anything to end the isolation of quarantine. But by the time it started to roll out in February, I found myself in the middle of my herbalist training, deeply committed to the wisdom of ancient herbal ways of healing, harboring more scrutiny than ever of conventional pharmaceutical medicine. In that context, I was more cautious about blindly taking one of the vaccines (especially with the widespread concerns about their safety that were circulating in December & January) and more open to hearing arguments against them (lack of extensive testing, overscheduling of vaccines for infants leading to weak immune systems, etc.). At the same time, I recognized the obvious benefits that the vaccines would bring, particularly in regards to public health and preventing deaths, and found myself completely torn. As a leftist, I felt this deep conflict and frustration that my newfound hesitation was being lumped in with that of the alt-righters and conspiracy theorists who believed the gov't was trying to implant citizens with microchips. I bristled at the idea that my progressivism was being called into question on an issue which has far more nuance and complexity than most are willing to tolerate. To be fair, no one ever called me out, but that's because I kept my concerns private, fearful of the judgement and ostracization I would face. The more the weeks passed and the more the public conversation shifted from people saying they weren't sure they would get the vaccines to demonizing people who wouldn't, the more this small flicker of anxiety grew to a huge pit, causing me overwhelming angst. I'm grateful that my therapist at the time was able to hold space for my feelings and made me feel human in the consideration of my position. As my own vaccine eligibility approached, I knew I had to make a decision quickly. And so I researched voraciously, learning as much as I could about the different vaccines and how they worked. I wanted to get at the fine details that the news outlets always glossed over: What adjuvants are added to each vaccine and what potential risks do they carry? Which cells did the vaccine target? What happened once the mRNA strand (or viral vector in the case of J&J) entered the cell body? How were the instructions to produce spike proteins carried out, and how would they be stopped so as not to produce the proteins indefinitely? I know that had the first available vaccines been of the traditional variety (attenuated viruses), I would have had a far easier time in accepting them. But it was in particular this new class of genetic vaccines, never before used on the public outside of clinical trials, that created so much uncertainty for me, and in answering these questions I brought myself a lot of relief. Once I had gained a level of understanding I was comfortable with, I then laid out a list of pros and cons. Even with all the assurance of their safety and efficacy, the fact remained that no one could predict longterm side effects, and this still troubled me. But when I looked at the long list of cons for remaining unvaccinated, my choice became clear. I decided that facing the abstract risk of some longterm effect was worth it to prevent the known risks of longhaul Covid, keep others safe, bring my family a sense of relief, and allow me to socialize safely with friends. I eventually chose a vaccine that I felt most secure with (J&J), and got my shot. What's been the lesson of this? Well, this process taught me quite a lot about myself. One, that I am quite an outlier when it comes to accepting popular wisdom. My journey in life has led me to a particularly niche set of practices and understandings about the world, and it seems that a rejection of modern-day conventions, particularly around issues of health and food, has become a core part of my personality. Two, I have a powerful and dangerous tendency to people-please at the expense of my own mental health; the anxiety around being outcast proved to be an overwhelming factor in my decision to get vaccinated, which frankly concerns me. I am happy with my decision, but I certainly wish that factor did not play as large of a role in making it as it did. Third, while I have a tendency to challenge social conventions in my thoughts and in my politics, I am far less inclined to do so in my speech. Since deciding to get vaccinated, I have begun to notice around me folks who stood their ground in their decision not to and were outspoken with their concerns. I am honestly a bit in awe of that quality, but also terrified by it. How could someone be comfortable alienating themselves so much with such a controversial opinion? I think I envy that brazenness because it feels so unattainable for me. I am someone who is comfortable pushing boundaries and ruffling feathers, but only up until the point that it sparks conversations and changes perspectives, not jeopardizes friendships and makes enemies. Ultimately this is the personality I was given, and I do think it has its advantages - I find myself the one to mediate spaces of intellectual exchange, bridging wide gaps and steering folks a little closer to justice, inclusivity, and empathy. One last lesson here, and this one I address to readers who have stumbled upon my answer, as I intend to make this public to illuminate a perspective they may not have encountered before. And that lesson is that my trial in considering whether or not to get vaccinated shed a lot of light on the political divisions in the US and the compassion we don't afford to people we've never met. We have a natural tendency to view issues as extremely black and white (particularly this one), and our divisiveness has given us less and less patience and empathy for those we disagree with. To be absolutely clear: I don't think all beliefs are good and valid, I do believe many beliefs cause real harm to people, and I think it's important to center the voices of marginalized people and elevate certain ideas over others. However, there's so much complexity to belief systems. In many cases they may be a simple mirroring of what we've been taught, a lack of political scrutiny, but more often than not we have arrived at our own conclusions, however shitty people may find them, through a gradual accumulation of education and life experiences. And so people may land on the same stance on an issue for a wild variety of reasons, and we have to be mindful of that. Outright dismissing folks for their stances, rather than critiquing the stance itself, is incredibly unproductive, and widens the political divide. It must be recognized that demonization of people is not effective in bringing about change, and only through empathetic conversations can we understand why someone has arrived at their position and nudge them in a better direction, whatever that may be. If currently or at any point in the past year you have found yourself calling unvaccinated people idiotic, dumb, or selfish, I want to challenge you to have an ounce more compassion for them. If you come across an unvaccinated person and the conversation comes up, go ahead and vehemently disagree with them, but perhaps ask how they arrived at their decision. Hold space for their humanity in spite of the problem you might find in their beliefs. This is true of any issue - hate will never get us to where we need to be. <3

COVID. Duuuuhhhhh. Lockdowns, loss of job by the end of this month, confronting the question of what I really want to do, the uncertainty, the depression, the anxiety, the guilt for struggling and moving more slowly than I wanted this year. At this vantage point it all looks quite challenging. I have a hunch that look back another year from when I read these, I'll see what was so constructive about it :)

The COVID situation. It has kept me at home, deprived me of travel and adventure, made me fearful of indoor spaces, caused me to miss social events and family get togethers, and made me consider the risk of everyday activitiews.

The pandemic shaped and slowed my fieldwork, it has added this level of trauma to everyday life and every social interaction, it has heightened my experience of chronic pain, it has stolen so much time and so many memories from all of us. It has also confronted us with the realities of the unsustainability of capitalism... and has reminded all of us how important it is to make intentional time and space for human connection.

COVID. It has led me to "settle" in my relationship more than I would have if life was normal. I'm not going out, socializing and meeting new people. I often find myself thinking "My relationship is good enough, and if we end things, it's not like I'll be able to date during a pandemic." I wonder if things were normal if we'd still be together...

The election, RBG's passing and the capital riots are all major events that took place this year. Many of these political events were demoralizing and sad reminders of how much society tries to marginalize women and minorities. The election gave me hope and a sense that morals and character matter. It also made me feel like I could have a positive impact on the world. They served as a reminder that I need to keep fighting for my rights as well as the rights of others who cannot stand up for themselves. Even though I have been fortunate enough to not directly feel the impact of many of these events, they serve as a constant reminder to cherish the liberties I have been afforded and fight fiercely for equality.

The problem with the past year is that so many world events have impacted me, mostly in a negative way. We're living in a drought, a pandemic, a threat to our nation's democracy and international reputation, and disasters in a country I love -- Haiti. Because of excellent communications, I am aware of international events, fearful for our future, sad about the world our grandchildren are inheriting. I'm frustrated with the little I can do to make a difference. I spent most of my life as an activist in this country and in Latin America. I don't feel I have much to show for it.

No one world event has impacted me, just the continued existence of COVID whiplash. I have found it an exhausting life of continued assessment of risk comfort; trusted data; and personal expectatons. Eighteen months ago, I felt my cooperation and compliance was centered around eradicating the virus; now it is more, the virus may not go away, so how do I stay safe?

Right now I can only think of what's going on in Israel. It made me reconsider going there for the autumn (finally it had to be postponed, but for other reasons!) Whatever happens there affects all of us in the galut. And well, sometimes I am more prepared/willing to talk about it. Some other times I just can't deal with it. And the problem is the people that think that I HAVE TO deal with it. But I don't. We don't.

Covid-19 vaccine which I took in January made all the difference for me and my family. Hamad took it even before me, so we both became relieved and able to restore our lives.

Second wave of covid hit India, then the fear and panic around the delta variant. It really brought out the fear of dying that I had unknowingly held on to since March 2020. And then I became okay with it. If I die now, I die, right? Otherwise, I would have dies anyway at some point in the future. Everyone's story ends the same.

Biden became president. This restored my hope for the American system because Trp almost pulled off a coup.

I think I’m still quite protective and tender to major social inequities (systemic racism) and public health challenges (gun violence, reproductive choices restricted) exposed by the pandemic…I feel in survival mode trying to do what i can for my family. We try to help others but I used to put myself out in such a vulnerable way…at this point, I want to help others but I can’t risk my family…this leads us to stay at home, trying to make the best of things and really socialize minimally. I absolutely know that we are privileged and lucky to do that…in fact…I worry that things may have to change drastically as my husband is on leave for medical reasons from a new job…no protections by law and just hoping things will be ok when he returns but knowing I may need to figure out how/what kind of job to get in the next month or two if his medical status doesn’t improve to the level previously. Lots of things up in the air…my point is that we are still in throws of a pandemic yet we feel super vulnerable and forgotten because we have to “fend for ourselves”…still

Biden being elected president. And the relief-utter physical relief, of knowing that Trump had to leave. The fear when RBG died, during Rosh Hashannah. The fear on January 6th of people taking over the capital, and wondering is this the beginning of a true coup. And getting used to the constant fear of pandemics, death, hate, etc. That this is just another day at the office

The war in Gaza in May. It was the first time since we moved to the US that there was a really serious conflict back home. And it was horrible. We were worried about friends and family, and we suddenly saw so much hatred towards Israel in our community here. Anti Semitic acts, people from our own Jewish community vilifying Israel and Israelis. We felt so sad and so alone. We met someone who, not knowing we were Israeli, spouted horrific hate speech to us, saying that the Israelis invented the idea of the Holocaust to gain sympathy, and that innocent Israelis deserved to die to pay for the sins of their government. It was terrifying and horrible.

Thank you, thank you to the vaccine scientists and everyone who made it possible.

The coronavirus/ COVID-19 pandemic. I'll start with how it has actually NOT impacted as much as most people, but it still did impact us. How it impacted us less: The initial spike of cases and deaths coincided with baby's birth. I'd already planned to be in my little family cocoon and insulated from many social interactions: staying home from work to be with the kids, not really committing to anything social while having a toddler and baby, etc. This meant that we did not need to make drastic lifestyle changes to keep safe from exposure to the virus. And it also meant that we did not have a sudden increase in domestic stress, trying to watch children or oversee their zoom K-12 classes while working from home. Not being at work anymore seemed like an even bigger change to me than experiencing a pandemic, and that was unrelated to COVID. Still, we did make some changes, like only going to the grocery store once a week with a mask on and wiping down all of the packages and food immediately upon returning home (for about a year!); not having anyone in our home except for local family; close family not meeting baby until he was 6 months to a year; joining a "pod" with another family and their 3-year old daughter - the term "pod" wasn't common until this pandemic; not hiring any babysitters to help engage our toddler while baby was young to take some of the stress off of me (particularly because we wanted to be able to continue seeing husband's elderly grandparents every week without putting them in danger). Most importantly, no one in our family contracted COVID (that we know of), and we made it through until full vaccinations for adults came out. I do know people who got it, and a great aunt died of complications with it, but I was not directly hit with the loss of someone close to the pandemic yet. Two nice things about the pandemic that have stood out to me are that I got to know a lot of our new neighbors and that I didn't feel any FOMO. On my first maternity leave, I would walk around the neighborhood with the stroller and rarely encounter anyone, and if I did, they weren't chatty. During the pandemic's early days, maternity leave was totally different. Everyone was working from home as a new thing right around then and taking walks at odd hours all day, so I got to see and meet so many neighbors and their children out on walks. In terms of FOMO, I just didn't feel worried about "should I be doing X, Y, and Z for the kids? are they missing out on something?" because the answer was "no. Nothing is happening to miss out on!"

Oh man, the hits just keep on comin'! I'd say the 3 biggies are: 1) Biden got elected in November 2020, 2) there was an attempted coup on Jan 6, 2021, and 3) people are purposely not getting vaccinated which is allowing the COVID-19 virus to mutate, and dragging out the pandemic, and causing thousands of unnecessary deaths. It is frustrating TO NO END.

Pandemic, Part Deux. Working from home has changed both my habits and approach to work. When I look back at this next year, will I look back on this period as rejuvenating or exhausting? How will I adapt to more time in the office and field. Will we ever get back to a normal?

The election of Biden and the rollout of vaccines gave us so much hope. Then the delta variant and anti- vaxxers have made hope seem far away again.

The national reckoning with racial injustice had barely begun at this time last year - and I’m dedicating myself to being a part of it, both in myself and in my communities. I’ve gotten in fights and I’ve been pushed, but I know I’m doing what’s right. And the amazing accidental result is that I’ve started something no one else has done in my little corner of my industry. I’m making something brand new, and I’m proud that I’ve had the strength to keep coming back to it, even amidst all the turmoil in my personal life.

Vaccinations! Even though the Delta variant is so frustrating and sending us backward a bit, vaccinations have allowed me to see friends, go to shul, host shabbat dinners, travel, go out dancing, and other things that weren't safe for what felt like so long.

Well...COVID, obviously. but other than that, I would say: Biden was elected president, but more importantly, Trump was not. Biden is not perfect and I don't agree with him on many things, and I know people expect him to be either perfect or fall on his face. But I hope this will put us back on the road to civility. The January 6 riots were awful and shocking, and I cannot understand certain politicians' desire to diminish or even ignore the action.

Everything. This year has been a damn mess. Between everything happening in Afghanistan and the ever increasing Covid cases, the world is even worse than last year.

The virus, always the virus. It’s the elephant in every room, in every social interaction, or conversation. I’m so grateful/thankful that Biden won the election. I cannot imagine how awful things would be now if he had lost. Opening back up of some things. Feeling brave enough or maybe just bored and tired enough to see friends again and venture out in the world. Out of our little cocoon that is our house. Finally taking our first family camping trips. That was so wonderful. Just being together, exploring new places. I missed those normal experiences so much. It feels so good to be out among people again, just being.

Probably like everyone else the attempted insurrection on January 6th in Washington DC. But I will also say that I was overjoyed when Netanyahu was defeated in the Israeli elections.

The insurrection. I feel so helpless. It feels as though no one will be held accountable. My country feels less secure, less deserving of good leaders. So much corruption has deteriorated how people are treated. It feels as though only wealthy people deserve good treatment. What does that mean for the rest of us?

The conflicts in Israel/Gaza. It made me question a lot of my beliefs about Israel, the Jewish people, our history, etc…. I wanted to believe we were always right, no matter what we did, but that’s just not true. Trying to reconcile my love for Israel and the reality and be open to all viewpoints.

What else is there besides Covid? I haven't seen my parents or brother and sister in law for 2 years now. This is the longest I've gone without seeing them! Fortunately we have had virtual opportunities to stay in touch.

It is not one event that has impacted me, but the onslaught of so many that leaves me with scant hope for the future—at least the immediate future. The inexcusable nasty, lie-file election and its aftermath, the January 6 resurrection, the politicization of the pandemic—the politicization of everything—the voting laws passed by desperate white men grasp their power, the abortion laws that strip away women’s rights, the ignoble withdrawal from Afghanistan that plunges so many into terror, the general upheaval and unrest throughout the world as people cling to their way of life, way of belief in face of others fighting for better lives. And then there are the fires, and floods, and winds and snow and ice which always affect those with little the most. Someone on Facebook said he wondered we will hold accountable those who spread lies about the pandemic and try to enforce masks as a personal choice. I realized then that I had lost hope—my ingrained optimism. I may very well scream if I see another sign “My body, my choice” referring to vaccines.

Obviously, COVID has impacted most aspects of our lives. In my case, I'm retired so I have not had to cope with working from home or going back to work with a mask on. However, the isolation from and worry for my loved ones and friends produced a lot of anxiety. And, I envisioned that everyone would vaccinate as soon as possible to help the health of everyone, but sadly it hasn't turned out that way. Will we be talking about the danger of COVID at New Year in 2022---I hope not. On the bright side, I have found some great Torah study groups on Zoom, and for that I am very grateful.

Jan. 6. . . horrifying to see mobs of our own citizens attacking our government. It has left me with feelings of such deep sadness at the unravelling of our democracy.

An event that has impacted me is leaving Afghanistan. While I do not have personal connection, it really marked my coming of age. I was a teenager when we entered Afghanistan and now 20 years later I'm a mother of 2. It seems like so much has changed, and yet so much has not. We are still not looking out for the humanity for all.

Introduction of the Covid Vaccine changed our lives. Emboldened us. Freed us. Allowed us to get up and out a bit. Seeing how many people so poorly respond to it frightens us. Allows this to continue to spread and mutate. Retracts us.

Other than COVID and the fact that we keep getting variants because people don't feel like wearing masks or getting shots, I would have to say the withdrawal from Afghanistan. It is tragic, it is sloppy, it didn't have to be this way. At least we have a president who is willing to take in refugees but his unwillingness to admit his mistakes isn't exactly reassuring.

Joe Biden won the presidential election, defeating tRump, who proceeded to convince his imbecilic worshippers that the election was "rigged". He whipped them into a frenzy on 1/6/2021, leading to the insurrection, where they stormed the Capitol building, resulting in several deaths. It scares me to think of him running again. G-d help us.

Not only COVID, but the Delta variant resurgence of COVID. I am worn out by it all. I thought it would be better once we had the vaccine but with social media's misinformation campaigns, we cannot beat this virus.

The election in November; I was enraged at the support for the former President and the continuing support he has. Disagreeing with friends and family got charged and I found I had to edit or consciously hit the neutral button in many unknown social encounters.

The 20th anniversary of 9-11. I have such vivid memories of that day and of the pain, shock, sadness and grief that I felt for many years. This year, I actually felt a bit numb to it all, which was startling to me. I don't know if it's because my emotional tank is reserved, if my anti-anxiety meds are just overly muting my emotions or if I'm just too exhausted to really process it, but it does make me think about all of those things.

The inauguration of a president who has a brain in his head. And a vice president who is a woman (about damn time). After that, I felt like I could breathe again. Even after Jan 6, which felt like the fall of the republic, I felt like I could breathe once Joe and Kamala were officially in power.

COVID is the only obvious answer to this one. It has affected my schooling, social life, relationships, and more.

Obviously, the pandemic. It’s ramped up my anxiety and stressed me out to no end. I tend to be a worrier, and this certainly played into that! I spent too much time watching and reading the news, so of course I couldn’t sleep. Also, see last year’s answer. Still the same.

In May there was satellite trash that was falling/crashing into the earth. I was following the live tracking of it online, on a website. I could see all the comments of where people were hoping it would fall (Israel ofc). But what felt impactful about this for me is that humans are actually quite helpless against meteors and debris crashing into us. Or at least it feels that way. We are vulnerable and on our own.

I'm still in purgatory, but it's now because of my fellow idiotic humans, the anti-vaxxers, who are ruining it for the rest of us. The previous president not winning election was huge, very important to my mental health, but Sinema and Manchin are ruining THAT for the rest of us Dems. I just don't understand how people can see what happened on Jan. 6 and think that's OK, that we still live in a democracy. I don't comprehend how the electoral college continues to fuck us over, even when we win we're just hanging by a thread. I'm so angry and so disappointed and so sad.

The Pandemic happened, is still happening, vaccines happened, we were free and then now we're back in masks happened. Haiti was impacted with an assassination of the president and hurricane, floods in NY, PA, Trump left office and Biden became president. We also left Iraq. Masks back on feels terrible. Vaccination in my blood feels terrible. I am ALWAYS tired since I received it more than I've ever been in my life. The world opened back up though too so at least I am not getting told off for minor things like going to a store or feeling guilty for going to a restaurant or a cafe.

COVID19. Idiots not getting science or how masking & vax'ing protects them, people they care about and the community provided more risk to my social and travel activities. I was unable to attend large concerts, theater, fly or plan any big trips. I had planned to rent a place in February in Florida or somewhere warm and that's entirely off the table now. I'm Angry. Selfish ,ignorant ,close minded people are wasting our community resources, putting health workers at risk and using up hospital beds and resources that deserving people now can't access! Their selfishness is limiting my freedoms and my lifestyle and endangering thousands.

Golly, how much time do you have? Off the top of my head-- the election, the insurrection, the ice storm, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the one year anniversary of COVID, the ongoing fight for climate justice, racial justice, and justice everywhere, the removal of US Troops from Afghanistan, and so on and so on. I don't think each of these has impacted me internally one by one (even though some have hit harder than others), I think I am simply just so fatigued by the constant bombardment of pain, suffering, oppression, injustice, and overall disjunction of our world. And that creates apathy in me and a desire to just tune it all out-- which I then feel shame and guilt for-- which causes me to either do something out of guilt, rather than seeking real change OR I simply dive deeper into the feelings of guilt and apathy. I'd like to work harder on this in the year 5782.

Omg the election was a clusterfuck in absolutely every way. But January 6th had the biggest affect on me. I watched, in horror, my country nearly turn to anarchy. While I initially was simply in shock, that later turned to anger and fear and sadness for our nation. I am so sad for this country. I'm sad that Trump fueled hate between us all. I'm sad that I have given into that hate. I wish Trump was never our president. I can't even imagine what our world and country would look like. I lived through history, a day I'll tell my nieces about. And while I couldn't quite believe my eyes, I think it is so so important that I saw. I saw just how bad it can get and how fragile democracy and civility are.

The leaving of Afghanistan. The attack in New York in 2001 killed just short of 4000 innocent people. And yet what followed lead to the deaths of an appalling number of innocent people in other countries. Big nations create nightmares for small nations out of arrogance and ignorance. It's the way of the world. Will it ever end?

Covid continues to impact my life. There are still masking orders, again, encouragement and financial incentives to get the 'jab.' I think it would be better get Covid and let my body's immune system develop a way to eradicate it. Apparently getting the 'jab' gives our immune system some help. It's just not enough. I did get the 'jab' because the prophet, President Russel M. Nelson got it and encouraged us to get it. I figure that if it wasn't beneficial that the Lord would have told his voice on earth.

The election. The GA runoff. And now the CA recall. I have volunteered as a texter and phonebanker for all these campaigns. So grateful to elect Biden, great overwhelming relief. Still in shock that trump was our president for 4 horrible years. Having a Dem senate (split) is also rough. The pandemic still persisting, and the delta variant, is still affecting me.

The presidential election. It's been remarkable to see a real leader in action. And while I supported Biden even early on, I too had no idea he was truly this fabulous. I mean he is wise, and visionary and progressive and kind. He truly seems to be a man who has found his time. Among his many actions that speak to his leadership is his response to the issues on which I work -- particularly hunger and its impact on Americans. More personally? I am so relieved that an adult is in charge -- one who takes responsibility and who listens to others. Amazing.

TEXAS - need I say more - this law that has gone into effect and basically put a bounty on women's wombs really hit me in a way that made me angry, sad and scared for women in the world. I am utterly at a loss as to how a law like this could be passed in the year 2021 - but I guess crazier things have happened. I do know that I will continue to fight, write letters, postcards and checks, I will help any woman that needs to be supported and cross into my state for the medical care they need and deserve access to - I have not felt this passionate about a the right to chose in a spell, I never lost sight of it but now know that it is up to us to make sure that women have the choice to do what they desire or need at any given moment in time - as I continue to age I want to be sure that I have a say in how I die - as I am well past the age that I can get pregnant or carry to term (silver lining) but how can we as a civil society continue to erode the rights most of us have been given just by being born in the USA... we can't let this happen to the young women of Texas or anywhere else for that matter!

Between events in Afghanistan, Palestine, Colombia and other countries, I feel like the world didn't change much even with a pandemic. War has not stopped, state repression towards social movements is stronger, and there's a lot of judgement from everyone, us as outsiders not living in these territories or sharing this common history. It has just made me think about how can we contribute to change at a wider scale, to real justice, to dignity for all.

I am grateful for the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine, and to have received it in March 2021. It has given me such peace of mind that I will most likely be spared from death if I contract COVID, and that I will be there to see my children grow up. I hope people stop being so stupid and selfish and get the vaccine. It works and it saves lives.

The insurrection/attempted coup scared me, not only that it happened at all but that there were people there wearing 6M wasn't enough t-shirts. And all of the Neo-naziism since. What the hell? I know people who don't think those people should have been censored.

There has been a lot of bad news this year. Hurricanes, Taliban retaking Afghanistan, wildfires, heat domes, abortion bans, etc. At a certain point I started to feel almost numb to it all, like I have to not take it in in order to keep it together. There's been good too - at least we have a democratic president now? I think the short answer to the impact on me is a retreat into myself and my family.

So so many. Many deaths of brilliant artists and people. How fast life comes at you. How quickly it can all change. I think this year is the year I’ve heard more trans voices, in media, literature, film etc. This has helped me realise who I am, as a non binary person. Helped me discover myself more. Gave me courage to be me.

Inequitable vaccine distribution puts us at risk. The anti-vaxers put us at risk. The curbs on Voter access by states are appalling. I fear that the political divisiveness in this country will not be addressed or mitigated. I fear that the self-interested politicians will continue to promulgate policies that harm ordinary Americans.

Covid is the obvious answer. I know it's been more than a year, but now we are having the issues with variants. Just being closed has affected everyone in really negative ways. I think we will see how much worse the closures have been relative to the virus itself. Biden becoming president has been bad. He's a bumbling idiot. I don't think it's been as divisive as Trump being president since there isn't the support for Biden as a person from the left in the same way there was for Trump on the right.

The COVID pandemic continues to have an impact on me. I'm surprised by the number of people I know that have not gotten vaccinated, and don't want to get vaccinated. I'm saddened by the selfishness around hoarding vaccines from Africa and Asia. It makes it all hard to read the news. It never seems like there is any good news.

Covid. It isn’t much different from last year and things have opened a bit. I’m still working in my bedroom, ie, not in the office. I don’t go out much but it is increasing. Movies are so exciting now! And eating out, seeing musicians perform, going to the gym.

That would be the event of Vaccine(s).... AND i will stop right there... (:

Ummm.... Covid. Largely in a negative way. So hard on my relationships with worth, with two different people I dated, and with a close friend. Some learning there, though, about the value of relationships to create a foundation and balm for work life. Oh! And the election. The most important so far of my nearly 40-year-old lifetime, I believe, and perhaps I hope it is the most important that I'll ever witness, though I'm no tholding my breath on that one. After November 3rd, 2020, I was relieved without feeling redeemed.

Afghanistan. I'm both relieved and devastated. The short time I was there allowed some understanding of the fragility of the Afghan success. I met so many good Afghan pilots and wives. I hope they are safe.

Abbot made abortions after 6 weeks illegal. A lot of people are fighting it. But it's terrifying. Like last year when RBG passed away I am so grateful for my IUD. But I am terrified for young people who may find themselves in situations like I had found myself in. Multiple times. Does it impact me directly? I'm a 40 year old woman with an IUD. Maybe not really. I just recall the versions of myself in my 20s, facing having to make a choice. And trying to imagine not having a choice at all. My heart aches.

Covid 19 last year until today. It’s a ball ache & can do one! Xx

Israel/Palestine conflict has made me feel unsafe in my community. Israel's actions have been immoral. But people acting immorally does not mean people deserve to be wiped off the earth. The antisemitism as a response has been disturbing and I feel so unsafe.

The discovery of native children's graves at schools. I am shocked at how shocked people are. It seemed to me that it should not have been a surprise. Heartbreaking then and now.

Everything. Covid. Jan 16th storming of the Capitol. Pulling out of Afghanistan. Our world seems to be broken. It’s made my anxiety rise.

Ha an event that happened? Where to start... Well, we're STILL fighting a pandemic, though vaccines were developed and things started to open up again. I do feel a little safer being vaccinated, but there are still idiots who refuse it, putting themselves and others are greater risk. Then there was the election, where we got the terrifying dictator out and Biden in, and while he is not ideal, he is also not Trump. Then, there was the storming of the capitol, another war in Israel/Palestine, leading to an uptick in antisemitism in this country, and I'm sure plenty of things I'm forgetting. This has been one hell of a year and I have been affected by each and every one of these things in different ways. And I'm a little scared to see what comes next.

The election of President Biden with both the popular vote and the electoral college has restored some semblance of hope to me. I still don't feel nearly as optimistic or resilient as I used to be. My devotion to building a better world, one person at a time, has become stronger, though.

The prevailing high level of emotional extremism seems to be unprecedented along with the high level of MISinformation that travels fast and wide and, due to repetition becomes embedded as "truth". It has left me with a lingering state of sadness, melancholy and weariness.

I'm an Army veteran who deployed to Afghanistan and seeing the U.S. withdrawal left me feeling emotional in a way that I did not expect. I felt angry at everything that had been squandered (lives, resources, opportunities) but also what always felt like the foolishness of the military and civilian leadership. But at the same time, I didn't want to think about it. I carefully and deliberately avoided the news. I couldn't figure out how to balance my anger, my need to not process it all, my frustration with the political process, and a sense of both despair and relief. I've thought a lot about something that happened early in my deployment. (This was in 2012.) I was sitting in the operations center and one of our political-military advisors was leaving the country and giving a farewell speech. He talked about the country like its renaissance was just around the corner and that the American mission could be nothing but a great success. I was a junior officer who'd been in the country for maybe two weeks, and even then, I knew it was bullshit. I don't have any opportunity to say I told you so (and honestly, told who what?), but I am so frustrated that what was obvious to me 9+ years ago never made a dent to people in power.

Well, once again Covid-19 is front and center as the world event that has defined this year. Maybe we were naive to think it would be "over" by now - it may never be truly over. I went from feeling profound joy and relief when I got my vaccine back in the spring to feeling bewilderment and confusion when the anti-vax movement started to take hold. I am baffled by people's refusal to take the vaccine. I am appalled by their willful disregard for public health and science. I know that they believe in their truth just as strongly as I believe in mine.

Covid. More still, more quiet, more ok saying what I want, more ok w other people saying what they want and not taking in personally, grateful for the time w family, people are selfish, people are kind and generous, life is short and precious and hard and good.

I think the process of our election system unfolding before, during and after the election was so shocking as to be on a par with 9/11. My astonishment at the behavior of Trump and his followers was very deep and painful. I am having to adjust my understanding of how my fellow citizens see this country and its values. I am trying to understand through reading relevant books, and talking to people, especially those who voted for Trump and feel the election was stolen. The impact on me is to feel increasingly powerless to change anything.

The vaccine! I finally felt hopeful! The day I found out that the first vaccine was given EUA, I wanted to take to the streets with joy! But I was also negatively impacted by the coup attempt on January 6. Growing up, I lived through a couple of coups/coup attempts and so it was very triggering and it also made me lose quite a bit of faith in my fellow Americans.

The fires in California have made me so very sad and disturbed.

The end of the US occupation of Afghanistan has made me reflect a lot on the last 20 years of activism. I'm both proud of these efforts but also discouraged by how ineffectual some of these efforts have been.

Still COVID. I’ve been lucky really, but it’s wearing. It envelops everything.

I am torn between saying the environment and the pandemic. People in some countries have been standing in line just to get their first shot. Meanwhile, because of the antivaxx movement, we have throwing expired vaccines away in this country. The WHO has just asked for a moratorium on booster shots until other countries have time to get vaccinated and I agree. It is shameful that we have too much while other countries have nothing. On another note, climate change is making a direct impact. Historic floods in Europe, Uncontrolled fires in California, major glaciers breaking apart, and a recent hurricane in New Orleans. It feels like we are past the tipping point.

Covid continues to impact everything. My job is now permanently home based. I am fortunate that I am in a great industry for this 'new world'. Biden's election has given me hope but the continued undercurrent of insanity in politics weighs on me.

I was blessed that I was not touched by fire nor flood, nor earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, nor crime, riots, gun violence, nor war, coups. And I fit into no major bias groups beyond female. So it has been the elephant in the room. I stayed at home except for work for all those months, missing all of the events that marked the passage of time for the centuries. I learned how important social contact is to me. At least I had the lifeline of my BF at home. Then came the vaccine and the spring. I was in a later group, but got shot as soon as I could. I learned that my problem with needles and general distrust of government programs wasn't as strong as my desire to live with my sense of taste and smell in tact. There was some freedom. I saw some friends. I spoke socially with people at work. I even got on a plane and saw my sister. Life was better. Then came the masks again, just as my work was removing the fever-detector. I was again an early adapter, at least in public areas. I started arranging to see all my friends and family, even a possible last-fling road trip. I learned that I had lost another level of my optimism.

The election. The insurrection. Texas banning all abortions. Its been a tough year. I'm glad Biden won. He wasn't my favorite (Go Bernie!) but so much better than the last guy. Still COVID rages. All the idiots who don't want to take basic precautions or the vaccine. Its overwhelming.

The January 6th insurrection at the US Capital impacted me significantly this year. It showed how Trump encouraged an ugly, infectious mindset and laid bare the racism and lunacy in a large segment of our country, supported by the Republican Party. This revealed how domestic terrorism is a real threat in our country. In addition, the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan impacted me. While Biden did the right thing, he could have handled it better, at least from what we know as citizens. I felt horrified by the deaths during the withdrawal and what was going to happen to the Afghan people, and particularly Afghan women, when the Taliban took over.

The reinstatement of the mask mandate in the San Francisco Bay Area has made me feel safer about entering indoor public facilities and the vaccine mandate in Berkeley and San Francisco has tempted me to revisit movie theaters in Berkeley starting on October 16 (my birthday)!

People thinking that the pandemic is "over". I just can't fucking believe it. How can they think this as the Delta variant has us back to where we were a year ago??

I bet everyone is saying this but probably covid. It destroyed me mentally and made it near impossible for me to do good in school. I also lost a lot of friends and family this year and the year before, but I've learned to move on and appreciate being able to have those people in my life.

Corona virus

The vaccine. In some sense, it has been freeing - we were able to travel, host dinner parties, see family. However, it made everything more confusing. Instead of having a clear rule (quarantine), suddenly everything became squishy and uncertain. Do we attend an event outside with a dozen 100% vaccinated people? How about a dinner party with 4 other vaccinated people? Does it make a difference if *they* are the immunocompromised ones, yet they are willing to gather?

The 2020 election/2021 inauguration for sure. I remember the steep emotions of election day; I was down at the White House with a group of immigration advocates that Tuesday night. I remember watching each state's results come in. And the Saturday that it was called--glorious. I rode my bike all the way down 16th street from Silver Spring to the White House. It was a party. Inauguration Day--just after the insurrection on January 6th--I watched the swearing in from my bed and cried with relief.

The Capitol Riot on January 6, 2021. This event CRUSHED my soul. I could not believe that this could happen in our country. The peaceful transfer of power is the bedrock of our government. Donald Trump's behavior in encouraging the insurrection will be a permanent stain on our history. Although I do understand rage, especially of the marginalized and oppressed, this event was not the result of thoughtful protest. This was a mob instigated by a misguided political movement, with no clear goals other than to seize power.

The insurrection on January 6th, and everything leading up to it and after it. I just can't believe that people are so gullible and filled with hate, that just because something didn't go their way, they tried to take over the country and are still trying to do so. I don't even have enough space to talk about COVID. The animosity and hate of white people is just sickening. Ya'll would rather have this country turn into a dictatorship, than just allow people to vote and how about this....just LIVE! You always gotta be on top...you're afraid that we're going to treat you like you've treated us. Your time is coming.

The election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris… a relief, but still disturbing how many, many people voted for Trump!! Makes me realize how little we are in touch with, understand, and sympathize with people who think differently from us.

Other than the obvious? I'm honestly not sure; the news cycle has been so relentlessly depressing that I've avoided it as much as possible. The storming of the Capitol resonates, realising just how far down the rabbit hole some people had gone.

Covid vaccination rates are not as high as they need to be, so infection rates among unvaccinated people are higher than necessary. And then Texas passed a super-restrictive abortion bill (allowing citizens to sue those who assist in abortions after 6 weeks). I'm just so damned angry at humanity right now. And then learning my cleaning lady isn't vaccinated pissed me off. It brings this issue into my house, making my haven feel momentarily unsafe, and I resent that.

India's Farmers Protest. I was living in India when it happened and it moved me to see the commitment and honesty of their cause. I supported them and could not believe the Prime Minister used violence and dismissed their fight!

COVID (still) cut-off from friends and family - a year in which did not see even my parents in person very often - didn't see friends at all - and work was more oppressive with poor upper management, less direct contact with patients, stuck typing on a computer instead of connecting and feeling like spinning wheels trying to mitigate patients' decline - more death. Exhausted and knowing I needed to get out.

I was very impacted by the fall of Kabul last month. I just thought of the Afghanis I've met and of course understand that they are people just like everyone else and I felt horrified that they were enduring this situation. I was also so scared for all the women in Afghanistan who had grown up in a society that had a space for them to be educated and to pursue careers. I am still horrified to see, daily, how their lives are being taken from them. I hate the situation.

I have been very much affected by the covid pandemic because Steve has been working so much and I , too, have been working alot. It has been so difficult to see the vastly different approaches to the pandemic taken by different people in our country. I have really felt great sadness and loss for our country.

Covid. The pandemic has reminded me how connected everything on earth is, and how important it is to be mindful of not just what I want, but what is beneficial for the common good.

Covid, duh. Working from home was difficult. Being back at the office has been wonderful. On the other hand, I am less driven than I used to be. I am more able to relax, ignore the to-dos and the "shoulds". I give myself permission to just be more often, and do less often. Also, tremendous relief at how the November 2020 elections worked out. I was carrying a lot of fear about Trump declaring martial law or other crazy crap.

The pandemic has definitely impacted me. I live in gratitude for having a job that I've been able to continue to do from home and for working for an organization that is committed to keeping all of its employees employed. But I also live in fear of losing my job. And I've been depressed, which has had a negative impact on the way I feel about myself and my future and the world's future.

I tried to kill myself on September 9th/2021. It has broken me open and allowed vulnerability and space for brokenness and honesty in my life.

Getting vaccinated was huge!! It was big for me because I felt like it marked a turn in the pandemic and was the first step that was finally going to get me back to school, but even more so it was important to me that mom got vaccinated. Shawn went back to school before she was vaccinated and that really freaked me out because I thought she was being reckless. I see now that Shawn being idle at home had more to do with it, but knowing that she was safe regardless of how care-free Shawn was going to act in regards to catching it was important for me.

The fact that most of my friends have children that are not vaccinated and I don’t have kids means that I really haven’t seen most of them in about 2 years. I miss them but I don’t feel comfortable exposing myself to them. Also, they feel more comfortable about being in public than I am. I’d rather not linger anywhere for to long that also limits my hang time with them.

COVID. It continues to impact all of us. Face masks. Travel restrictions. It sucks. I don't want to go anywhere, and yet, the idea of staying at home all the time drives me nuts. Perspective and context helps. Once again, the holocaust does the job.

January 6th. On that day I watched in shock and horror as a White mob stormed the Capitol and attempted to prevent Congress from confirming the election results. It should not have been a shock to me, yet I was ignorant of history (or at least in denial). January 6th was my wake up call that the violent, racist White supremacist forces from the past (KKK, 1876, etc) are not only alive and well today but are still willing to fight and kill to prevent a multicultural democracy. I fear that the worst is yet to come, especially since the leaders of one party openly support the mob (!!) and the leaders of the other party deny the threat. We cannot eliminate the fascist threat by appeasing or blunting it. We must defeat it. That means upsetting the status quo and making enemies. We cannot "bipartisan compromise" our way out of this.

Wow, this year, it says an event, but that is too tight a definition for me. We had honest to God Climate Change. It has been creeping up on us for a while, we all know the temperature has risen and it is causing faster ice melting, more heat waves, more hurricanes, and flooding. I know I am nervous as a human on a plant of 7 billion of us, the staggering impact we have, the idea that this is only going to get worse, famine, wildfires, disaster after disaster. The sad part is the world is more divided than ever, more we only care about us, less visionaries in leadership and so, no clear path to prevent further deterioration. They did start a CO2 processing plan in Iceland this month, but its impact is like taking 900 cars a year off the road, a start and a scratch in the paint. When I have discussed this in my woman’s group, everyone feels the need to do something, but no idea what to do eludes us. The things we can do, seem inconsequential to the issue at hand. Unilaterally, we feel ashamed of the world we am leaving my sons and my grandchildren. We figured out three Covid vaccines and I received the Johnson & Johnson with my wife in Frazier Park. Our “United States” is deeply divided on receiving vaccines. There is a side that wants relief and protection, there is a side that does not trust the government/industries claims that it is safe, there are the anti-vaxers and there is a side that has just procrastinates. It is that third group that we hear about on their death bed, if only. The hopeful outcome was getting a more normal day to day life, the actual outcome is more of the same. Now, our hospitals are flooded with Delta infected Covid patients and we now have Mu, an even more dangerous variant. The other side of it is we have lost many of our relationships to computer video meetings. That keeps us away from our families, our friends and co-workers. It keeps us away from performance arts and sports. It inhibits travel. That is what seems most dangerous to me, the full-on dependence to the Internet for communication and information. Covid has transformed our society and the jury is out on if that is a good or bad thing. More locally, the Election of Joe Biden and the other is the end of the Afghanistan War. More so, I find more and more, Americans feel the end of democracy as we know it. This push to not extend social service to needy, the idea of I made it, why can’t you, and what looks like a continuous effort for power grabbing along with the constant villainizing of the other side. We seem to want to build individual family arsenals of guns, to stop inviting new people to live in our country, to defund our police (which needs a lot of work, but not less money). At my level, I don’t feel this in my day-to-day life, I just hear about it. I did get a Covid Relief check. I was relieved to not live in the Trump drama, dominating the media every day with more and more outrageous behavior. Now Biden is getting the treatment, popularity down, incompetent VP, only Biden is not target rich. He endeavors to relate and speak to us. We can only hope that this grandfatherly political climate is going to end. Biden, Trump, Pelosi, and McConnell, should retire, and enjoy their grandkids. God knows I don’t want to work into my seventies. The power and prestige must be really addicting to keep them doing this same thing year over year. All of this, makes my life more stressful and my unwavering patriotism waver.

Covid has impacted every facet of life and it's not over. The attack on the US capital was unreal, but watching their situation on a regular basis you wonder why people are allowed to broadcast false news that affects the entire country even though only a few non-thinkers believe it. And it's scary to see how easy it is for a democracy to go into decline and slowly implode. We take democracy for granted but we have seen a few idiots can destroy it if you let them.

Wow, there have been so many. 1) the ongoing pandemic, the false alarm of “hot vaxx summer” that gave us a fun couple of months, the despair and return of fear brought by the Delta variant. I can’t believe we’re still in this shit. I am so frustrated, really feeling like I’ve done my part and all these selfish assholes are prolonging it. 2) the election. I was rereading my 10Q from last year and I said one of my greatest fears was Trump being reelected. Yes, Biden’s victory was so incredibly positive. A huge weight was lifted and it was amazing to feel like the effort I’d made (small, but nonetheless!) to send postcards, work at the polls, etc. made some impact. Mostly I was just so happy Trump was defeated. As a result of the election, a few things happened. First, I stopped looking at the news so much. It was almost as if part of the sigh of relief was allowing myself to establish some distance from the news cycle that had consumed and depressed me for 4 years. Second, working the polls was so eye-opening and made me so fired up about voter suppression. I don’t really know what to do about that, but I do want to keep working at the polls. Related to the election - the Jan 6 insurrection was terrifying and reminded me that people still really hate the Jews. I didn’t necessarily need reminding, but seeing the general ignorance towards neo-Nazis and public haters of Jews among my network showed me what a minority we are. Honestly, I’d forgotten about this until right now, but man I was upset and felt like people I interact with regularly (Connor, my coworkers) didn’t have that same viscerally fearful reaction, and that’s hard. 3) the fact that terrible weather events keep happening and people still don’t believe in climate change. Weather is getting more and more extreme and why aren’t we all more scared?

The election of Joe Biden. The news is no longer horrifying every day.

Extended isolation because of widespread Covid-19 contraction. But a vaccination became available in record time. Nick and I had our second Moderna vaccination on 3-19-21.

Covid still looms large this year too, though hospitalizations are currently falling in LA county. We were very fortunate to have gone to Kauai for a vacation and ended up staying all winter! Personally, political polarization has affected me, as it has all the nation in the wake of Biden’s election, the most dramatic example being the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. The right has even politicized the pandemic, so now areas with low vaccination rates and mask usage are experiencing a hospital-crushing surge. I am trying to be more even tempered about the news, but I’m concerned about my lack of empathy for anti-vaxxers.

The US withdrew from Afghanistan. It reminds me of the time 20 years ago when I protested the invasion. I was part of a very small minority against a country that was ready for revenge against anyone. Trillions of dollars and thousands of lives later we are leaving with little else but a trail of carnage behind our back. I don't think this country will have learned any lessons from the incident and I don't think we are any closer to a time where we can wage peace in the world. Not war.

The violent right-wing Trumpian insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 as the U.S. election was being certified. It shook my faith in our two party system as I watched a sycophantic republican party join treasonous mob-led assault on our democracy.

I know everyone is gonna say The Pandemic, but like... of course we are! It impacted EVERYONE. I lost my old job, jumped into a new one that was bad for me, quit with *extreme* prejudice, and got my old one back (with a promotion). I also had my first dates with other Jewish women (I'd come out of the closet during the pandemic), and met my first ever (and hopefully last) girlfriend. None of that would have happened had the pandemic not made online communities so essential to everyone, including disabled people like us. Now, I have a whole new set of friends, our relationships aren't being derided as "all my weird friends that are in my computer", and even when they were (by my mother), those relationships are what empowered me to leave her, so they're very, very real to me. They're real enough to change my life for the better, and to give me a new Chosen Family when my original one rejects so much of who I am.

covid has driven me and most folks to feel safer in smaller bubbles. The excitement I used to derive from constant newness and stimulation has dwindled a bit and I am pretty focused on living a life that is smaller and more focused on specific things than exclusively on newness and widely sought stimulation. I still want to travel and have new experiences, but I don't feel quite as obsessed with newness and the wideness of my experiences any longer. Perhaps its growing older and more mature or perhaps it was covid. Also climate change is becoming a reality. There are worse and worse fires every year in Northern California (this is not due to climate change but is exacerbated by it and reflective of anthropocentric mismanagement). The erratic nature of the climate and the world has lead me to feel more inclined to dive into sustainable remote living. I now live in the remote catches of northern california and am preparing to be able to live without the aid of society in its traditional manner. I have become a bit of a prepper as a result of the craziness of world events (covid, pulling out of Afghanistan, floods, fires, racially motivated violence, polarization along political and ideological lines, etc.) and climate change.

Oh it all continues. On and on. Reading last year is helpful-- as it's so potent. "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" This year, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the White House, and their win was denied by the Cheat-o and his mean Republican cronies. I have felt at least politically better this year. Also, recently the US withdrew from Afghanistan. That's been a relative shit show. I wish we had room to house someone!

Biden being elected and every rational person around the world simultaneously issuing a huge sigh of relief. Any other election, it wouldn't have seemed so promising. I find it hopeful (and I'm not a hopeful person) that Trump lost most of his public coverage so quickly. Yes, there are still people in the country who have gobbled up the lies because they're otherwise total losers in life, but the grownups are back in charge and justice will (slowly) be served, and so soon enough the stragglers who remain will go back to their caves because they'll realize they won't be able to get away with hating America for including people who don't look or think as they do anymore. They'll still believe their lies, of course, but without the public recognition and adoration of those lies, they won't feel as safe exhibiting their treasonous beliefs. And when those beliefs aren't celebrated publicly, it's harder for them to gain a critical mass, as they were able to do for 4 years. They won't go away, sadly, but it will be harder to spread their filth without the official imprimatur of the highest office in the land. And that makes all of us safer.

Trump is noooo longer president! and we have a black vice president! a female vice president! Honestly my entire nervous system has felt more relaxed since november/january. Reminds me of the old Hasidic tale of telling the rabbi that the home is too chaotic ( =US politics in general) so bringing in all the farm animals (TRUMP) and then taking them out and it feeling calm, even though it's maybe even more chaotic now than to begin with (Biden). Also, 20th anniversary of 911. and now US pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took back over. and the trumpists' attack on the Capitol. and more and more and more wildfires. so much talk of the end of the world/society!

The election and so confused by this Country!! Insurrection was so frightening and the lack of accountability was disgusting!!

The attacks on trans people have escalated. The mainstream newspapers are constantly pushing their bullshit narratives, the terfs are crying about being silenced all over tv and papers, while trans voices are ignored or silenced. JK Rowling had quadrupled down and started sending lawyers after people she thinks she can intimidate into apologising for saying true things about her. Some of them make it public, and I support them. Someone I recently made friends with on twitter is in the process of working out what to do with a cease & desist, we've chatted about it and I'm waiting for them to go public so I can publicly support them, too This, on top if the gell of sorting out a passport & GRC...terfs everywhere, all clearly hating each other whilst pretending that 20 of them cobstitue the entirety of cis women everywhere. And the funding from the US right wing fake "Christians" has helped lay groundwork for them beginning attacks again over there. It's bullshit and all they have are lies and easily disprovable nonsense. They just shout it so loudly that they get attention, and cos all the papers are run by bigoted assholes, they've even gone to far as to censor someone who spoke out against terfs in an interview in the US Guardian!! It's ongoing, not a specific event, but it's also one giant event. And it's exhausting. The lies abd bullshit, the trolls ans concern trolls and bad faith actors and trans people just checking right out because they just can't cope with these completely obsessed nutjobs who spend their entire lives trying to feed the bullshit transphobia machine. The truth is, they can't stop progress. They can try. But they can't, not in the long term. And that knowledge may make them shriek louder, but it doesn't make it not true. It's just that they're hurting a lot of people, for no reason except they hate trans people, and have to hang on to their lies as a "reason" why, or it all comes tumbling down.

The election of President Biden. It has brought a semblance of safety, normalcy to the world despite covid and the horrible end to the Afghan war.

The supply chain disruptions that have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shined a stark light on the downsides of globalism. It has been interesting as an American to go into grocery/box stores and see shelves that are not full. I think it's a good lesson for Americans that we cannot count on getting everything we want as soon as we want it... It has caused me to be an even more thoughtful consumer (I try and live anti-consumption already) especially of food basics.

It's been a crazy year. There are so many things I'd like to talk about. Since I talked about the pandemic last year, I'll talk about the insurrection on January 6th. I'm a veteran. I can't believe the number of Americans who think that other Americans are out for their jobs or lives. The truth is there ARE Americans who want to harm them, but it's not the "others" that the Republicans would have them believe, it's actually the Republicans. The gerrymandering, the voter disenfranchising, the abortion restrictions while simultaneously refusing birth control and sex ed. The refusal to help the poor - all in the name of G-d. Seriously we are in a bad way. I've appreciated Heather Cox Richardson's historical perspective because, while things are dire, she gives me hope and helps me keep going. I have to help get America back on her feet.

Trump lost the election and all of the ensuing dominoes from that. It has affected me personally because of even more rising antisemitism and it has affected how I frame the grants I write for work.

The pandemic stole music from me. Making music in a group in person. How I miss it! There is a hole, gaping chasm. I have not handled it well. I have grown old very quickly and can only hope for a few more years. I could live longer, but I don't expect to, deep in my heart. Because of the pandemic, we have paused the search for a new music director. We are having on at church. We have music coordinators, cobbling together music for church. We have a bells director who doesn't ring. She doesn't know what she's doing. She tries hard but has no real sense of what works. I haven't lost anyone close to Covid. I retired from subbing early, but it was almost time for that. We are comfortable, moneywise. So I have nothing major to complain about. But I feel crippled in my soul.

Climate change is hitting me hard. With the fires in California, Hurricane Ida, and abnormal temperatures everywhere, it's truly devastating to see humans destroy the Earth that gives them life. It feels like no one in power cares enough to move the needles. I truly cannot believe that this has become a politicized issue. Money and profits are useless in nonexistent world. I don't know how some of the CEOs and politicians can live happily with the destruction of our planet on their conscious'. I keep changing my individual behavior, or attempting to, in order to help with this issue, but knowing that it is really on corporations who do absolutely nothing but social responsibility propaganda campaigns makes it incredibly difficult to motivate on the personal level.

January 6th insurrection and the aftermath have really impacted me. I am coming to accept that many in this nation are a very, frighteningly real threat to my family and our safety. I'm having to figure out how to still live and parent despite it. My children belong here as much as anyone else. They have the right to good lives just as much as everyone else. This world terrifies me some days. I have to remember the good - I force myself to remember the good every day along with my gratitudes.

I kept my job. I was TUPED to another company. John got a new job. Lena did brilliantly at her first year at Uni. Rina, my beloved Chevruta was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Together, we opened up Sugya Sistas as a way for all woman to feel part of the Talmudic project. Victor died of Covid. John and me hired a campervan and went to Scotland on holiday. It was fantastic!

The fires have been very upsetting and experiencing this drought is also very humbling as a human being in the web of nature. I was proud of the letter to the editor I drafted and was published regarding Gratitude and Pronoia. To appreciate the experience of a shower at home.

I think the January 6th attack on the Capital has made even more suspicious of white people. I don't trust them. I think they're willing to be violent in ways that only benefit them. They use the rhetoric of revolution to maintain a status quo for everyone who is not them. It makes me not want to be around them. Even the white people who wouldn't think to do something like that are not to be trusted. They should be clamoring for those people and the people who influenced and bankrolled them to be arrested but they're going on like it didn't happen. Everything they profess to care about is a lie. They don't care about freedom or any of that bullshit. They're willing to fall in line just like people do in other authoritarian places they insist they are not like.

Does the pandemic count? I think it has affected me a lot since I now see more clearly the maladies of our society but it also made me more anxious and I am angry how much it has affected out lives. But I also see it as a revelation and trust that in the end, it will teach us how to love ourselves and others more.

The Texas law that prevents women from getting an abortion after 6 weeks. It was an end run around Roe vs Wade and it happened at least under my radar. I was shocked by it. At the same time the Texas governor forbid schools from implementing mask mandates, it forbid people from getting abortions. Don't tell me I have to get a vaccine, but do tell me I have to have a baby I don't want? The hypocrisy is just unbelievable.

Where to begin? Starting with January 6, moving to more terror from white nationalism and general racism, through wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, and of course, COVID.

The coronavirus pandemic is still affecting us hugely, to the point that we might move countries. The most recent event that I find terribly upsetting is the return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan. This bodes very badly for women and human rights in general. It makes me question some teachings in my religion further, or rather, their interpretations by some parties.

The pandemic disaster and the fake information about what's going on in the world, in America and Israel. It seems to be like an apocalyptic approach of reality

Nothing could have been more significant than the election, and booting that wild and dangerous man out of office. It was definitely a nail biter, but in the end we prevailed. The sequelae has continued to cause so much angst and ongoing concern, as the forces that he unleashed continue to swirl and brew up threats and trouble and the country has clearly divided into 2 camps who view reality in starkly different ways., in strong opposition to each other. It seems far from over, and has an ongoing impact on ones sense about the footing we are on going forward, for the foreseeable future.

Covid - Still Covid. We hoped for the best, but Covid is still here and both personally and professionally, it continues to impact my life. I only returned to the office in June, 2021. The return was itself a bit traumatic. Returning to the office was like entering a time warp. My whiteboard had the writings from March 2020 and all the papers that now sat in a box were out of date. It took me a couple of weeks to clean up and reset to the present day. Psychologically too, as we organized by desk and got used to being back in the office, like muscle memory, I was back in the enjoyment of working in the office. Being greeted by our security was the best and I forgot how nice it is to be be part of a working community. Grateful to have an office that provides security, community and better wifi than my house.

waking up in my lesbian lover's arms to Angel Olsen's coming out post.

Let’s not consider the obvious COVID but the introduction of vaccines. I got mine as soon as I was eligible and it did bring me tremendous relief and the associated freedoms. I think I didn’t change my behavior greatly but small steps and a change in anxiety level. I am still growing into my “vaccinated self” and I am gradually becoming more relaxed in my public life.

COVID-19 and the Delta variant have affected us this year in ways we might have hoped we would be beyond by now. But medically and politically we are not. The US pull out from Afghanistan is just one more "can't win" moment in this long history. Since we went in, there was no good way out. Though some could be worse than others. No one big event...but many big events: I've been more concerned about the climate than ever. January 6 Insurrection at the Capitol. One of the worst moments in US history. In many ways, it's not over yet.

Not many events in the world impacted my year, as COVID started over a year ago. So, nothing that I can think of.

Wow, reflecting on Steve’s death makes me realize how much change and shifts have happened in this past year. This year the world continues to see climate disasters and stresses, the most recent being Hurricane Ida and the storms that have ravaged people’s homes and lives. This is impactful to what I’m doing with Nurture 1. We need healing products to help people with the stresses of life 2. What we consume is connected to the planet. Our consumption must be mindful and support and give back to the planet, as well as honor the farmers who cultivate the earth for our nourishment. Products that help your mind and body and give back to the planet? A no-brainer.

There are so many to chose from this year, and really not many of them happy events. The pandemic continues to affect me and my family. We are fortunate that none of my immediate family has contracted COVID and we are all vaccinated. The attempt by extremists to take over the capitol and disrupt the process of confirming the president was shocking. The world I grew up in was not placid (Vietnam War, Watergate, 9/11 for example) but this attack on both the process of our government and our elected congress people was shocking and destabilizing. If this could happen, what else?

The existing/end the war with Afghanistan - It so reminds many of the vets who served in VietNam - these were both countries were 'no win' situations where so many lives were lost or maimed either physically or emotionally or both. Working with Vets who have served and listening to their stories - it is heartbreaking. I feel so honored to listen and do what I can to help them understand that what they did - 'mattered'! I just wish there was a way to help them more. I so wish the VA would learn how to help them instead of using drugs and their idea of emotional (PTSD) work... it is almost worthless sadly

Other than the pandemic?? It’s hard to think of anything else as that has been so consuming. It’s changed daycare, schools, work, travel, and affected all of our anxieties. Though there were highlights (loved the quality family time!) it’s been a really tough year and a half. Looking forward to a better, less stressful, more vaccinated year.

The continued coronavirus. Has shown me even more how privileged I am, and so need to think/act more to make things better.

Covid covid covid we are currently in limbo here in lockdown in oz ... in fact have spent the majority of the last 18 months in lockdown and now for us in sydney out of our comfort zone in a strange place

Joe Biden became president! Or, more accurately, Donald Trump is no longer president. The Trump era was so full of hideous news events--just one after another--it felt impossible not to become numb to them. Still, the insurrection/attempted coup of January 6th--after Biden's election, before his inauguration-sticks out. Although it seems the legislature is working hard get us all to hurry up and forget that ever happened. And the terrible news continues. A few weeks ago the US withdrew all troops from Afghanistan. After 20 years. (Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of 9/11) The Afghan government/security forces fell almost immediately to the Taliban prompting all kinds of finger pointing. Everything I've read about the situation confirms the whole war was a terrible, deadly mess from start to finish.

The insurrection (I mean attempted coup) at the capitol on January 6th has affected me very deeply, and continues to do so. I am scared for this country and worried about the safety for myself, my family, friends, and all of those who strive for unity and equality. The denial and hypocrisy that exists around Jan 6th is astonishing. I don't see a light at the end of this tunnel with the way things are going. It has also driven a wedge between me and some of my family members - bigger than when toddler in chief was elected in 2016. It saddens me so much that people I otherwise care about support false claims and lies. There is so much division and hatred these days. I was talking with my mother about this a couple of days ago and she remarked how we used to be able to disagree about real topics (taxes, education, etc), things that were based on facts, but different perspectives if we were from different political parties. Now what is going on? How do you have a friendly debate with someone who only regurgitates something their idol has spewed out? I used the word idol on purpose. I'm not a religious (and am not christian), but I'm seeing some very scary parallels to biblical warnings here. If the statistics are correct, these people with hate-filled and chaotic-filled ideas are in the minority, but they are still able to infiltrate into our political institutions and cause a lot of damage. I'm not saying that any prophecies will come true, but there certainly are lessons that we as a society should be paying attention to. What do we do with that? I don't know. Even after saying all of the above (which is scary enough), saying "I don't know what we can realistically do to fix this", seems to be the scariest thing of all for me.

Finding out how selfish, pathetic & nasty some "family" members are 💔

Hard to pinpoint a specific thing. The pandemic rolls on and on. The Afghanistan situation has been sad but again it's not specific. The 20th anniversary of 9/11 has occupied my thoughts for far longer than a two minute silence would have required. It is sad for everyone that remembers it happening to look back on but there is an added element now when I consider that the first victims of the attacks were pilots and cabin crew.

I think when the vaccine came out it has been a great encouragement to most people. Lives have definitely been saved. However with the data variant and the Delta variant so many more people are getting sick. So the virus is mutating. Which is crazy, right? It is the 20th anniversary of 9/11. When I see the footage, I’m still shellshocked and I didn’t even go through any of it besides being a spectator on television. But those days in the fear and the tragedy fell over the whole country. It does make me mad when people criticize the government for not doing enough. Also they finally pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over again. So a lot of people are saying nothing good came out of that. However, our soldiers did a bunch of great stuff over there with schools for women and medical provisions and infrastructure repairs. It is true that our government propped up their government. And I guess previously we had armed the Taliban to go against the previous terrorists and now we are reaping the consequences. Why is it that when we try to help other countries, we go in their guns blazing and end up hurting people?

Surprisingly the pandemic has only had minimal impact on my day-to-day life. I got the vaccine as soon as I could, I mask up when public spaces (most of which we avoided this last year), and thankfully no one in my personal circle had COVID, except for my daughter whose case was mild. I've also been back in my office since June of 2020, so I haven't experienced the "lock down" or feelings of isolation many others have. I was fortunately to keep my job (as was my husband) and while things have been quiet they otherwise haven't been all that different. No, I'd say the event in the world that impacted me this year is rapid march towards a degraded climate. It bugs me, eats at me and I struggle to figure out what I can personally do to make things better.

You mean OTHER than the pandemic? Because really, the pandemic is easily the event with the largest impact on me. It informs everything I do, including my daily work.

Well, the continuing of the Pandemic and the window of time where we gathered, saw people, pretended that maybe things were headed back towards "normal" ~ then the emergence of the Delta variant ~ And the continued response of the populace around "freedom" and "control" and the hypocritical nature of it all as well as the continuing Climate Catastrophe has me a bit down and pessimistic about the hope for humanity on Planet Earth, honestly. So, I just keep trying to live my quiet life from my heart and do the best I can day by day, while cultivating connection and beauty.

Covid. Jan6. Impacted everything. Everything has changed, and not for the better. We are a country divided between intelligence and belief. Sadly, I think intelligence is losing, and I could be wrong. The upcoming midterms will be telling. The stupid in this country has become terrifying. I carry mace now. This is dangerous stupid, desperate and contagious stupid. And it keeps breeding. I fear it’s only getting worse.

The disorganized US departure from Afghanistan. Very disheartening. Will become an instant case study in terrible what-if planning (if in fact there was any).

In November 2020, the United States held elections for the President, congresspeople, and local legislators. Due to COVID, there were many ways in which citizens could vote. At the same time, there was a lot of disinformation disseminated to undermine the legitimacy of the votes cast. In the end, Joseph Biden was declared the winner in the presidential election, despite the many legal challenges of the results, the lack of cooperation between the current and incoming presidents to effectuate an orderly transition between administrations, and a violent riot on January 6, 2021, which disrupted the Congress' ceremonial acceptance of the results of the Electoral College. I was initially hopeful that the United States of America could regain some stability. However, there were so many crises to be addressed that it was unrealistic to expect that things would improve as rapidly as I had magically wished. It is a daily effort to remind myself how much things have improved and appreciate it, even as many of the changes made by the previous administration continue to affect the effective functioning of the democracy of the country.

COVID-19 and the availability of vaccines have prompted continued polarity and divisiveness, conspiracy theories, toxic positivity, spiritual bypassing, and a rash of "my body, my choice" among the very same people who don't support women's bodily autonomy. I've hit compassion fatigue. I need to protect my energy and listen to guidance for what and when to share.

Donald Trump was voted out. Thank god. He is a fucking disaster. I’m so much less afraid for the world now that he no longer has access to our courts, and nuclear bombs, and the military.

The ongoing pandemic, still happening, getting possibly worse and better at the same time. The way folks have forgotten the the cops are still not being held accountable and in a lot of cases getting increased funding, not anything close to defund.

Covid. It is obviously one of the worst periods in world history.

It's still the pandemic. I'm still mostly out of work. My wife is still working from home. I'm back to wearing a mask again, after having only one month where I felt safe not wearing one. Plus, it has kept my parents home 24/7. They both should move into a care facility, or at the very least attend a day program, but with the Delta variant, I don't feel safe doing that. And now there is another one to worry about. This may go on for years.

Ha. This whole year has been an event. I think we're even still too close to it to understand how it's impacting us, and I know the trauma will stay with us. Last year, I said politics were a shitshow and I was anxious about how the election would turn out. The feeling of weightlessness and relief I felt when they called the 2020 election for Biden is almost indescribable. That felt like a major turning point, and even though it wasn't exactly a smooth transition of power, it is so comforting to know that while Biden wasn't my first choice, I don't have to worry about him being an embarrassment for literally the whole country the way Trump was.

Again, lol. But this year, I'll actually answer. I think I'll talk about the IPCC report. But I could talk about the fall of Afghanistan, Biden winning the presidential election, the Olympics, the Capitol insurrection, the winter COVID surge that pulled us back into our houses and into our fear. The IPCC report was almost comforting to me, even though it was bleak. It confirmed things that previous reports had predicted - we didn't take action, and now a certain amount of warming was unavoidably locked in. The comfort was in the consistency. Science was working as it should. People had observed and modeled, had made predictions, and those predictions had come to pass within an appropriate window of accuracy. It comforted me and it also saddened me. I didn't fall into despair - I have enough of that, the IPCC report wasn't going to be the thing that tipped me over - but it did make me sad, because I'd not grasped just how utterly fucked the oceans are, how much longer it will take them to recover. Why? Because part of why this year has been so hard is because I absolutely care and am invested in this world and its inhabitants. Not just the human ones. Because living shattered sucks so I'd rather live numb. And because I'd built a place for my climate grief, but not for all the other myriad griefs that swelled and spilled their non-existent dams this year. It was too much. So, there was the comfort of an old grief. A known bad outcome. Not unavoidable, but unavoided. Supremely challenging to do anything about, but with contours and anger and resignation and hope and despair that are all familiar to me.

All of it - (TRIGGER WARNING – Graphic Content) The anniversary of a horrendous event The longest war and failed exit strategy The ongoing health crisis and the lack of knowing when it will improve The fight for our reproductive rights The division The fear The pain . Today I walked in on a show Pat was watching about 9/11 and couldn’t look away when the footage of … I can’t even bring myself to say it … came on screen. It’s as heart-wrenching to see now as it is every other time you may watch it. But it’s hard to look away. Because watching people jumping from a skyscraper and falling through the air will have an impact on you. A lasting one. . Today, I briefly listened to an NPR interview with an Afghan woman speaking up about the brave women in her country fighting for justice and the evil backlash they face. . And today, I learned about a tragic accident in my favorite college town - Flagstaff – that took place this Spring and took the life of one person, while injuring five others including one of the best, most interesting guys I know. His passion for galvanizing the community and riding his bike through that town is now impacted by an injury that took half of his right leg. .

Joe Biden! So happy that we have a new president. What a relief.

The 2020 United States Presidential election and the inauguration of Joe Biden as President gave me hope when hope was lost. Trump was leading us to totalitarianism and likely death with no real attempt to control the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately we're all still suffering the effects of his acolytes today.

The pandemic continues to control our lives. Thankfully, a vaccine was made available that has made it a little easier to live a normal life. The emotional and physical toll has been both good and bad. I am grateful to have more time at home snd to have been given the blessing of seeing my dog as he ages and completes her own life journey.

The insurrection on January 6th was one of the most frightening events I had ever witnessed. It was the culmination of the hatred and fanaticism that Donald Trump unleashed and made acceptable to a segment of the population. It made me angry and sad. Very sad. But it also challenged me to think about what I can do to ensure that something like this never happens again.

Worsening of the pandemic with the Delta variant. Increased right wing radicalism. Wanting to hide out at home. Zoom is fine with me!

Joe Biden's presidency has been just the soothing balm we had hoped it would be. I can take my mind off of politics again, at least for a little while. And his understanding of the reality and impending costs of global warming means that this catastrophe can start to be addressed by a mature, science-believing adult.

I felt so sorry for Japan and more so for Tokyo. Their chance to celebrate and be celebrated was cruelly robbed from them and I think they’d have given us an amazing Olympics.

January 6th. I was watching C-SPAN when the mob descended on the Capitol building. I couldn't look away. Then a few days latter learned that a woman who lives in my neighborhood, a liberal suburb of Boston, trespassed at the Capitol. She was arrested and she is unrepentant. Now I have a hard time not doing donuts with my truck on her lawn. It's a real struggle.

Covid 19 has impacted me and everyone in the world because it is so contagious and has killed so many people. I mainly stay home and learn a lot by going to programs on my computer. It hasn't been as hard on me as it has been on many others. The January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol has made me sad and scared for the future of our country and the world. There is so much hatred and distrust and misinformation. I hope and pray that we can get back to respect and kindness for one another.

Trump's defeat!! Even though the winter was incredibly hard as we approached the 1 year mark of the pandemic, it was such a tremendous relief to have him not in charge. I am so furious with him for the disaster he created in his response to the pandemic, his callousness towards everyone, particularly those most marginalized, and the unbelievable right wing supremacy he emboldened. And Biden is far from perfect. But still - when I think about the incredible day we had in Brooklyn following the announcement of the results - a day long party in the streets - and sobbing on my couch during the inauguration - and the relief of not having to hear his voice or read his words every day - I feel calm each and every time.

Oh they all have - and I am trying to turn their impact on me into more conscious, conscientious, caring behavior. But with the impact of white supremacy, the politics of division, the rejection of science to face a pandemic and climate change - I am often in despair in a way I never was before. I am gutted by the future for those younger than me, most especially my grandson.

The division in the country and uncertainty even if the democracy will survive is scary, but I find myself listening more and more to the news, like a horror movie.

So many choices this year -- the election, the attempted coup, the end of the war in Afghanistan, the attack on reproductive rights. But I am feel most directly impacted by the wildfires in the west. This has been so tragic to witness -- two years in a row of devastation, unhealthy air, and growing concern that the climate apocalypse is upon on. I fear I have not done enough to take my own stand for climate justice, but also am proud of what I have managed to do -- big problems, small steps.

An event in the world that has impacted me is the continued Covid crisis. My mother has been extremely worried because my sister and her family wouldn’t take the vaccine. I wear a mask again because of the Delta variant.

In much the same fashion, COVID continues to impact my life and the lives of others around me. My mother still insists on being the authority on what a responsible citizen should do, though her thoughts about the unvaccinated are troubling. I don't necessarily agree about the reasons people are deciding to not get vaccinated, but I don't think we ought to not care for them. We are, after all a collective. The minute we start to "other" people is the minute we have to be careful. To do that is to dehumanize each other, which has led us to troubling places historically. On a different note, the wildfires this year have been nothing short of traumatic for our planet. I thought we had seen really bad ones before but this year...was the worst so far that I have seen. It has me wondering about what I can do, big or small. I do keep thinking I need to become a wildland firefighter, even if it is just for one summer, in order to know that I have done some good. The prospect of being without Maddie for an extended period of time of that nature does trouble me greatly, however.

The Gaza conflict in may - it was the moment that I was able to really be brave and stand up for myself and my people and what's right. not just what's on trend. It was when I finally realized that I am a good, coherent, and impactful writer and I can clearly get my point across through my prose. This event really shined a light on the bigger war of our time which is ideological bullshit versus biology, history, logic, truth.

I feel with climate change and the pandemic that the world is in flux. Being so uncertain of any societal, institutional stability has made me kind of hunker down, hold on to my daily routines, control what I can and stay connected to the people I love and home. My world has become much smaller - now, by choice.

I had a couple. I resigned from my job that was very toxic and not a place to stay. I was hired by another firm where Brett Detterbeck was way too much into himself and a narcissistic person. I was blindsided by both he and the Client Service Manager.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan again. In day to day life it impacts me very little. I can/could ignore it easily. Or I could be concerned/do something to improve the situation. In actuality I feel sadness for those negatively impacted. I ponder the difference between the members of the Taliban who genuinely feel they are doing the best thing for their country/humanity, and those in my own country who genuinely feel they are doing the same. I would like to understand why these groups of people feel so correct in their views that they are willing to harm others to make their point/have control. I would like to understand how harming others has become acceptable; why a point of view is more important than those it supposed to benefit.

Watching both the election of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris shaped the world in many ways. First, it put America in the headlines again for something unrelated to the Covid-19 pandemic. Second, it was contested and challenged by far right extremists who then attacked the U.S. Capitol on the afternoon of January 6th. It was a scary day in the history of America. It impacted because I was at work that day and was alone. I was scared for my physical health but also my mental health as I have often let the outside world inform my own well-being. I feared for the country and our recovery. I feared for politicians who were doing the right thing - certifying the election. I feared that the U.S. would not recover. We are more divided. I am upset that friends and once colleagues, don't speak to me. Democracy can survive this and it should.

Biden was elected and Trump wasn't! I cried when the election results came out and it was from relief. I knew the Trump presidency was awful. But it wasn't until he wasn't reelected that I think I fully felt some of my feelings. I felt like our whole country had been in an abusive relationship that finally ended. And it's been thrilling to see some of what's happening in the new administration and congress. Not as aggressive and progressive as I'd like, but tremendous progress.

This is so hard to answer because there have been so many. Texas has made abortions illegal, Sara Everard was murdered and caused protests, the Black Lives Matter movement surged, unmarked graves have been found at residential school sites, we created and administered the Covid-19 vaccine. And these are just the ones I can remember. Honestly, I have never felt more inclined to do something about the injustice I see around me.

Is being alive an event? It seems the collective unconscious has suffered enumerable loss through natural disasters, illness and death. I can feel the waves of anxiety wash through me as if we are all near to something. For this, I am staying in the game.

The election of Joe Biden affected me, by permitting me to relax. It is so nice to not have to hear daily reports of idiocy in the White House.

Still COVID, but the biggest change this year is that it's now both worse with the delta variant and entirely unnecessary. We have a vaccine, and if everyone who could get it would (just like we've done for generations with measles, etc...) we could be largely safe and done with this. But bafflingly, something like 30% of Americans refuse to. It's been politicized, with Republicans deciding that if Biden is against the pandemic, they must do all they can to help it succeed so he fails. And tech is to blame, with Facebook and Amazon allowing false and deadly anti-vaccine and COVID-is-a-hoax content to run rampant since it makes them so much money. It's sad enough that that the unvaccinated are dying at high rates due to the more potent delta strain of COVID, but what's impacted me personally and makes me mad is that delta wouldn't have had a chance to exist if Republicans hadn't done all they can to maximize the number of people who get COVID, allowing the virus vast opportunities to mutate. Fuck Margaret Thatcher and her "there is no such thing as society". We sink or swim together, and society is now the reason I can't take my kids to a fucking park for the second year in a row.

First, This year what impacts are the discussions about the pandemic management and the vaccine campaign and how polarized it has been. Starting from public procurement, executing the vaccine campaign in Europe has been mediocre at best. In a nutshell, the pandemic touches every sphere of the economy, society and politics. Second, I have the highest respect for Alexej Navalny as a human being and political activist. His case and how he has been treated should open and remind us that Russia is a dictatorship. It must not be forgotten: Alexei Navalny has been in detention for 238 days (when I'm writing his). Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia is a prime example of a missed opportunity towards progress. I wish Russians could live in an institutional environment that gave them more freedom and hence the possibility to thrive towards peace and prosperity. Third, the debacle of Nato in Afghanistan is more than a fiasco for the West. Lastly, I'm curious to know what will be the outcomes of the general election of Germany. In particular, how German and European politics is going to change with Angela Merkel's successor. Germany, in many policy fields, needs smart policies to tackle reforms. The current decade is of importance for the future of Germany and Europe as well.

The takeover of Taliban after the US and DE troops have left the country. We are all. Completely unprepared for this troubesome world. Therefor we need to stand up everytime there is something unjust happening.

The election that saw the defeat of Cheeto-head? Or the subsequent attempted coup on Jan 6? Or the ongoing war against the majority by an authoritarian leaning minority. Biden beat Trump. Decision was questioned. People massed in front of my house, ostensibly to protest local stuff. The Trump 2020 signs said otherwise. Seeing the storming of the Capitol on January 6th. That defined where we are going. Maybe. Still walking the knife-edge.

The Covid pandemic continues to be the "event" in the world that impacts me the most. Every day I am reminded of the death of my brother-in-law in January when I put on my mask and when I observe keeping appropriate distances in public and when I am continually frustrated and angered by the people who blatantly ignore social distancing and refuse to wear masks or be vaccinated. At least this year we have an administration that is trying to act in the best interests of public health.

Like the entirety of the world's inhabitants, the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly impacted my life significantly. In my own case, it has largely been for the good, however -- much of the time has been spent wandering the desert, but it has led to many revelations and to what I believe is the first true turning of a new leaf in my entire life. I believe out of this terrible, global, ongoing catastrophe, for me will come so much growth and evolution. I hope to do something powerful for the world in exchange for all this good I'm being given.

The wholesale destruction of the earth due to "natural" disasters that are directly a function of climate change and environmental abuses by the privileged. Massive forest fires, flooding, ultra rich racing to become the imperialists and colonizers of the next resource rush - space. It elevated the urgency for me to make sure those I love are not left in the burnt out rubble on the sidewalks while the elitists kill everything and anything that allows a community to thrive - clean water, clean air, healthy soil, robust ecosystem.

The pandemic has of course impacted me this past year and a half, as it has everyone. But it has also come in the company of extreme and possibly irreversible climate change as well as serious and profound political and cultural shifts. It has been a perfect storm of extreme change on every level. It is at least worrisome and unsettling to feel so powerless to right this tilt. I try to find ways to address each of these crises while dealing with my own. It feels overwhelming right now.

The forest fires all over Greece. Of course in the rest of the world too, but to think that the home of the ancient Greek sagas, the forests of the nymphs, the place where humanity has built one of its foundations thousands of years ago - that this place is now bursting into flames, that is horrifying. Whenever I look upon the Austrian landscape it makes me think how little space we leave for nature and how cultivated every corner of our country is. It suffocates me.

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed all the hospital appointments and the GPs don’t see me in person anymore

An event in the world that has impacted me this year was going back to school originally for hybrid learning as it was not the best of brightest environment for students to learn or grow. This experience has shown me a lot and to be grateful for being in person with students as it is dramatically better.

We got the vaccination, a cause for great rejoicing, and instead great swaths of the world refuse to take it. They even refuse to wear a piece of cloth over their nose and mouth which would prevent the spread, and the proliferation of variants, of this dread disease. It has made me full of hate and loathing for people who do not listen to people who are smarter and know more than they do. It has made me feel hopeless, that this scourge will continue endlessly.

Anti-abortion law in Texas. It is very, very scary to think that this is the world we live in – we’re going backwards. Straight up dystopian.

The election of Joe Biden although not perfect it was such a fucking relief. The world we are living in is unrecognizable to me. People have never been so far apart from each other at least not that I knew of. It makes me worry for the future of our country, and I have literally never even thought about our country in any way shape or form. Texas abortion law is frightening to me, and in rereading last year’s note, apparently right on the nose.

Covid is still going on. And impact isn’t a verb.

I guess I have to say Covid again. Specifically the Delta variant. It's so frustrating because we were doing so well for a while there and vaccination levels are high, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm lucky in that I haven't gotten sick and nor has anyone I love, but it does mean restrictions are returning.

The Capitol insurrection in January 2021 was only the second time in the decade since my father died when I thought, "I'm glad Daddy's dead. I'm glad he's not here to see this." My Dad was a Marine. I grew up in his light, looking up to his life as an example, usually, of how to live. He died of service related cancer from agent orange exposure in Vietnam. I have his folded flag displayed in a box, in an exalted place in my home. I can barely shove down my rage at what happened that January day. And my rage with those who desecrate flag code with the stars and stripes on their pick up trucks. Or disrespectful displays of my beloved county's colors grayed out with a single blue stripe. It's honestly all I can do to restrain myself sometimes. Not flags folded, earn by blood shed in battle. Not flags flown to unite. Disrespectful flags displayed to divide. I have to avert my eyes. I don't need to catch a case... I'm a JOC. Not the tolerable central synagogue kind. I'm black. I'm not fair skinned. I'm no Beyonce. More a Naomi Campbell, with short, tightly curled hair. You won't mistake me for mixed or Hispanic. Unless you stop and bother to listen to me talk. Then you'll ask where I'm from. But only because it's somehow surprising to imagine patriotism and eloquence emerging from a black woman. But it's there. I waited on December 31, 2020 with baited breath. Begging in my mind for people to stop saying "Yay! It's over! It has to get better, right? Things can't possibly get worse..." And then January 6, 2021. Or, more aptly, December 37, 2020. I have simply stopped using the Gregorian calendar year in any correspondence since mid quarantine. 5781. 5782. I just refuse to acknowledge how far from any ideals I've held this world has descended. If I think of it too long, I feel I can't carry on. I see the flags. I avert my eyes. Reminders stab my heart. At all my father and my family gave up for nothing. And I hope. I hope against all hope, that this new year will be different. Different better, not a different form of worse. Can it stop being December 285, 2020? I want to be done now.

President Biden took office. I was so happy to have Obama's vice president take over as Trump's successor. What a fucking mess that was. Thank god for Biden's no-nonsense approach to what he believes in.

I guess covid is old news now huh? I'm not sure we can really talk about the covid aftermath yet but maybe a covid sociopolitical side effect is that a lot of people in my generation/community are more aware of world events and more engaged with them. We talk more and we do more and we fight back. I do to. I do small things but those things matter. We're not just wallowing in despair anymore. It gives me hope. At the very least it will keep me busy until the end times.

COVID-19

War between Israel and Palestine. Is that the words I should use? Between Israelis and Palestinians. Between neighbors. Between us and them. Rockets rained down across Israel. My first real experience here in Israel with the 'the conflict'. I think it's hellish. Wondering when it will happen, and feeling thankful when the sirens aren't blasting here, yet knowing their going off somewhere else. Maybe where your family lives. Or your friends' family. Or the family of someone you've never met, yet you suddenly do understand how significant a strangers life is. to someone. And it's not a zero sum game. We all lose at the same time. I think about living a life here. Raising a family and growing old. Now those wonders and dreams and images become mixed with war. With terror attacks and rockets and unsanctioned border crossings. With soldiers and enlistments and all that can follow from that. I wonder if I should bring life into this mess.

Insurrection on January 6, 2021. Such an intense, violent demonstration of this country's devastating, dangerous divisiveness. How do we fix this?

The fact that so many people have elected NOT to get vaccinations for Covid 19 is just unconscionable and irresponsible. I cannot understand their thought process at all. And their behavior is negatively affecting all of our healthcare providers who are already tired, burnt out, and taking risks every day taking care of those who get Covid. Additionally, this places a terrible strain on the healthcare system and prevents a lot of people from getting the non-Covid related care that they need!

The economic fallout of covid has really reshaped the way I view work and money. I'm starting to have a better understanding of how the average person lives and why money and working are important parts of our society. Understanding that we have to go through things we don't want to in order to do the things we love is a new concept for me. Additionally, the mass death and despair has retooled the way I approach existentialism. I still get existential dread but it's softened now that I've realized I'm not alone in it.

The biggest event that has impacted me is major weather events that I believe come from climate change. From Hurricane Ida, to unprecedented high temperatures around the world (Portland, Seattle. Rome, Spain), to wildfires in the west all have made me aware that the world is changing and that we are all in this together. And that is the key problem I see. All of humanity, to a huge extent, live and die together, yet we live in the illusion that we are separate and we only need to worry about ourselves and our loved ones. It all seems so crazy to me. For me, all of this relates in part to our attitudes about money. Our attitudes around money as a key metric in life encourages us to hold onto the money we have, and to focus our efforts on the never ending quest for still more money. It gets me thinking about generosity and what is the real measure of generosity. It gets me thinking about kindness and how the quest for money can make us less kind and less generous. I want to live the rest of my life with the understanding that we are all in this together, and as Rabbi Rami Shapiro would say, we all come from God, we are part of God, and when we return we go back to God. I want to help people, in their own way and at their own pace, get in touch with their own inner wisdom. I am hopeful if I can help those I interact with slow down a little and spend more time being and less time striving, they will start to realize the reality we all live in.

My neighborhood was occupied by cops, Natl Guard & DHS. There are still snoop devices on my local metro stop. I watched a friend get shot (thankfully non critical). It's made me realize how much I don't want to be on the front lines when shit gets even worse. I'm so tired, and I now know I'm not as much a badass as I thought I was.

Accepting three job offers, two of which failed and ended in disappointment; the last is still pending. I've been looking for a job since March 2020 and made job looking for a job. To say after 18-months I'm exhausted is an understatement. These events of ultra high to super lows hasn't been helpful to my overall mental and emotional health. Its a beating that remains ever-present.

We have a new President who is working hard to undo the destruction caused by the last one. But while I hoped it would bring us back to normalcy, there has been so much work in the states to block voting rights, I really worry that the crazies will get back in power in the mid-terms.

The COVID vaccine came out this year! This impacted me because I was able to finally make friends in Seattle. I was worried for a long time about not being able to make friends since I moved here. The winter and everything was dragging me down. I'm proud to have a shit ton of friends and a real support network here, and part of it was because of our ability to get the vaccine!

Still same event as last year. We are continuing to go through life during covid. It had limited us greatly but we are still making the best of every situation.

Being back at Tawonga was so amazing. It reminds me how much that place centers me, but also teaches me. The pronouns were flying this year and I'm still trying to get better about my usage.

Obviously COVID-19. But also, the Black Lives Matter splitting our country and the anti-democracy response by Republicans and the horrible wildfires in California and Oregon. I feel overwhelmed and furious and worried.

COVID has impacted every part of my life this past year. Today marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It's been a bittersweet month leading up to here - the feelings will never go away, but I hear such inspiring stories about what people have accomplished as a result of that national trauma.

My initial answer is the Covid vaccine - and of course the election of VP Harris - 1st woman elected to the Vice Presidency is a wonderful thing. But the event that impacted me the most was the 1/6 insurrection. It was breathtaking. I remember going downstairs to have lunch and seeing it happen on TV. The Country I love so much was under attack. I was scared and confused, but mostly I was ANGRY. How dare you disrupt the process of the election - an election where the majority of people made a choice and expected their choice to be honored. How dare you call yourselves Patriots- usurping a word that proud Americans want to call ourselves. Years ago, I spent election night with some foreign visitors, sharing with them our ideals of a peaceful transition of power. After this election, I know that I cannot be proud of those who put that process to shame.

Climate change. The wild fires in the west and flooding in the east are among the many examples of the dramatic changes planet earths residents will have to face in the next few decades. Its impact has me investigating new places to live based on the worst case scenarios to be faced by regional climate change.

Thank God that Biden won the election. I would have gone truly mad otherwise. I am still amazed that the other one was president.

The world event was end to Afghanistan War And covid scares this gas alienated many people

The ongoing and growing list of disasters (assault on Capitol, COVID, global warming, vax resistance, voting restrictions, abortion restrictions) leave me deadened and hopeless. There are too many Americans who see the world so differently than I do that I feel our nation is doomed.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and immediate recapture of the country by the Taliban hit me way harder than I expected. I didn't realize I had so many feelings about the war my country's been in for twenty years. I'd gotten so numb to it and now I feel hyper-aware of the costs in lives and suffering and money and the utter pointlessness of it all. Also COVID and the climate crisis and the residential school unmarked graves and the Texas abortion ban. Last year, I said "I know worlds always seem to be falling apart, but the world feels like it falling so totally apart" and ... mood. Big mood. But I'm proud of the vaccine development. Less proud of rich countries hoarding the vaccine, of course ...

COVID continuing has just prolonged the exhaustion. We thought we were headed in the right direction in May - August, but now we're back to so many restrictions and uncertainty. I can tell everyone is so fatigued from it. Getting Donald Trump out of office was imperative, and we can see the changes, but it's a reminder that nothing can change overnight, and our system is so broken still.

One event? One? Impossible. Perhaps a turning point was getting vaccinated, and the relative calm 4 months before Delta exploded. Glad we traveled before then.

The "war" between Israel and Hamas was absolutely horrendous. I could barely move, barely function, for over a week - trawling news sites and most unwisely reading the comments underneath. The worst part for me was the hypocrisy of my neighbours and shul community - while my Israeli friends were taking to the streets to protest the government's actions, the diaspora community seemed to take to social media to find any pretext possible - no matter how flimsy - to attack the Palestinians of Sheikh Jarrah, of Silwan, and of Gaza, and to apportion blame everywhere but to the Israeli government. The greatest part of Judaism is its unwillingness to shy away from difficult questions. Why is everything up for discussion and debate - except for Israel?

So many: -COVID caused upheavals in societies across the world -environmental impacts of climate change are often in the news -the "Black Lives Matter" protests, inspired by George Floyd's death and others -the death of RBG and Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation -the election of Biden / loss by Trump -the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan -the series of shutdowns that marked the end of 2020, and continued into July of 2021 for us -the decision of Trudeau to have an election after (less than) two years in power come to mind.

The Chinese govt is rotten to its core and the fear is that this behaviour will drop down into every part of society. There is no compassion, they just want to consume - like space aliens taking over earth. They have taken Tibet, hong Kong, imprisoned Uighur Muslims and now it appears that Taiwan is next. I am having difficulty in showing compassion to this group

What a loaded question, haha... 2020 saw the world thrust into a global pandemic that changed everything - all in-person work became remote, all communal activities dried up (no concerts, no dinners, no movies), and most reasoning to go out and live an adventurous life was put on hold. I was furloughed mid April and then officially laid off mid October. I was unemployed (working for CG part time) for nearly 16 months. I lost my friend group, my apartment, and my grandmother in that time period as well. It was the lowest point in my life so far. In so many ways that my life seemed to fall apart, I also lost my personal confidence and my sense of hope that good things were out there for me. My eating, exercising, and sleep schedules went wonky and I felt disconnected from myself in nearly every possible way. Nowadays I'm still not certain how to reconnect with who I was or if that's even the goal. For all the pain and hardship, I've learned some truly invaluable lessons. I may not have the grandiosity of pre-covid but I am beginning to make plans for my life again: seeing friends, moving back to my own apartment, being employed, and booking future travel. Here's to rebuilding, as slow and painful and cumbersome as it is, to be better than we were.

Biden getting elected. I still start to tear up even thinking about it and feel terrified at what could have been otherwise. And we worked so damn hard for it. The two days I felt the most hopeful and relieved this year about the state of the works were Biden winning, and the vaccine rollout getting announced. And one wouldn’t have happened the way it did without the other.

Obviously, the pandemic. My husband lost his job. We had to quarantine in order to travel so baby could meet her grandparents. Most of all, people’s responses to the pandemic have affected my attitude about them. I’ve lost friendships over this. Although other friendships got stronger in their wake. The future of my career is also uncertain.

We, as a country, are moving backwards. Roe v Wade is about to be overturned. Texas passed an abortion ban, over 25 other states are following suit and the supreme court is leaning conservative. Also voter suppression laws have been passed in more than half the states. This is horrifying, embarrassing and alarming. I want my girls to live in a country where every vote counts and they can make decisions regarding their health without worrying about the legality of their decision.

COVID-19

Covid covid covid. It's impacted the entire planet, and laid bare the differences between the haves and have nots, the educated and uneducated, the thinkers and the gullible. There are zero people I know who are not effected. Some far more profoundly than others. Family members sick, friends and acquaintances gone, weddings postponed, parties and celebrations canceled, jobs lost, homes lost. People losing their patience and their minds in grocery store lines and airplanes. A mountain of damaging and dangerous misinformation, and the cretins spewing it. Instead of using this pandemic to pull together and unite like humans usually do in a crisis, we have splintered even further. A wasted opportunity and a damn shame.

Pandemic, Pandemic, Pandemic. I have not spent any time at home, but went to work every day. I am overwhelmed with the isolation, loss of friends, loss of hope, and too much illness and death

The increasing influence of Trump and the hard-right Republicans. Such as the abortion bill in Texas and Mississippi and Louisiana. Such as the anti-voting laws in Texas and Georgia. Jim Crow is roaring back with a vengeance and it appears that there is no hope

The domestic terrorism at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 shattered my sense of order. The participants looked like my neighbors. My representatives supported it. My neighbors increased their pro-Trump, pro-gun, pro-thin-blue-line signage and mounted oversized flags on their trucks, and it felt like they had permission to go hunting for people who thought otherwise. I won't forget that.

Is saying the pandemic redundant, or goes without saying at this point? Strange days, indeed... The day, almost a year ago to the date, that everything went dark orange due to the fires was STARK. It made me want to leave California. I felt hopeless because where else would we go? What place in the world isn’t going to experience these extreme climate events? (Never mind how do we afford staying here in the first place?) I’ve always been aware of the climate change issues in the abstract—shooting down ideas to retire in Palm Springs or Tucson because it will be boiling there by the time we are of retirement age. But to see it FOR REAL was shattering.

Jan 6 and the re rise of COVID due to the Delta variant. Jan 6 let us know that the elections may have given us a democratic government but it is on shaky ground. The emergence of DELTA kicked back notions of travel for this fall and likely into the spring. It has kept me wary of any indoor events and choosy about outdoor events. Kept us really in a pandemic world and revealed again how fragile things are.

Trump not elected. Capitol not (quite) taken over. It is easy to lose track of how close we came to disaster. The absence of disaster still looks like disaster - global warming and COVID are center stage - but it is not the disaster it would have been had Trump been elected, particularly through the force of absolute lies.

The day that President Joe Biden took office was a day I had waited for, hoped for, and prayed for for four years. I believed then – and now – that Joe Biden would bring civility and honor back to the Oval Office. A return of decency, lawfulness, science, concern for the least of us. While I have hope that we will course correct, the Biden presidency has not yet realized all of these necessary changes or tshuva. Nearly half of the country doesn't accept him or science or democracy as we think we know it. Honestly, it feels as if I'm living in a completely divided nation and I can't relate to 50% of the people who live here. While I'm not immediately affected (I have a roof over my head, money in the bank, am past childbearing years, have a passport, am vaccinated), and don't feel all that impacted by what should have been a momentous event, I'm hopeful that Biden will be the calm force to help return this country to its core values.

The bombing in Afghanistan where 13 military perished struck me. Reminding me of the grief I still carry when Jake was killed by a sniper in Mosul. So deeply sad

covid and the vaccine. i dont agree with people being anti-mask concerned only for their “rights” however i also dont agree with all the anger about unvaxxed. i for one am specifically allergic. people will be quick to disbelieve me for one (are they going to start saying “prove it”). and it is hurtful to hear it said that we should be in a leper colony! we have people attacking each other instead of realizing that there is more that should be done on the govt. level. instead we have politicians fighting over whether we should get stim. checks/help; contradictory info from depts (no need for mask if vaxxed then everybody should indoor mask regardless - which is it?); insurance coverage remaining the racket that it is with high cost and all of its exceptions - politicians arent helping that likely bcs they are hand in hand with them; and no real thoughts on how to actually TREAT the virus - which is of special concern bcs im allergic to the vaccine. all the attacks feed even more into the conspiracy theorists who say the vax is part of some dark power. (sigh!) tho we are “tired of it,” i wish all people would just cont’ to wear a mask (mandate that) bcs im not sure this will ever be over. that way protect everybody from each other while they work on a treatment so its not always a death sentence.

The world is such a dumpster fire. Climate change has been so aggressive and damaging and painful this summer and I'm angry about it all the time. I constantly envision a post-climate apocalypse hellscape on Earth, and an alien or some other kind of being landing on Earth, looking around and asking one human survivor what happened, and the human survivor saying, "well, we had all of the technology and science and resources to solve this problem, but we couldn't do it because of greed and power." and then i feel really angry. Israel's assault on Gaza in May was horrific in terms of loss of life, and almost equally horrific in terms of instagram stupidity. The fear of a coup around the 2020 election was a whole thing in DC and it was cool to be part of preparation organizing (also legitimately scary), but then nothing happened in November, Trump stepped down, and by the time of the insurrection on January 6th it was out of sight out of mind.

Obviously COVID-19, the backdrop to everything. Less impact than many as I can work from home as can many on my project teams. Good to be back in person at church and Life Group. Mixed feelings about working from home with no time in the office, although we're getting better at having virtual social events.

The refusal of Republicans to take the vaccine now that it is finally here! The virus won’t go away! Kim M has died! The country is forever divided.

The January 6th attack on the US Capitol was utterly horrifying. It made me afraid for our democracy, and so very, very angry that anyone could continue to support Trump after all of this. Lost contact with my aunt and a family friend over it. Still not sure how I feel about having severed these ties. It made me even more certain that the current right wing wackadoodle element in our country is incredibly dangerous.

Well we got the vaccines but there are still so many people unwilling to get them even though it is creating variants That continue to make people ill. I find myself feeling so angry at these people who are unwilling to do the right thing for the rest of the world. Covid continues to be a problem and everyone is affected but some people think it’s not their responsibility to be part of the solution.

The Jan. 6th riot. Ohhh, how terrible, and that the Republican party is in denial about what the then-president did, is confounding and alarming. The most recent abortion ban makes me so angry...the hypocrisy of telling a woman what she can't do with her body, and then the squalling from the anti-vaxxers about how they shouldn't have to/won't get a Covid shot is exhausting.

The virus, it's still by far the biggest thing that's impacting me. I worry about my littlest one who isn't yet old enough for the vaccine. And all those misguided folks who won't take it. I guess too few are old enough to remember polio. My highschool history teacher was old enough not to have had the vaccine for that; polio limited his mobility for life. None of his students had to endure that, we were all vaccinated for polio. Hopefully, this will end soon, but I fear it won't.

The pandemic has affected me in not a great way. We managed to keep afloat at work but I am struggling big time at home. Marc scares me at times and I feel like I don't know how to handle this. But we made it to the wedding. I keep resolving to change and take care of myself better and then am not able to do that.

Obviously the pandemic. Grandpa's death alone in the hospital. Still not doing much with other people. Forgetting how to people with people. Getting vaccinated. Relief, then horror at having the numbers skyrocket again. Rage at people who won't take the vaccine. Rage mostly at anti-vax influencers.

Covid... It's been so full on not seeing family being seperated from people. Slowing down the natural flow of relationships and connections. Also recently the Taliban taking over Afghanistan and being faced with such horrendous stories of people being killed for living lives with rights that I take advantage of every day! Support my neighbour to try and find a way for her sister to come to the UK was so hard and yet i hope that from this peace will come to our world

Biden being elected president. It's still rough, but it gives me hope.

It feels so hard to choose just one event in a year which many have compared to an apocalypse. It just feels like there's one crisis after another, an unrelenting series of misfortunes some of them repeating from previous moments in history. I think about the January 6th insurrection a lot, more so than the media covers it. Because I was a Government major at Georgetown, and someone who has idealized American democracy and our role in preserving it, this hit especially hard. Even more so, being surrounded by others who did not take this event seriously or feel as deeply troubled as me around it was hard to calibrate my own emotions. The state of American politics and our divisiveness as a country has so many implications and it has left me questioning where I can best impact the world and if I will leave the world a better place than I entered.

The development of Covid vaccines has definitely impacted my life for the better. Even though there are still many people who choose not to get it, the majority of people have gotten it, which is helping us slowly get back to normal. I'm glad to not have to wear a mask anywhere except public transportation, doctors' offices, and certain places that still require it, and I'm thrilled about Biden instituting the federal vaccine mandate.

In the social media age, it's almost impossible to make a definitive line between world news and everyday life. The abortion ban in Texas, the recall in California, weather issues all over the country, anti-vaxx campaigns alongside them... because we have people who are connected to all these things, we are impacted by them too. The question isn't more how or why these things impact us, but rather how we will cope with them in the future.

COVID has truly impacted us, as well as everyone around us. I have learned to truly appreciate and not take for granted hugging my mom, seeing my children and being in person with my friends. I have become more aware of the beautiful place where I live and thankful for the space we have to live in so we don't feel as cooped up as others might. I am also learning how to balance fear with science and careful thought so as to be able to go out in the world again.

Climate change because of the forest fires all around the world and the loss of animal life

Pandemic has to be mentioned. But really, January 6th and all the fall out from that. It so saddens and offends me that so many people KNOW what happened and are lying about it and that so many other people are just numb to the fact that they are following along. Same ones that refuse to get vaccinated. This weird fascist conservatism scares me and I want to move out of the USA to somewhere else.

Covid-19 and we are heading into a 4th wave. Collectively we are still not dealing with the issue globally. We are looking to give booster shots to people who are fully vaccinated and there are places in the world that have not received vaccine yet. If we don't act globally this virus will continue to plague us for years.

The inequities become more apparent every year. With Covid and climate change, it is clear that we are very fortunate to be in the first world. With the added privilege of not only being born in the first world, but born white and male, added awareness to that. We went solar, not for ourselves but for the grandchildren, ours and throughout the world.

Biden winning the 2020 election! I breathed a tremendous sigh of relief when Trump left office. What an asshat, and I'm so glad he's gone. Though obviously a change of president doesn't erase the underlying societal issues that brought Cheeto into power in the first place...

It would be hard to answer this question with any answer but the COVID surge. As an ER physician, I have been deeply impacted by this surge. We've all been working so hard to keep people well during this time. The hospitals and ED's in my area have been absolutely inundated, way beyond our worst numbers in wintertime. We're seeing patients in unusual places in the hospital, including outside, as we have no place else to put anyone. I have not been so emotional about work since I was in Atlanta and suffering from severe burnout. I don't feel burned out now at all though. Instead, I feel heartbroken. I come home from work and I just feel like there is no solution. I feel sad for my community, for society. I cry every 2-3 days. Also, and maybe to the contrary of what I just wrote, I also feel like I'm working at the very, very top of my calling. I chose emergency medicine because I truly believe in caring for all comers, regardless of reason, regardless of personal/life circumstance. And this is what keeps me going. I don't have room to worry about whether or not someone is vaccinated (although I do ask patients the question, of course -- and when I'm off work the fact of the unvaccinated and the unhinging of society is something that leads to my tears). I do my absolute best to remember that each patient deserves care. Deserves compassion. Deserves my presence. Deserves whatever I can bring to assist in their healing. So it is also an opportunity for me to remember this calling, every day.

Biden's election. He's not perfect, but I feel at least that there's a grown-up in charge instead of an psychotic, abusive parent.

The Pandemic. I've had to consider how I approach outings. I've had to cancel plans I've made with people. More than that, it feels like this cloud is hanging overhead, and with the pandemic still very much raging, it feels overly optimistic to think of an end being in sight, even though logically speaking, this pandemic has to end sometime. That's what gets to me most; the feeling that the pandemic isn't actually close to being over.

Israel's bombardment of Palestinians in Gaza has created agitiation in my I/P neutral organization that I didn't think was possible. Over the years I think I've gotten complacent on this issue and I'm grateful some of my colleagues spoke up and created agitation.

Development of the COVID vaccines certainly impacted me. And not just one singular event, but following the many, ever increasing weather disasters that have been happening around the world have me really seriously reflecting on climate change. How much damage we've done, and how much more is coming. We have to make some drastic changes to save life on this planet.

COVID, COVID, COVID! COVID prevented me from being with my brother in the months before he died, visit my sister-in-law before she died, attend my other sister-in-law’s funeral, hug my sons, and interact with friends and family. The fear and unknown influenced my actions and attitude.

The horrific aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war was devastating. It re-enforced my husband and my desire to keep working for a more peaceful & just world.

COVID-19 is the clear answer, but not in terms of my own fears of illness or its impact on my activities. What really hit me was that I couldn't even make plans to visit friends overseas. It's the 10 year anniversary of the EMEAI team coming together and we couldn't meet up to celebrate, I couldn't draft plans for my next trip to India and everywhere I cherish outside the US seemed farther away than ever before.

Covid Didn’t expect that post-vaccines we’d still have to be so cautious. But Biden taking office in January was a wonderful worldwide event and a positive one!!

January fucking sixth. I think it's the biggest tragedy and the most disgusting attack to happen on American soil in twenty years. We watched it happen live from my SO's family house, and I was thankful to be thousands of miles away from the turmoil. I was already mad at the terrible people that make up the Republican Party, but that made me furious. The fact that the instigators still haven't seen charges or punishment makes me furious.

The elimination of travel due to COVID has actually been the most impactful. I miss being able to go places and experience new people and things. The up side has been the return to reading and listening to books, a main go-to when younger and the reason travel became so important.

The COVID vaccine became available to the public starting around January. Grandma became eligible first and I still remember the deep gratitude I felt as soon as she was vaccinated. I got my first shot on 2/27/21 and my second on 3/20/21 both at Medgar Evers College, a 20 minute walk from my house. I had never before so looked forward to getting a shot. The whole thing was run by Air Force soldiers (and some Space Force soldiers? That was my first time seeing that patch on military uniforms). They ran a tight ship and I was in and out in 20 minutes (including the 15 minute wait time after the shot to make sure there are no allergic reactions.) I felt invincible afterwards. I basked in that feeling for a bit, but soon after mom was hospitalized (March 31) and at that point I just felt grateful that at least one of us in the immediate family had received both of our shots, particularly as I was sitting in the waiting room of the ICU. (I sent dad out to the parking lot because he was not and still is not vaccinated)

It is still the pandemic - COVID-19. Why? Because I can't do anything, go anywhere. How? It is still making me scared and depressed.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is clearly an ongoing thing. Last school year the boys did remote learning. White that wasn't a total disaster on itself, they performed poorly despite having an assistant and a tutor. It was also stressful trying to work from home while monitoring them, etc. I'm very thankful that they are now vaccinated and back to in-person school!

The obvious answer is covid...It has revealed our strengths , our weaknesses and our ignorance as a nation, and in the world at large. It has destroyed industries, and personally my sense of purpose. BUT my biggest fear is Climate Change. It is an immediate and present danger and I cannot help but fear for the future of humanity. Literally, the world is either on fire or drowning and we have dragged our feet in response to something that could have been prevented 20 years ago. We are a lazy nation and most people do not want to acknowledge anything that will interfere with their known levels of comfort.

The US having a new president has given me some peace, but I can't say it has impacted me in a major way this year, unless we want to count the ... absence of harm being actively done and encouraged? That said, the events of January 6th have stuck with me, and in very uncomfortable ways. As a kid I took it for granted that America was a safe place to live, and that while our internal political differences are vast and often intractable, America is on balance a force for good in the world. After countless wars, recessions, and disappointments great and small, I've come to question both of these assumptions - and the answers don't tend to bring much comfort. So these days, I often find myself focusing on a different "world" - my family, and my community. Acting locally may or may not have global consequences, but at very least, it has detectable consequences.

On January 6th, some members of our population stormed the Capitol building with congress people inside. I thought I was over being shocked at what could come out of the radical conservatives but I was wrong. There is always so much discussion about how we're the epitome of democracy and freedom. Yet the people that scream the loudest about their right to freedom conduct themselves like fascists. I'm so disgusted with the hypocrisy in this country.

Far too many events in the world this year have been reminders that humans yet have much to learn around how poorly and unconsciously we’ve been organizing ourselves. It would take too long to enumerate them. When will we reweave harmoniously with the natural world? When will we once again listen with our hearts? When will we foster care for ourselves, others, all living creatures, Nature, Earth? When will we end violence in all forms? When will we end anthropocentric arrogance and greedy consumption? Awaken, right now, to the miracle of Life!

The Delta variant. Just when I felt like some kind of normal was returning. Bam. It's made me rethink things. This may go on for years. If that's true, what's my middle ground look like? I'm going through treatment for 3rd stage cancer. I'm not willing to sit at home for years, waiting. I don't know how many years I have left. So, I will find some middle ground and go live anyway.

I found myself incredibly worried about Afghanistan and the Taliban. I am not exactly sure why, but knowing 3 people that could have been (and 2 that were) shipped there for the Army, including 2 that were only 4 years old when 9/11 happened, it really worried me. 20 years since 9/11, 20 years since the war began, with absolutely nothing to prove successful except 20 years of a liberal country (which I'd say was a small success). Those poor Afghanis that know nothing else are going to have their lives completely upended. It just felt like one more giant problem in this world and hit me differently.

Biden winning the presidential election was a big event. Especially with the delays in counting votes. When I heard on the radio that it was confirmed I wept with joy for the potential to heal our country.

The traumas and mess in Afghanistan and suffering of those involved and refugees. Felt inclined to give them clothes etc no longer needed. Why? Not sure whether more suffering or because of availability of clothes from Alan that I think he’d have liked used this way

Race War Coronavirus Capital Riot US Troops retract from Afghanistan All of these have divided the world, created larger social class gaps. Hate has bubbled up and it is everywhere you turn now - small communities, rural areas, large cities. No respect for beliefs, just an unending war inside each person. The fight to be right about anything and everything.

Hm...the first thing that comes to mind is the result of the 2020 election. Thank goodness Trump is out and Biden (and Harris!!!!) is in. It gave me such a feeling of relief that our baby will have his first four years under a blue president. I think also the rollout of vaccines helped a lot. Also that sense of relief.

Getting vaccinated was more emotional than I expected it was going to be. The potential for us to come together to help each other is so great, only limited by the fear that some people just can't let go of, from a reality of scarcity that no longer exists.

The anti-vax movement/Covid. I mean, of course Covid. But I want to talk about the new cultural split between vaxers and antivaxers. My former best friend will barely speak to me and I have permanently offended her by requesting non-vaccinated people stay home from my son's bar mitzvah. She's an anti-vaxer and was terribly hurt. I don't know where our friendship will land.

Vaccines and the power of division.

First COVID wiped out our connections. Everything changed. While two daughters were tested regularly and we spent time with our one year old grandson, we could only see our other daughter and precious 3 year old grandson in 15 minute gulps on the porch steps masked and distanced. I held my breath thinking of my 81 year old parents hundreds of miles away, the time ticking by since the last time I saw them. We tied our fragile bonds with phone calls and online snippets. Then the vaccine brought us all back together. We got to touch, hold, engage. We filled the house with family, with laugher and cuddles. The simple act of holding our little grandboy in our arms felt like a miracle. My parents each came to visit, and we had four generations together. I learned to count every second an make every second count.

Well, there’s COVID of course. Which has changed all of our lives. But what nags at meet, what breaks my heart, maddens me, frustrates me, and scares me is growing antisemitism. Its hard to accept this is happening. My powerlessness in the matter, finally sunk in. Nothing I can do will change it, nor change anyone’s disregard for it. Those who commit it seem unreachable, illogical and steadfast in their hatred. Its shocking. I have so much to say about it all, but it’s too, too much. Writing doesn’t help.

Personally I was affected by the two week war in Israel in May. My kids ended up sleeping in our safe room, and we all went back to zoom after finally returning to the classroom. My son still talks about the alarms.

The re-rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan has almost caught everyone by surprise. Other global events were a surprise but came and went, quite quickly. For nearly the last 2 years, Covid-19 has had prime placement in the news. The Taliban and their promises will now continue to capture my attention. And fear. Fear for those who remain in Afghanistan, who hope for a generous and willing Taliban, who hope for some type of Democracy.

I think that I, along with most of the world, would agree that this pandemic is probably having the worst impact on our way of life. Getting vaccines, not getting vaccines, masking/no masking....it's so chaotic right now.

The continual mistreatment of women and children throughout the world impacts me every day. If you're reading this, think about the last time you thought about a woman without objectifying her. Is there a last time?

The Covid-19 pandemic is still raging. The vaccines seemed like a light at the end of the tunnel, but now there are new mutants

Probably the election of joe Biden. We were at a crossroads in our society and not electing Trump was a big deal to most people I know. I really didn’t like him either and was so glad to see him go and see some reason restored to the world. It meant something to me about my fellow man and about my country. I don’t love Biden but at least he’s a person with experience for the job and someone with a heart. I honestly don’t pay enough attention to the presidential news but just not having to hear the latest crazy thing that Trump said has been refreshing and a return to normalcy. I can return to focusing on local politics and things that actually matter to me more and are not so distracting.

This is a dumb question. We all know Covid is seriously impacted us. Covid has created a divisiveness amongst everyone. Adults and kids are all being significantly impacted mentally and financially. It is all too much. Once we come out of this what will be left. I hope companies invest in employees auger this.

The racial reckoning instigated by the death of George Floyd is still resonating. I bring the awareness of white privilege and systemic racism to my work and my observations of the world every day. It is not an easy thing – complex, nuanced, laced with helplessness, and frustration too. I am aware my role as a white artist is impacted... opportunities are less available, space must be made for BIPOC artists as it rarely was before. So it goes, regardless of my personal role, this change must happen. There is a long, seemingly never-ending way to go.

The unending Covid-19 pandemic...I am beyond Covid-fatigued as a physician.

The January 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was an event that I'll never forget. After so many years of destruction, it was beautiful seeing something hopeful. I even cried watching Kamala Harris taking oath as Vice President. It was extremely meaningful watching a woman of color as myself take office. It made me realize that I also can be anything I want and have the power to make a difference in this world.

Climate Change got real this year. The 116 degree heat wave was one thing, which I missed in Portland, because I was in CA, experiencing extreme drought conditions in the Central Valley and the failure of our well. I wanted so much to do something about it. I attended meetings. I asked questions. I met with old farmers. I did an interview with the Fresno Bee. I got my Dad involved. It was all I could think about. This thing that I knew was going to happen from school was happening all around me, all of these wells going dry and all of these farmers trying to dig deeper to feed their trees. And then I drove away. Back to Portland. Went on vacation. And still feel so detached from it all because I'm far away. And I'm disappointed that I'm not there. Bearing witness. Making noises and doing something. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help. I should call Matt again, see if I can help in some way. Volunteer. Write. I want our family business to be sustainable, to get certified, to be carbon neutral, but we, the world has so little time, and everyone is caught up in their jobs, in getting the next person hired, in making the product, selling the product, making a profit...will we make it? It's going to get less and less comfortable every year, from here on out and that is extremely depressing.

The January 6th insurrection. It heightened societal awareness of the pervasiveness of white supremacy and the threats to our fragile and imperfect democracy. Along side the ongoing state violence against black and brown people, these events have caused me to evaluate strategies for resistance

The Vaccine! The way in which it has shaped the world and how we tend to perceive each other in terms of what we value. I think I’ve never felt more relieved when people say they are vaccinated and more disappointed when people say that they aren’t. I think it’s also made me indifferent when it comes to seriously avoidable death. I don’t want People to die, but I consider them victims of fear and misinformation, and if COVID unfortunately claims them, while I feel sorry for their families,I’m not surprised. I don’t think a year ago I would of been as indifferent.

It continues to be interesting to live through "history." But at the same time, of course it's always been this way. I am still now in exile in a foreign country, unable to apply to keep my family together if we left, and the borders are still closed. My family has never met my son, who today is three quarters of a year old. It's been such a strange experience to live the last two years in a single neighbourhood with no friends and no family nearby. Luckily, our marriage is strong. But we are exhausted. There is no choice but to keep going, and there is no true break. In general, the pandemic continues to reach into our lives around the world and make things different than we thought they would be. The promised or hoped for future is blurry and there's no guarantees, and although that was surely already the case before Covid it is sharply focused now. The acute, searing pain of giving birth with a room full of strangers (kind strangers, but still) and no one to welcome me back from the brink of mortality, not even my new son or husband, stays with me. The nurse was kind and helpful and saintly. M was trying to get me to agree to move house, less than two hours after I gave birth to my first child. This would not have happened if not for the pandemic. I would have at least had my parents in the hospital room after delivery. Instead, I had to summon all my mental faculties and all my physical endurance to take on caring for a newborn in a foreign country without my husband being home after only ten days. Sometimes I forget how difficult it must have been. Put it this way: I got addicted to watching K2 and Everest documentaries. If people can survive that, I seemed to be saying to myself, me, R, and baby can survive this.

Withdrawing from Afghanistan was perplexing for me to address morally. What obligation does our US government have to help govern others? Thinking of those people hanging from the plane, all the women and girls who will suffer breaks my heart. I also look at all American lives and trillions of dollars lost for a corrupt government that had all the resources and wouldn't move to self-stability. Ashraf Ghani should be in Afghanistan being held accountable for his actions, not fleeing with millions in cash. Makes me sick.

The heatwaves, hurricanes, wildfires. The political events that degraded national vaccination effectiveness are leading to a continuation of a pandemic that should be ending now, in the US at least. I had to cancel a trip to Israel in the late spring, expecting that COVID restrictions would have ended then, so I was unable to visit my daughter there. I am both disturbed and hopeful -- I have suspected that people will be ready for change only when things gets unequivocally scary.

If anything I think I have insulated myself even more from events around the world this last year. The pandemic continues to drag on and on, as do most of the other issues I felt so deeply last year. Maybe I regret not allowing myself to be more impacted by the world now. I also completely overthink this question and assume it has to mean something outside of the country I live in, and outside my immediate family. Ultimately I think I continue to be most impacted by the choices made by other countries in the ways they have handled or not handled Covid 19 and its vaccine. Countries who cannot effectively respond fast and hard like my country can have had long, drawnout and repeated lockdowns which has a ripple effect on everyone. Additionally, countries who insisted on being the first to be vaccinated potentially put themselves and us more at risk by taking doses from countries struggling to control the virus. Which is counterproductive because the more the virus spreads through a population, the more likely it is that a new variant develops, which could render the vaccine ineffective in the long run anyway.

HA! the vaccine

Duh, Covid. And Climate Change. And Afghanistan. And the death of two teenagers, close to my kids ages. Life is fragile.

The horror of leaving Afghanistan. The ongoing challenges of Israel in the face of terror in Gaza . Growing antisemitism. The wrongheaded direction of identity politics. All of which are forming my pledge to speak out and to work towards securing a Jewish future and Jewish identity for my grandchildren in the Pacific Northwest

Of course, COVID. The general stress level in life has reset to a higher baseline. I feel quite a bit better after being vaccinated, but worry over breakthrough infections is at the back of my mind. I still have a hard time thinking of myself as immunocompromised, but I do take 3 different immunosuppressive meds for arthritis, so.... Mostly, I'm kind of disappointed in humanity in general - the selfishness and lack of community is just heartbreaking to see.

Parental trauma

An event in the world... Not too sure actually. Is it because I don't follow the news? Or because I'm so self-centered? Or I just don't get moved by things happening far away? Should I take it in? Any of it? Well, when I was in Denmark, something shifted in me about the climate crisis. It was the forst time I understood it's something personal. And that has changed my perception of reality. And I have a feeling, it'll keep on changing. But now I see it as something impossible to ignore. The steps I take on this planet, the big ones, I feel, will always have to relate to the environmental issue now. I wouldn't feel at ease any other way. It would just feel like living at the expence of something far greater than my meak and temporary human persona and its desires.

This one is easy: Biden being elected President [thank heaven] and Trump + his cronies insisting the election was fraudulent/stolen. I'm horrified at how many people believe all sorts of crazy conspiracy stories and in despair at how GOP states have passed so many voter suppression laws to address the concern about election fraud, a concern that the GOP created by all their false accusations.

Good lord. I was trying on wedding dresses during the insurgence. It was so fucked and so surreal. I think what impacted me more in the moment because I allowed myself to not compartmentalize was the relief and release of Biden, and the hope that I felt when he gave his speech. I cried. Having Trump in office and in our screens for 4 years was so caustic and traumatizing. This is not to say things are all better, but there is (for me, a privileged person) less of a daily, relentless worry and frustration and anxiety. The news is more diverse now. It's better. Except for Texas. And the pandemic. Fuck.

Well, the pandemic is still happening. Which is an unpleasant surprise. It's moving around the world in waves. People are mostly still unvaccinated because of first-world greed, I suppose, and so the virus keeps mutating. It's showing us how interconnected we all are, how there isn't any possibility of 'saving oneself' without also rescuing the world. I think this event has totally diminished my faith in humanity. We are senseless.

Corona virus. It is still impacting my l8fe

I haven't seen my Russian friends for almost two years because of the hostility between our countries and the way politicians used the pandemic to restrict travel between the regions. I haven't seen my Belarussian friend for an equally long time and horrible things are happening in her country right now.

COVID-19 has impacted my teaching career as many children are learning from home. Schools were closed for all of Term 3, 2021. They are scheduled to reopen on October 25th in NSW.

January 6 insurrection of the Capital building by Trump supporters. Feeling despair, anger, loss of hope in our country.

The coronavirus pandemic is still impacting the world, Britain, and me, although many in Britain (including Boris Johnson) seem to have become rather complacent about it since the vaccinations have been rolled out. It is still out there and it is still a killer. The widespread complacency has me scared because so many folk are not taking it seriously and have pretty much given up on social distancing and mask wearing. I've recently been in hospital for 6.5 weeks, and although it wasn't with coronavirus the doctors told me to keep being very careful 'out there' because C-19 would likely kill me if I got it (which I already knew) and it's still extremely prevalent despite so many folk being complacent.

Biden becoming president. It means I am not scared for my daughter’s life in quite the same way as if we had had another 4 years of trump. Because we once again have a rational sane human being in office that genuinely wants to keep Americans safe from harm and has enough intelligence and common sense to not do the dumb things trump did.

The biggest event in the entire world for me was the event in my world when on January 15th, 2021, I took my husband to the ER thinking he was having a stroke. We found out only a few hours later after the MRI that it was not a stroke, it was a brain tumor.

The refusal of so many Americans to take the Covid vaccines, and dying for their stubbornness. I live in a conservative area and feel so isolated, both physically and socially.

Covid, and then especially the travel restrictions. I have not been able to leave China for almost two years now and don't know how much longer it will be until the border reopens. It has made me decide to give up on living here. It feels like the end of a romantic relationship. I am/was in love with Yunnan but now I'm leaving, because of this. I'm sad but positive about the next stage, and grateful for everything I have done and learned here. I'm taking a lot of time for the transition, not just for the practicalities of moving country but also to take a lot of time to process the emotions of leaving a beloved place and settling in a new one.

An event? There are many (climate change, extreme weather events, the US election, Myanmar and Afghanistan to name just a few) and the cumulative effect of juggling them all is emotionally, spiritually and intellectually deadening. I have come to realise that we little people can do very little except in our local patch, and that will take years to ripple out into the world, if at all. We are all at the mercy of the powers that be, and they either do not care or don't know how. The sociologist and community engagement expertise in me is champing at the bit... we can break out of this but it has to be the majority We.

So many events! Covid, of course (like last year, and maybe if this keeps up, next year too...) and the broken political system in our country that allowed Voldemort to pretend he won the election and smirk through the chaos that ensued. Including January 6, which I did watch, in horror. (The Confederate Flag in the Capital Building really said it all.) And let's also not forget the anti-vaccine folks, also egged on by the horrible Republican establishment. They seem to be completely comfortable with making people's lives worse...??? Though I have continued to write "postcards to voters" throughout the year, as campaigns came up, I do feel way more helpless than I should. Some of that is my certainty that you can't change people's minds about politics, at least not without a great deal of conversation, which makes doing phone calls to voters tough. Honestly, I don't know quite how to talk to people who feel differently about basic values with the respect that is necessary to a meaningful dialogue. Bottom line, what I said last year holds, but now I can add even more cynicism, plus a sense of depression that has overcome my pride in being an American -- which I did once have -- in spite of our flaws.

Joe Biden's election and inauguration cemented my belief that most people aren't willing to actually work towards a better world until the problem affects them, which basically means that most White people in the US hardly do anything. I kept hoping that I could inspire a few people to do more, but it didn't happen, and that's a bummer.

The continuing saga of COVID. I got my vaccines as soon as they were available. I also got a booster shot the moment it was sanctioned. I wear my mask -- I never really stopped. I still don't go to church in person. I try to avoid big crowds. I'm really kind of tired of having to DO all of this -- especially when it COULD have been prevented. A personal "world event" was the loss of my dearest long-time friend to Covid. He died on Christmas Day, before the vaccine was available. I still can't believe he's gone.

The COVID pandemic has affected me this year. As I've returned to working in the office, it doesn't feel normal to me. From being able to sleep in to waking up at 5AM to commute every day. And it's taken getting used to learning how to socialize with people again.

Oh my covid. Goodness. I would have had much more ability to travel. My father's cognitive decline is very impactful. We will see where this goes. I have made good decisions this year.

When I initially moved to Houston for graduate school, I did not know that my first year of grad school would be only online. I think this made the biggest impact for me. I could have stayed in Los Angeles the entire year, and did not have to uproot my entire life. I'm still glad I did, however, because I feel like it has made the slow trickle back to in-person school more manageable.

I mean what hasnt? BLM, LGBTQIA+ rights, indigenous rights, global warming, Covid-19… everything is happening and there’s little I feel I can do to make a positive impact on these issues. It makes me feel awful. All the terrible things happening to our people and for what? I hate it here sometimes.

The ongoing pandemic of course, but most recently… Texas passing an all out ban on abortion and severely restricting voter rights. It’s okay to control a person’s body when it suits your faith or politics, but leave room for your own loop holes. Mandated vaccine that could save lives in your community? How dare they! Violating a woman’s constitutional right to private and safe medical services that have no impact on you or the community to suit your own beliefs? Suuuuure. I have lots of feelings about this.

I think the abortion ban and voting laws in Texas have had a big impact on me. It makes me question the country I live in, as if I hadn't already. That there are people who are so blatantly against women and minorities is just insane to me. How in the world can I raise my daughters in a country that doesn't care about their bodies? How can I tell them that the people they might vote for won't make it into the elected position because there were laws designed to keep anyone who isn't white, rich, or conservative out. The more I write the angrier I get. I just hope these people won't be around when my children are old enough to understand. That kind and caring individuals will have replaced them and the US will be a place that cares for everyone.

The Joe Biden victory. It saved the USA from collapse.

Jesus. Okay, well, COVID continuing, obviously. I continued to work from home. The vaccine becoming available allowed me to see my grandparents and other family members again. I still don't do indoor dining or indoor movie theaters, and use masks when I go shopping. The election got me out of the house last Fall for neighborhood canvassing and protesting outside the convention center in Philly. That was great and inspiring. Most of the time world news is something to be miserable about and I have to manage my intake and reactions.

How could the answer to this be anything but COVID? The 9/11 20th anniversary hasn’t happened just yet (a few more days) and there were events, certainly, but nothing quite like the on-going COVID epidemic. I mean there was the attack on the Capitol. That was outrageous, but nowhere near as outrageous as the reaction to it by the supporters of the attackers. And the inaction. There was also a very positive change in tone in the country as the drama queen got kicked out of office and a hard worker moved in and took action. But still, not as disruptive as COVID. I am cooped up. Maybe being too conservative, but here I am. No social contact to speak of (save a few points here and there - but nowhere near enough). But I’m old. I’m fat and I am pretty sure I have other risk factors yet to be discovered. So I will never be as socially active as my 30-year-old friends, or even my 70-year-old-but-in-good-shape friends. It’s keeping me sad and controlled. I feel flat. The mood has changed from desperation (please let me get out!!) to anger, as the unvaccinated keep the spread going and make life more dangerous for all of us. But here I sit. Waiting for some unknown marker to tell me it’s safe to go outside.

Insurrection on January 6 has had a huge impact on me. It has caused me to reevaluate a number of friendships and family relations. I have really struggled with how I want to be connected on social media and in the world with people who did not view the insurrection as an attack on our democracy and something that should be strongly condemned. Of course this is on the heels of an election, and I put myself out there for the first time on that as I saw it as values rather than politics. This has helped me to grow closer to people of like mind but I don’t want to live in an echo chamber. I want to find better ways of engaging with people who may just be victims of disinformation

The event I choose is the passing of SB8 in Texas. I am an ardent supporter of women children and families. SB8 is an assault on not just women but children and families (too include men who support the women and children they love) as well. You can not be “pro-life” if you don’t also support ALL things that support life. To support life means you are supportive of a living wage, healthcare for all, safe and affordable child care, and you’re against child poverty or children going hungry. Unfortunately it seems people who call themselves “pro-life” don’t further support the above.

Like everyone I have been deeply impacted by the pandemic. It changed everything in our family life -- our work and school locations, our work and school schedules, our ability to socialize with friends and celebrate with family, even how we shopped at the grocery store. I feel enormously grateful to have made it 18 months without succumbing to COVID, and more importantly that every one in my family, especially the kids, have remained healthy. I'm also grateful that my kids are compliant and follow rules about masking and (I think) social distancing, close enough to have remained healthy. More recently I have been gutted by the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and what that means for the Afghan people. The level of suffering there, as people struggled to leave the country before the end of the US occupation, was excruciatingly difficult to watch, largely because the Afghans were relying on us for their freedom. Now, without the US presence and amid a significant yet insufficient effort to evacuate thousands of Afghans who assisted the US military, the country has fallen to the Taliban and will revert to sharia law. In addition to the Afghans who face grave dangers for their work with Americans, I am also thinking of the civil liberties of so many young women and girls who have tasted freedom and liberation and education, and may now live lives of fear, repression and despair. While like many Americans I knew this "unsuccessful war" could not go on forever, I am profoundly sad and so ashamed we have left the Afghan people to suffer.

The limitations imposed by the covid pandemic have not been difficult, but they are always in my mind. If I were not temporarily disabled following my hip replacement, travel restrictions would be very frustrating and disappointing.

I was really moved by the activism I saw take place when Georgia elected two democratic senators. I got to play a part in this through phone banking and voting myself, and I feel so grateful to have been a part of such an amazing movement for change in my state. I feel more empowered to get involved in electoral work in the future and fight for what I believe in.

Obviously COVID because of all the reasons everyone else has been dealing with but for us w/ my sister-in-law in Italy it's been tough talking w/ her about how it has impacted her there even more than here. We also had a series of trips that we had to cancel and postpone just like everyone else. The crazy side has been how much work it has brought us due to people wanting to build 2nd homes. Our architecutral studio has literally never been this busy in 3-1/2 decades of its existence. We've been very lucky that we haven't actually gotten the virus and none of our friends have gotten horribly ill from it so we count our blessings.

Not one specific event, rather my growing awareness of how far ranging public reactions to events are. First, the pandemic-I was so so grateful when vaccines came available and I was eligible as soon as I was. And that is the same as most of the people I know in person. But now, many months later, there are legions of people who are not only refusing to be vaccinated, but are working to disrupt public health measures to protect us all. I think the messaging around COVID and public health could have been better handled. But still. Second is the refusal by so many to accept the results of the 2020 United States presidential election. This led to an armed invasion of our capital in an attempt to disrupt the turnover of power. Our own president, claiming he won despite no evidence to support the claim,refused to participate in the swearing in ceremony for his replacement. I live in Arizona, the state with the notorious election audit. It’s being led by a company with no experience of election audits, nor knowledge of election procedures. Many key players in the process have stated openly that they don’t believe the results of the election. They’ve been secretive about their processes, as well as what they’re looking for. Ballots have been handled with lax security, and the county will be forced to replace much of their equipment before the next election because they cannot be sure it is still secure. Part of me want to scream ‘HOW CAN YOU ALL BE SO STUPID!!!???!!!”. But that wouldn’t make anything better, and I’d be better served listening rather than talking, and if I still don’t understand, listen some more again and again until I do understand.

The ending of the war in Afghanistan after 20 years has significantly impacted me lately. Bush’s war on terror was the only war waged by the US that I was old enough to remember and to think about the impacts and the reverberations it has left on our country and society is yet another tragedy of failed leadership for this country. I’m convinced as historians look back on this period there will be a consensus that 9/11 was the beginning of our downfall. Although the method of pulling out of Afghanistan was completely botched due to an abject failure of military intelligence, I still think it was the right thing to do and needed to be done to end a 20 year war that never should have seen us in the country to begin with. Democratic ideals are not something that is so easily exported outside of Western belief systems and it was naive to think that it would somehow take root there. I feel so terrible for the women and girls who had their hopes and dreams snatched away from them by religious fundamentalists and hope our country will do the right thing and let in as many refugees as possible.

With Covid-19 many things have changed and I have had to think about those who are close to me and now with a new granddaughter I worry about her and her safety. We need to look out for others and hopefully we all can get thought this.

Lockdown in Turkey for Can, fires in Turkey for Merve

The continuing pandemic - when it started, I remember thinking it would be three months. But now we're going into month 18 and it doesn't look like it will end before spring. And in our pain, so many other national wounds are coming up. And we're seeing our leaders failing. The previous leader failed out of Hubris, but the new leader - this guy is smart, and experienced. Not every plan works - I'm okay with that. But seeing his failures makes me lose a little hope - if anyone had the right resources at his fingertips, the right experience, it was this guy. And if he's not successful, maybe it means "letting go and let God" as they say. And I don't think that God really works like that. So it's back to the responsibility of humanity to have compassion and get us through. And I don't trust humanity either right now. I'm in a very cynical moment, which isn't good for my spirit. But this does have me leaning more into my personal connections - remembering to find the humanity in my husband, my child, my friends. And that helps.

I don’t know, honestly. I’d say Ida as I lost so much of my stuff.

This year I've struggled with people not being vaccinated. I understand some people can't be vaccinated for medical reasons. However, those who just absolutely refuse is beyond my grasp of reality. These same people who refused vaccines are the very ones clogging up the hospital with COVID. Now they want to be vaccinated and it's simply to late. It has impacted me in the strangest ways. For example, I'm normally a very empathic person with great concern in my fellow man's suffering. As COVID cases climb once again and people are dying I feel no sorrow, pain or sympathy. To try to pretend to have these feelings would be a lie. I've done everything within my power and obligation to my fellow human being to protect them from spreading COVID. I wear a mask and keep my hands sanitized. I'm vaccinated. Temple services are once again being shut down or limited to only a few members. The senior center is still currently open and I desperately need the senior center for my mental wellbeing and socialization. I don't think I can deal with another quarantine.

Afghanistan - I just can't wrap my head around it really. I can't understand how after all those years the Taliban got into power and now it just is what it is and no-one is going to do anything about it anymore.

The COVID vaccine! I was so grateful that Scott and I were deemed to be eligible so early on. I don't know if I've ever felt such gratitude. I cried when I got my first shot. It meant we could see Bryan. And so grateful that Bryan's job made him eligible so early! So, so grateful. Such joy to hug my son, see where he is living, meet his friends and housemates, celebrate him as a college graduate. Thank you scientists and doctors!!

The assassination of Jovenel fucked me uppppp. I was in Spain. And I was sad and I was scared and I was crying. Everything made me cry. Then I got stuck in Spain. And I just needed to be home but I really needed to be in Haiti. Rematriman. 🇭🇹

The election of Joe Biden as president. This is the first time I have ever cried with happiness and relief at the election of a president. I was overcome with emotion due to the release of the anxiety over the fear of having another four years of a president that stood for everything I stand against and worrying about how the world would be worse off if this happened.

It's got to be COVID19. I'm not even sure where to begin, but it has impacted me in the same ways that it has impacted most Americans - working from home, not seeing friends or family, boredom, anxiety, baking, anger, listlessness, fear. I live in a big city, but I feel like I'm on my own planet. I don't think I have anything new to add to the larger narrative and I really can't think of anything positive to come out of it. Depressing answer!

Arab terrorist attacks in Israel Surfside MCE

The death of my mother. Lost touch with the sense I had of my self and my story. Still working through what comes next. Second guessing all the choices I used to make unthinkingly.

How could this not be COVID? Well, it is and it isn't. So there! The pandemic created high levels of uncertainty--around travel, around family visits, around employment, and around health and mortality, of course! And all of that led to increased anxiety. But, frankly, I am relatively comfortable with uncertainty, so being in a situation of globally acknowledged uncertainty was perhaps not as traumatic for me as it might have been for others. And then there were the US elections that restored some sense of stability. It was after that, though, when that sense of stability still proved to be fairly fragile and too fleeting--with conflicts over very basic public health protections continuing--at a fever pitch in the US, but in some form in Canada and everywhere else--that my equilibrium has broken down. It has left me with just an un-addressable sense of hopelessness. If we, as a global society, can't agree on even these most basic and obviously beneficial measures, how are we going to address truly complicated issues such as climate change, environmental degradation, and systemic racism/human rights abuses? I was looking forward to a sense of optimism and renewal this fall. But now I'm just trying to shake the feeling that we, as an entire species, are doomed.

Ironically it is no different from last year except that I got to move countries. I also realised, too late, that I was walking away from a woman I loved and who loved me. That has left me with a void I do not know how to fill.

Covid vaccine is the obvious answer. The miracle vaccine that 25% of people refuse to get has saved 300,000 lives however these antivaxers have kept our country from recovering economically and unnecessarily filling our hospitals and killing people. Jared has stayed home away from his program, challenging us to keep him happy.

War in Afghanistan ending because I never believed we should have been in that region in the first place.

The passing of the Texas "heartbeat act" was absolutely monumental - and insane. The act states that providers can be SUED - and reporters REWARDED - for providing abortions in Texas after 6 weeks of pregnancy, which is when a heartbeat can be medically detected. This puts thousands of women at risk, does not defend women in instances of rape or incest, and is just another example of why there is still SO much work to do when it comes to women owning their own bodies and choices.

Trump getting voted out. Thank f-ing God. The world as a whole feels just a little calmer and safer now.

The Delta variant and the continued Republican resistance to public health measures that would help us during the pandemic continues to seriously frighten me. US politics has truly become toxic, and our inability to deal with Coronavirus does not bode well for the human race. We are devolving to our tribes but will soon find ourselves having to make cooperative global decisions to save our beloved planet. I see very little to be optimistic about. Our ELECTED leaders (yup, that's right--we put them in office) seem incapable of bold and compassionate leadership. Power and authority are their fallback options. And the constant fearmongering, whether it is the "radical Stalinist left" or the "don't-have-a-brain Republicans", everyone not in our tribe is becoming an OTHER that needs to be silenced or killed.

COVID. Because it affected friends, family and definitely myself because I got it twice and both times I got it in hospital.

Never have I cared more about an election than in 2020. I'd never cared about an inauguration until 2021, either. I dressed up, right in my own home. I wore pearls, and hung two flags - one on the porch and one in the shop window. A WOMAN vice president - and biracial, like me! The stain of Jan. 6th tempered by the peaceful transition of power. For the first time in such a long time, it felt like sanity might prevail. Democracy and sanity are still not assured, but that day I felt a kernel of hope.

COVID - still a pain and still out there. We lost my mother-in-law and we have thankfully not lost anyone else to COVID. But it's just the beginning of flu season and there are still a lot of people who refuse to be vaccinated. I am concerned the death toll will rise again.

The vaccine rollout this year was pretty damn impactful. Does it completely protect me? No. But it makes me not panic at the fact that I'm teaching in person. I feel safer with it. I feel prepared if I do contract it. I feel like I have ways to protect myself, that I'm not just at the mercy of the gods as it were. Plus it allowed my partner to come stay with me for a whole month and just...I really fucking needed that, since we're going to spend this academic year apart.

So many, so hard to choose. So I will generalize, as so many of them stem from one fact: there are two Americas. And especially troubling to me are the Jewish Republicans who belong to the other America. I wonder do they read the same holy books that I do, it is so clear to me all The Republicans stand for go against everything I know about Jewish values and ethics. It has led me to take a step back from friendships with them, and unfortunately, even being rude to one, which I am preparing to apologize to during these 10 days of Teshuva. Sadly the whole world is being impacted negatively by the other America, and I don't know what to do about it - -except pray. And I do, every night, asking HaShem to open their minds and hearts.

There have been a lot of world events, but the one that fills me with hope was seeing Kamala Harris take the oath as our vice president.

Everything continues to go to shit. Covid, the climate, now Afghanistan. The list goes on and on. Cumulatively, it has made me turn inward, and focus on my own little bubble of peace. If I let myself think about anything too much, I'll be incapacitated with rage and sadness. The only way I can keep moving forward is to stay focused on my little sphere. I feel helpless.

Still covid, it's exhausting. Vaccinations were such a moment of hope but new variants and people with bad information or stupidity have kept it going and I'm tired. I want to see my dad and take vacations and not have any more people I love die. It's made me angry and fractured relationships with my family members who aren't on board with helping to end the pandemic.

The return of COVID. Because most people don’t seem to want to believe how serious it is and probably always will be. Because of that, my life is more stressful. I mean, I guess I could act like almost everyone else and just run around like pre-COVID-19 times, but I have a job that I’m doing solo and no one to cover for me. So I feel like I have to be super careful.

Delta variant ruined all of our hopes for everybody. We thought we could go back to normal with vaccination. We were wrong. Now we have to go back to being scared all the time, possibly forever.

COVID; COVID; COVID. It has screwed up travel. It has made my family nuts. It has split the world. UGH

Coronavirus is still a thing and now they might be requiring vaccines for everyone or a covid test every single week. I still don't know how I feel about the vaccine so I may just do the tests. I feel like I need more time to pray and think about it.

The Covid-19 pandemic, yet again. The impact is deeper this year and not what I expected. After a whole year of absorbing news about the pandemic and how people are responding to it, I feel disconnected from Humanity. Holy fucking shit, these people are idiotic! Being ignorant isn't bad per se. An ignorant can always learn. People who are ignorant and content to remain so are the problem here. The amount of news so obviously fake that get disseminated through social media is staggering. With a mere five minutes of online investigation, these fake news are revealed for what they are. And yet, people choose to believe the dumbest things. It's been almost two years of this pandemic and most people I know still have no clue about the differences between fungi, bacteria, viruses and prions, how to avoid and fight them. It's like they were happy to just read whatever garbage they found on social media and never cared to look up real information from reliable sources! How can a species this moronic expect to colonize other planets? I hope we don't. We mustn't be allowed to spread beyond this looney asylum.

The info on Covid and is it true or not. I don’t know what’s actually true or not. I’m just living my life the best way because no one can live your life for you!!!

The pandemic. It drastically affected my healthcare. Necessary surgery and procedures were delayed for months. I became truly angry with people who refused to take the pandemic seriously, including certain "leaders." I wasn't the only one suffering because of them. It still angers me.

The election of a new president - opening from covid and then closing again

The climb of Covid cases. In a year of grieving, I normally would've had friends come by to pay condolence calls for me. But evveryone had to be so careful, all I could do was e-mail, Zoom, and talk on the phone. it was tough.

The election of Biden and Harris. Thank goodness. They are far from perfect, but the relief. Oh, the relief.

COVID has affected me profoundly. It cost me my job, affects the job market, and affects how I leave my house each day.

The Texas law making abortion criminal and making reporting someone who has task an abortion profitable to the tune of $10,000 has shocked me to the core. It's the clearest example of the backsliding into fascism the world has been experiencing, especially the US. And Alberta.

Not really an event in the world, but I got stitches; I can't do anything, I cant run, cant climb, cant jump, I literally only can walk, walk, and walk.

Biden winning the election. It gave me hope and also reminded me to have skepticism for moderate solutions i.e. don't relax, keep working. The Capitol riot. It made me fear for the last roots of normalcy. The vaccine being approved for emergency use. The world has gotten worse, but it could be even *worse*... reminds me, like Biden's win, to celebrate the wins, rest as needed, but the world still needs so, so much repair.

We are now in the second wave of Covid, with the Delta variant affecting many more children than the first virus did. The Supreme Court just allowed a new Texas law banning abortions after six weeks and rewarding snitches with $10,000 bounties. Biden pulled the U.S. out of our 20-year war/occupation of Afghanistan and rescued several thousand Afghani refugees while the Taliban took back over. Right-wing Trump nuts, following Trump's claim that the election was rigged, stormed the capitol with hopes of killing Mike Pence and some Democrats, and the fallout from that near-coup continue, even though Biden/Harris won the election by a wide margin. Officer Derek Chavin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, which we all saw him do by kneeling on his neck as he begged for air. And the overall entitlement and mysterious rage of mediocre white men continued to spiral out of control.

Covid. Afganistan being overrun by Talib. I realized my problems/issues are simply timing frustrations. My live is blissful in comparison to what people, especially women, are dealing with daily. I am breathing through my frustration and embracing gratitude and appreciation.

The fear leading up to the election that Trump might win and then what he did after he lost which was worse than any off the horrible things he did while in office. He created the big lie that the election was stolen and has a large minority believing it, and then he instigated the insurrection. I have never hated anyone more in my life, and it's not just Trump alone but Trumpism and the fear we could lose our democracy.

Continuing pandemic. The twists and turns of COVID have me cycling through my emotions. Optimism turns to pessimism and back again. As a Member of Temple leadership the one consistent word is pivot. Despite the difficulties I feel good about our decisions.

Well..the obvious answer is Covid and the way it was politicized. And the impact is ongoing. It's a roller coaster ride of emotions. I can be fine and just going along with life such as it is. Or, I can be angry at the "anti" crowd and disheartened by them. Or, I can feel heartbroken about how terribly broken we are as a country and how hopeless finding a way out of this feels. It feels like there's no way out of this and like we're never ever ever ever getting out of this.

The process that each country goes through in dealing with COVID-19 has been interesting for me. Each country seems to have the exact same issues with people messing up in the exact same ways, and none of us are learning from each other. There are so many fewer people in the world thanks to this pandemic. That thought shakes my confidence in our governments to truly address the needs of the people.

The jan 6 coup attempt, and the total perfidy of the republican party. We are losing the world's most important democracy. I feel it slipping through our hands every day.

Damn. These questions hit different this year. After a full year and a half of Covid….anyway. I guess I’ll try to focus on the positives. The two main positive things that happened since the high holidays last year are 1) Covid vaccines and 2) trump lost re-election. These things brought some semblance of normalcy to 2021, at least for a bit, and I am very grateful for both of these developments and hate to think where we would be as a nation and as a world if these two things had not happened.

It’s not one event, but seeing how many people put their own needs above the community (anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, pro-lifers, anti-CRT people, anti-LGBTQ laws, etc.) just breaks my heart.

Besides the pandemic the US withdrawal from Afghanistan impacted me. I felt so sad that our veterans had to endure a botched withdrawal that made their service seem worthless. It just seems that our leaders really don't care about anything other than their own selfish needs and wants. I just feel that this country has fallen big time.

COVID I am astounded by so many people discrediting science and medical advice because it does not conform with their beliefs / agenda. It is literally killing people.

Covid, of course. Seems to have pushed me into an early retirement. A little less impacting is the continued collapse of the US into an authoritarian oligarchy.

The COVID pandemic. We are now in lockdown #6 and don't really see an end in sight. I have been double vaccinated but there is still a lot of resistance by the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists, putting our hospitals and medical staff under pressure. I am going to retire at the end of the year and would like to be able to travel but this will be restricted by the ongoing COVID restrictions.

I wrote last year before the election that "the realization that the government of this country is actively working against the health and safety of the population ... has been devastating." This year, the assault on the US Capitol on 06 January has undermined my faith in the essential goodness of "the American people." It's not just the criminal, aspirational Fascists of the previous administration; there is a significant portion of the population that is either actively engaged in or tacitly approving of the assault on the rights of anyone outside of their narrow group. What makes it hit especially close to home is that the Representative to the House from where I live is actively associated with these people. My daughter goes to school with his grandkids. It's real, it's close, and they are taking notes.

The passing of the horrific abortion law in Texas both shocked me and simultaneously only confirmed my worst suspicions about the direction the Republican party is taking the US. The Supreme Court's choice not to hear the arguments against an obvious case breaking the Constitution is exactly what we all feared when RGB passed on. It has incensed and terrified me - and also fired me up. I donated more than I've ever donated before to Texas abortion groups. I posted stuff on social media. I will not be quiet. But I'm also scared as hell that we're actively, if slowly, entering the dystopian world my generation read about for the last 20 years.

This year, as cliche has it sounds, COVID has really impacted me. Be it from having COVID in January, to the protocol and challenges in seeing my dad in him final months and days, being able to live in WPB and then moving to Dallas, getting Tudder, not having to travel, supply chain issues, etc. It's impossible to not see COVID in nearly everything. That said, COVID has made me have an appreciate for travel, being together, my relationships, my health and more. I am grateful that my body could handle it. I am grateful that science generated the vaccine and that we knew I wasn't contagious, so I could be with my dad. And grateful for a career that has more flexibility, economic reward, and professional cache, as I currently have with consutling.

Leaving our American citizens to be taken hostage by the Tallyban by the Biden Administration.

The obvious answer is the pandemic. But I think it's the realization that the reality I grew up with wasn't the permanent way of the world. The stocked shelves, the method of education, the rule of law... all of these seem like a construct now. Everything is precious and more fragile than ever.

Insurrection of the capital. I find it disturbing that so many can think it's OK to do this and a President would approve. This impacted my view of the people of the US. I have lost so much hope, I try to find it in other places but......the citizens if this country have gone batshit crazy.

We’re still in the grips of COVID. The US has become wildly polarized politically, even more so than usually. It’s affecting things that shouldn’t be political though. There’s a large contingent that refuses to wear masks because they claim it infringes upon their rights as Americans. It makes me angry and sad and dumbfounded that so many Americans can’t - or refuse to try to - look outside the bounds of their own understandings of reality when it involves other people being physically harmed. We’re finally back to school and it feels so good, but case numbers are rising and the threat of going virtual again is very real and people still aren’t getting vaccinated or wearing masks. In fact, they’re protesting against those things. The other “political” issue that shouldn’t be political is the renewed controversy over critical race theory. Those who are up in arms about it being taught in school don’t even understand what it is. For one thing, unless we’re taking about college courses or a VERY RARE high school, critical race theory isn’t being taught. It’s a pedagogy used to teach other things. It’s a lens through which to view the world. It’s not a thing itself to be taught (with the aforementioned exceptions). And what it’s really about is getting (white) people to see how race is constructed by white people and used systemically by white people to keep black people from being successful or having the human and civil rights they deserve. Opposing critical race theory is out and out racist. I have no tolerance for racism.

COVID-19 and the challenges with those who are choosing not to get vaccinated. It's implemented more mask mandates, vaccination requirements, continued social distancing, and delays in people returning back to work. It's been a constant drain on my energy and spirit as I feel like there's no steadiness in the world.

January 6th confirmed my worst fears about what happens when the unhinged (who have all the guns) finally decide to use their power to overthrow. I've pretty much resigned myself to living in a world where facts don't matter, no one listens to each other, and the distractions of the virtual world rule our society.

CoVid 19 had cut me off from my family and friends. It made for some very lonely weekends and I missed a year of my grandkids’ life. My granddaughter was supposed to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah at the end of March- the weekend after all the quarantines were imposed. Although she Zoomed it for the family, I missed seeing her delivering it in person, with me kvelling how beautiful and confident she had become.

January 6- I was freaked out at the time but it showed me that one of my great fears prior, of all-out civil war, isn’t as likely as I’d thought because the folks who would execute it are profoundly disorganized and not intrinsically motivated.

When around 2 o'clock in the afternoon of January 6, a mob stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the confirmation of Joe Biden as the duly elected president. That riot was a turning point. It could have been a turning point in which citizens came to their senses and decided that "movement conservatives" had gone too far. And though for a minute, it looked like it might turn that way, it decidedly did not. Instead, fear mongering gaslighters have continued to tell and believe that the election was rigged. Now, wherever movement conservatives dominate state governments, egregious laws are passing to limit access to polls, to restrict the teaching of critical race theory, to loosen restrictions on gun ownership, to stop local governments from mandating masks or vaccines agains Covid, and to end a woman's right to choose a safe and legal end to pregnancy. And liberals in congress continue to be utterly ineffective in passing legislation that stops the steamrolling of the country. The government will soon be controlled by those who represent a minority of the citizenry, and this control threatens to become permanent. This event unfolding in a trifecta, which also includes climate chaos and a pandemic, spells hopelessness to me. I used to think it couldn't get worse, but the dominoes just keep falling. I'm angry with myself for my own complicity, the arrogance of thinking that much stupidity could simply not prevail. But the leaders of the movement were clever and the liberals were scared and dopey, and I don't think we're turning this ship around any time soon. And yes, this leaves me grief stricken and often depressed. But to the best of my ability, I'm giving myself to love. I'm making a beautiful, restorative garden. I'm tending friendships. I'm practicing kindness. And I'm staying faithful to keeping a journal and prayers. The center holds. I can't be hopeful or concerned about outcome. I can only insist on meeting great loss with greater love and stay in the underground network affirming life.

Where to begin. Not sure whether to choose the political or the climate-related. The January 6th Insurrection and the subsequent denial of it by members of the GOP are together chilling. The voter suppression laws enacted in multiple states followed by Texas' near repeal of abortion rights last week and the response of the ultra-Conservative SCOTUS as well. And then hurricanes, fires, floods, and the increasing impact of climate change in producing extreme weather events. I feel frightened, angry and at times powerless. But I will continue to lead my Indivisible group and speak up/ act up when and where possible to stop this onslaught of reactionaryism. And still, a big part of me is becoming more like so many people around me, wanting to bury my head or tend to my garden and my own immediate life as the immensity of the challenge can feel paralyzing.

While a lot has happened in the past year around the world (2021, year of continued corona virus), of all things the recent withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan has made me the most reflective. I was a second year student in college on 9/11 and a volunteer EMT at the time. I happened to be at the firehouse at the time of the attacks in a town a few hours away from DC. Most of our volunteers rushed to the fire house in case mutual aid was requested in DC. Watching the Saigon-esque retreat from Kabul this spring made me think back to how much this nation and its peoples have changed in 20 years. I remember being optimistic in the late 90s and pre-9/11. I remember feeling like so much was possible. While I never personally feared terrorist attacks, I feel like I watched the society around me become scared, tribal, and angry. Watching the last plane leave Kabul made me think that the US is no longer capable as a nation. It has made me lament how this country has become so bitterly fragmented and functionally incapacitated over my adult life. It has made me sad.

Well, obviously the COVID-19 pandemic. I managed to keep my cool for the entire first year of lockdown as a human cat-type introvert, but then snapped over summer 2021. My mental health is in the bin because I haven't attended to my sleep hygiene, but I've come a long way as I'm working on forgiving myself when circumstances are extenuating.

The Capitol riot on Jan 6th 2021 scared the shit out of me. What’s worse, I had relatives who participated. My own mother would have participated had her husband not been hospitalized with covid. I no longer feel safe in Texas or anywhere in conservative America, especially including my hard right wing extremist family.

Ha! Every year this question is hard and sad and the answer never gets better. The Capitol insurrection was not great. I suppose the election was good news, and that certainly affected me. We also had a primary election this past June in Brooklyn, and the two candidates for whom I volunteered both won! So that was exciting and felt like I did something worthwhile. In terms of other things in the world that have affected me, there's no shortage even from the past two weeks: ending the war in Afghanistan and as a result the influx of Afghani refugees; the earthquake in Haiti killed more than 1,000 people and the headline passed so quickly; COVID cases continue to rise and kill the unvaccinated at alarming levels; Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana and then the mid-Atlantic (Philly, Jersey, NY) all very badly; Texas banned abortion in an insane way; Michael K Williams died; John Mulaney went to rehab, got divorced and is having a baby with Olivia Munn. Take your pick. I think it's both interesting and sad that the police killings did not get as much publicity or action this year as last year. I feel bad for Casey Goodwin's family, and others, for the lackluster response of the movement and protests around their loved ones. I do think in a lot of ways Democrats went to sleep after the inauguration, and unfortunately I have fallen into that a bit myself. It just feels like everything is exhausting, and vaccination didn't provide us with the relief that we expected because the pandemic drones on.

The recent horrible deaths of our military. I'm the widow of a retired Marine. To senselessly lose the lives of those men and women was uncalled for. I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of our "Commander in Chief." I spent 40+ years as a military wife, I'm the Lay Leader for the Marine Corps Base near me, and I'm about to become a "Zoom" Sunday School teacher for military children. Going back to WW1 my family has served in every conflict this nation has faced. I can trace a minimum of 4 generations of Military service in my family. So, yes, when it affects our military, it hits home to me. We now have children who will grow up with just one parent. We have young spouses who will be alone - perhaps forever now. We have parents who've had to bury their own children, while our president was busy checking his watch.

Because of the continuing threat of the pandemic, I feel what I'd like to do is limited. I never know for sure what to plan for and though I would like to volunteer at a hospital, I feel restrained and hold back. I do not want to get my husband or family sick should I get COVID. I do not want to be sick. I go ahead with the things I feel are too important to put off such as traveling to NJ to help Liz move and our plans to see my mother when she turns 100, but things like volunteering or traveling have been put off. I've discussed with some friends about going to Europe this spring, but I'm not gonna make plans until I see how this delta variant is contained- or if the levels get lower. This threat just keeps going without any indication of it just dying out.

Between COVID’s continuing grip on the world, and the RIDICULOUS Republicans who are helping to perpetuate the pandemic, along with most of the same RIDICULOUS Republicans who are blocking voting rights, increasing pressure to overturn Roe vs Wade via State battles, and preparing to alter voting districts again to their advantage, I don’t have any energy left to fight those good fights. It has shaken my belief in the intrinsic good of humans. It has blocked my creative juices to such an extant that I’m not sure when and how to get it back. I want to be able to perform in public without risking my health or the health of the public who comes to the show. But I fear that we will be marching backward into online performing only again. That’s a compromise I had hoped not to repeat.

The ocean being on fire at one point. I had a big climate crisis realising that where I live now, Barcelona, is going to quickly become unliveable for me in relation to the summer temperatures rising more and more every year. Lots of my family/friends living in high risk areas for flooding and coastal erosion. Knowing we have to think about where we want to live in terms of future environmental safety. At the end of this debilitating panic freak out, I strangely have been using this environmental doom to stop myself from freaking out about my body, (which is now a UK 18ish, the biggest I have ever been, etc), by thinking very loudly: The ocean was on fire. Who gives a shit if you are fatter? It's irrelevant and unimportant. Plus if I am a little bit fatter right now it is a source of protection for anything that may come. Plus my body is soft and new, and I have strong arms and legs, I can do so many things, and I have power in my body. I feel like I am in a much better place with my body and it's due to having bigger things to worry about? IDK that sounds weird but it's true! Also there have been so many things happening and realistically this is just one thing that impacted me, so many others have. It's been a big, exhausting year and a lot has changed, there is a lot to be scared and frightened of. I'm just glad for Marta, and Olivia, and the good, happy life filled with softness, kindness and generosity that we are building together. Such love is a gift and a treasure. I am lucky and grateful.

There are many events in the world that impacted me this year: the continuation of the pandemic that we thought would be over by now, the withdrawal from Afghanistan because I am fearful of that the terrorists are going to do, and the limits on voting and pro-choice ban in Texas because women's rights are being taken back decades from the conservatives - not just men but women also.

The hope that we had COVID under control and then that disappeared. It disappointed me that it did not materialize. I was not prepared to go backwards.

Aside from the continued pandemic/mass vaccination, the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th is what comes to mind. I never thought I would see something like that committed by fellow US citizens. It just showed how much damage Trump did to this country and so many individual people. I felt like America was so broken. I feel a little more hopeful now, that things have been worse before and there is hope for the future.

The Texas Abortion law has me livid. I'm so angry about these massive steps backwards and the idea that someone can't see that they are forcing their religious views on other people. It's a belief that a fetus is a person, its not a fact. A fetus can become a person, but there are about a million things that can happen before that does. And choice is important.

Mom breaking her shoulder and developing pemphigus. After her surviving covid in the spring and seeing such fragility on her made me so scared. She’s been my steady parent. My dad died when I was 8. My stepdad passed when I was 31. Her health never been a problem has provided me comfort. Election and pandemic. Affecting how I felt about my work and home life. Particularly being a doctor and raising a young child. Al of the politics surrounding both made me quit Facebook and cut down on the reading of the internet. Living and doing my job and functioning made me realize that certain things were not helping me get through my day and just increasing my fear. And taking care of myself, my patients and my family, I had to remove certain social media and internet browsing out of my life. I feel happier I did this.

Jan 6. The realization that we may be in a situation where we are going to have to resort to violence to protect ourselves from people who don't understand or like the government.

The discovery of a vaccine against COVID, and the subsequent refusal of my parents to get the vaccine. The way I have watched them lie to themselves and accept everyone else’s lies about things before listening to basic facts when they used to seem to have at least some level of common sense. Seeing people who taught me how to be a person choosing not to be a kind one with a care for society just broke my heart.

Pandemic. Has impacted me in that I am kept from seeing loved ones or family. Worse because it is an exagerated situation. Felt isolated and cooped up.

The rise of the Delta variant has been especially hard to deal with. We thought we were done, on our way back to normal, but then the doors came crashing closed once again. This has shaken my faith that we will EVER be free of the virus, and we will just have to learn how to deal with it and live with it.

I know the typical answer is Covid. Of course it has impacted me. It allowed me to work from home where I was able to teach from my parents' house for more than half the school year. In a typical year, I never would have had that kind of time with my dad. Being able to vote in such a controversial election and being among the first to receive my Covid vaccine! I was proud to be part of something so incredible!

The pandemic. It's changed every aspect of our lives. And I don't know when it will be over, or when we will return to normal. Or what the new normal will look like.

Many mornings I wake up recalling that Biden, not Trump, is in the White House and my blood pressure goes down. Global warming, Covid, the struggles for racial, economic and reproductive justice - at least the American President is a decent man of conscience.

The resurgence of the pandemic with Delta. It has just thrown me off kilter. I think most people thought that the pandemic would end (despite the dangers posted by the antivaxxers). I can adjust to either but it's the not knowing that is just giving me vertigo.

The year started sadly with the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Later on I remember the collaps of Afghanistan. Lately, there was the election campaign in Germany.

Wow. Where to start? The 2020 election. The insurrection at the capital on Jan. 6. Wildfires. Hurricanes. The Texas abortion ban. So many things that haven't impacted me directly, because I'm incredibly fortunate, but have weighed heavy on my heart and affected my disposition toward the world. I wouldn't call myself an optimist anymore. It feels insane to be one. It feels like things are just getting worse and worse and the inevitability of it all is heartbreaking.

This year - with the pandemic still really continuing unabated - has been EPIC in terms of climate change, and it's terrifying. Floods, fires, hurricanes, you name it and it seems to be happening on a near-weekly basis. It's hard to not want to scream and cry about it all the time, and I'm constantly scared for the future we are leaving our toddler.

The covid yo-yo. Going from being vaccinated and feeling free to going back into decreased in person due to the delta variant and increased transmission rates. I felt mixed about coming out of the covid womb. I am very extroverted and gain energy from relationships, but I got in a pattern and habit of only relating with fewer folks. It was a struggle to meet up with people, hear the differences in our experiences, and was overwhelming to go from small relating to bigger relating. Then just as I was having mixed experiences and possibly liking going out, I got pulled right back in by Delta anxiety and fear. But then the experience with this was confusing and unclear. How should kids, families, vaccinated and unvaccinated people behave? I like not having as many restrictions, but then going back to having them and even being uncertain who needs to and who does not, has been tiring and stressful.

The retaking of Afghanistan by the Taliban impacted me more than I thought it would. Having been watching "The Handmaid's Tale" and discussing how the conservative right in this country is dead set on oppressing women, watching the Taliban takeover that country just made me realize that the comforts I enjoy can be taken away from me through no fault of my own and there is little I as an individual could do to avoid it. That is a pretty hard pill to swallow.

I think it's the withdrawal from Afghanistan. It had to take place and under the circumstances it went pretty good. But the critics are everywhere saying America lost the war, Biden mishandled the evacuation, American is tired and weak, etc. For me, I believe we need to assess future foreign policy without the machismo of 2001 and 2002 and look at our strategic interest, the strategic interest of our allies, and the political will of our people, of our allies, and of our adversaries. For the U.S. we should pursue a thoughtful and highly ethical approach. We need more Berlin airlifts and no wars in Iraq looking for weapons of mass destruction that (we knew) did not exist. We need a renewed, revised, sober Iran nuclear agreement. We need to defend Taiwan. We should strongly consider rejoining the Trans Pacific Partnership, the Caribbean Basin Initiative, and further free trade agreements with nations that will buy our manufactured goods - unlike mainland China. Most of all we should be ethical and thoughtful and multilateral leaders in the world and we should ask on occasion the U.S. population to sacrifice. We need truly bipartisan foreign and defense policy. As partisan as we have become, I am concerned for our future.

Pandemic... still. It impacts the fertility stuff because of Keith not being able to go to most appointments, it's impacted Jaclyn's wedding, it may impact if we go to Leonard's wedding. Everyone needs to get vaccinated so this can end!

Joe Biden got elected president, which was a huge accomplishment and a huge relief. We found out on shabbat from people cheering in the streets after davening finished, and we spent the entire afternoon sitting in the park and celebrating with everyone who walked in.

Covid 19. Of course. How could it not? We had no idea there would be a vaccine and yet so many people would refuse to take it. Also the 2020 election. I got to work in election court and be a part of history. Amazing luck.

More than one: The Covid vaccine came in January and I really thought we would be out of this mess, but because of stupid people saying vaccines were being pushed down their throats, not wearing masks, and the Delta variant, it's still all going on. I'm just appalled how people are listening to the science. The other major event came at the end of August and that was Biden pulling all troops from Afghanistan. Done so badly and now the Afghan people, especially woman are up shit's creek. This will not be good for his legacy. The only thing is we are out of a 20 year war....but at what cost. I've been so sad about this since the evacuation started.

Coronavirus - made me work from home

COVID is still impacting the world. Not everyone can get the vaccine, except rich white nations. There's crazy fighting over simple solutions to help limit the spread of it. People are becoming violent over masks, vaccines, and misinformation. There's a large part of our population that lives in an entirely different reality.

Two damn major, devastating earthquakes in my country in less than a year. That was fun (not)! We're never going to recover from them completely because my country is run by corrupted morons. But at least we've had a great turist season! And now we have a bunch of Covid cases. As for the world: Covid, Afganistan because of course the world would take a plunge for the worst. Not only there, I've got this strange impression that we're going back to the Dark Ages, mentally, religiously and psychologically. Then there is the global warming. Good luck sorting that mess out! We can't even deal with the damn pandemic, how can anyone expect we'll be able to heal the planet? We're so done.

COVID has continued to impact me this year. Social isolation, and anxiety have been pervasive in our society, I have been managing well.

Jan 6 Attack on the US Capitol. I now realize just how fragile our democracy is ! It is now, more apparent than ever before, that there are many evil people in our own country (USA). These evil people, who do not care about the promises of our constitution, would rather use force to impose their own, distorted values - that are not from the US Constitution- on the entire nation - if they could get away with it! Freedom is not free and part of the cost of freedom is continued vigilance.

The continuing Virus epidemic has affected my business. People are not traveling much and don’t need my pet sitter services.

Still COVID for sure - getting the vaccination, but a MASSIVE change & impact when Biden became president. A collective angst and stress were immediately lifted. I think a lot of us were surprised how much the toxic vitriol day to day from the leader of the states was impacting all of us even here in Canada. Now that Voldemort is gone - it feels less hopeless. Yes there is much to do and biden isn't perfect, and the supreme court just allowed Texas to basically ban abortions, and I'm thinking constantly about Afghani women and their new reality - HOWEVER, my nervous system was a mess with him in government. So stressful and painful and has impacted Canada. What we are seeing right now with the anti-vax protestors is totally new here. Throwing rocks, being so aggressive - that is directly linked to the past presidency. The impact on me has been incredible and relief that it is over (for the moment - I know he is lurking)

Way too much is happening to narrow it down to one. How divided the US is saddens me greatly. People have literally lost their minds. The Taliban taking over again in Afghanistan gutted me. My heart breaks for the citizens, particularly women and children. Knowing this is happening in so many places other than the Middle East is disheartening. It saddens me to think of the lives too many people are forced to live right now. Unregulated testosterone is such a problem in this world. The thing that absolutely shatters me though is what we’re doing to animals and the planet. If we can’t take care of ourselves we certainly aren’t going to take care of entities we deem beneath us. Fires. Floods. Clearing. Animal agriculture for food. Fracking. Hunting. It’s all too much. Mother Nature is screaming at us and not enough of us are listening. Fortunately/unfortunately she won’t be discerning when it comes time to balance the scales. The whole state of the world can leave me feeling depressed and hopeless. Each day I fight to do good to counteract the damage being done mentally, emotionally and certainly physically.

The increase of propaganda re: vaccine mandates. The threat of vaccine passports limiting my unvaccinated freedom. The pressure from the indoctrinated re: my position to remain unvaccinated (for my own health reasons). It is predicted that I will eventually get an illness from the corona virus strains. I prefer to take my chances with developing innate immunity.

Brexit, COVID and Afghanistan are the 3 big ones. Overall, they depressed me and made me lose hope in myself and my fellow human beings. I felt completely powerless.

Watching Afghanistan deteriorate has been heartbreaking, being married to someone who served there and having friends and patients who served there. The suffering there is awful, and so is the pain all these veterans are feeling at the lack of any change despite so much sacrifice.

This year has been......... Election (tears and relief) Insurrection (fear and anger) Snowvid (unmitigated rage) Vaccines (joy/relief/gratitude) Masks in schools (rage and impotence) Nightmare covid stories (fear and sadness) Afghanistan (helplessness) SB8 (fear and disgust) I'm sure I'm missing things, but the theme here is clearly fear. The world is scary right now. Fear is such a limiting emotion for me so I feel very affected by that thread running through the news and my life.

I'm going climate change. When I flipped that coin ;) and voted for Biden, I was actually NOT happy about his plans to put so much $ into the climate issues because I thought it would just be raping us of our dollars toward something very hifalutin in the way distant future that even people my age's children won't see. However, things re just plain getting crazy and it is very worrisome. People are dying of natural disasters and we need help. I make every active effort to reduce, reuse, consume less, recycle, turn off water and electric when not needed, etc in my little life but I am so mad that here in FL we still don't have a plastic bag and water bottle ban not because I won't use these lol but because it's high time.

I was looking back on events from the year... elections, Whitehouse protests, Alex Trebek died, 2020 Olympics happened in 2021, vaccines were approved and distributed... All impacted me to some degree. It's hard to pick one. Ok the protests were somewhat annoying and election was excruciatingly annoying. Alex Trebek was expected to go eventually and the consequent parade of guest hosts has been entertaining. So I'm going with Olympics and vaccine, mainly because both were positive. I LOVED this year's Olympics more than ever. I do not know what drew me in, but I was hooked and uplifted. Maybe I needed to see some unity. The only sad feature was the lack of audience. Poor athletes did not hear the roar of a crowd. And of course the vax. BIG event here, especially upon initial rollout. We all scrambled to get that shot - Kiki, myself, and our families drove all the way to Miami. But we "got out of jail" and were able to breathe again. That was nice for awhile until the Delta and Mu variants have now set us back. But I don't even care anymore. Go ahead and infect me at this point. I got my damn shots.

So many world events have impacted on me this year, starting with the election that unseated the Orange Nightmare. But, once that was followed by the Jan. 6 insurrection, my deeply unsettled state from the previous four years seemed unlikely to abate. But, then, three vaccines again Covid-19 were released. I had to deal with my mother's anxiety and inability to manage to schedule vaccinations for herself and my stepfather, but thanks to Facebook, two old friends from literally 50 years ago stepped up in separate capacities to get it done, since I live over 500 miles away. Then, of course, I finally received the vaccine, as did my daughter, and we drove up to see my parents in May. My anxiety about my parents' well-being has abated somewhat, but their overall frailty still causes me concern, and I hope my very stubborn mother will finally get them into some sort of assisted living situation. Anyway, due to the vaccines, things are definitely better. If only the anti-vaxx, anti-mask crew would sod off, live would be grand.

The COVID-19 pandemic and election of Joe Biden were major events for the world and America this year. I can't help but note my privilege in that the pandemic wasn't difficult for me. I'm sharing a 2.5 bedroom house with the love of my life and two pets. There are spaces where we can both create offices to work from home. While I lost classes and tutoring clients, causing our purse strings tighten, we are still financially secure enough to buy what we need to make working from home seamless. We took up cooking more often at home, and can easily order out and pay more for delivery charges. Instead of a time of struggle, the pandemic actually became a time to reflect on life choices, relationships, and how I spend my time. I'm finding more and more to be true to myself and my own needs, rather than seeking to please others all the time. It has helped me to see what to hold on to and cultivate in my life, and where it's time to let go of others. The election was tumultuous, especially as a professor of Political Science. I wasn't surprised by, but often drowned in the hate of the world. However, the bipolarity, anger and ignorance on both sides just reminded me of why I do what I do for a living. Teaching people to research well, to know which sources are viable, to consider all evidence and arguments, and then make choices for themselves is priceless for the future of this country and the world. Teaching young people to be thoughtful, how to exchange ideas without attacking others, is a great service to the world. I'm lucky to find my craft has such a powerful use. I also found a hidden wealth of knowledge suddenly useful, educating my well-meaning white peers on systemic racism and oppression. For years this idea has been "too political" for many people in my life, and I'm relieved to have the ability to guide them through their own biases and help them understand the perspectives of others they have never considered. Education and ability to pursue truth are the real freedoms. While both of these events were challenging in many ways, I've focused on finding a sense of fulfillment and gratitude for what I have, and what I can offer the world.

Th most obvious answer to this is Covid. Another is the election. They are similar in affecting my sense of safety. Joe Biden's defeat of Donald Trump was a relief to the shame and fear created by his rhetoric over the last 4 years. I wanted to find some positive and perhaps what I can name is the activation of peoples' interest in government. The insurrection on Jan 6 with frightening and makes me sad and fearful for the future of america. I worry about the world my grandchildren will inherit, especially as the jewish minority. So, too, covid has created fear and sadness about the self centeredness of individuals who see no obligation to safeguard their neighbors. All in all, its been a frightening year in which i feel that my life and some of my hope have shrunk.

How could I not say COVID and the decision to receive the pfiser vaccination (I did not want to get vaccinated...I don't trust these new vaccines) but I did it at the last moment because I live in a community of seniors and felt pressured... in the long run I have to trust I did the right thing...even though they are now pushing a booster (3rd shot) with this new varient.

Besides the pandemic!? Perhaps the greatest direct impact was an international symposium at which I was to become the president of an international society (International Biodeterioraion & Biodegradation Society). The symposium was originally scheduled for September 2020. In 2020 there was no conflict with the holidays. Next it was rescheduled for this week, to be held in Bozeman MT. Ultimately, it was run as a virtual experience. I missed 2 of 3 days of the symposium and missed networking with colleagues from around the world. I assumed duties as the society's president a year later than originally scheduled, and am now hopeful that our next symposium will be a live (or hybrid) event.

COVID-19 continues to dominate everything from a global to a personal scale. I suppose there have been other events, too, like Joe Biden's election, that have had some impact--I am certainly grateful he improved vaccine roll-out for adults back in the spring (and deeply frustrated his admin has done largely nothing about protecting unvaccinated children)--but for the most part COVID looms largest. I mean, even the stuff related to the Biden administration still boils down to COVID. So so many people have died, so so many people refuse to get vaccinated, breakthrough infections are clearly more common than scientists think--probably because they aren't being reported. My dad caught it just a few weeks ago when traveling to France to bury his father, and he definitely didn't inform anyone / add to breakthrough case counts. I just want this pandemic to be over but there is no end in sight.

Black Lives Matter , the election, vaccination s, masking. The lack of social connection, the intolerance of human beings for others beliefs

The Corvid pandemic. can't go out can't shop can't hug The Masks can't breathe .

The election of Joe Biden was really needed. Politically and mentally. The day that he was officially declared winner was a Saturday. I still remember the feeling of jubilation. And on TV, all over the news, were stories and pictures of people dancing, celebrating and feeling so happy and relieved. I was thinking to myself, I am glad I was able to watch and experience this on the Saturday and my Shomrei Shabbat friends I would have to describe this what I had experienced live.

Event? How about continuing crisis. Covid is obviously a huge impact to anyone's life in the last year. Personally, I am tired of the grind of the pandemic, maintaining the outrage over people being so selfish and stupid is exhausting. I wonder if the world will ever be the same....is that a bad thing....a good thing....hoping for but not expecting positive change.

HAHAHA there are so many, I don't know where to begin. I will forgo the climate crises because there is not enough time to discuss the "one in a lifetime" fires, floods, hurricanes, glacier melt, etc... So I will go with the insurrection. I remember thinking it was so fucked that I was expected to dial into my work meetings and talk salesforce while I was watching traitors beat the shit out of Capitol Police on live tv. The cognitive dissonance of republicans is irreversible if those same blue lives matter assholes are pissing in hallowed Capitol halls and killing cops. and the very GOP officials who were targets chose to just let it slide. Like Pence. Jesus. AOC, Ayanna Pressley, progressive women were hunted and they were just lucky to escape. Frankly, I shouldn't be surprised that 8 months later, those same traitors are eating horse dewormer and choosing infertility and chronic diarrhea over literally anything anyone outside their cult has to say.

Covid 19 At first, Covid had little impact on me. I’m an introvert so my life didn’t change much. Stay home alone? No problem. Kids home too? How delightful, learning on their computers. But it soon grew rough. At this time a year ago, Covid had been full on for about 6 months. Max left for college and Tom was in 10th grade, but all online, what they call distance learning. He hated it. He missed getting up and going to school, being in a classroom and the ability to ask questions of his teachers. “Worksheets!”, he’d rage like a sailor, “All we get are WORKsheets!” So, like many kids his age, he stopped going to school. Turned off his mic and video feed, was just a greyed out silhouette to the rest of the class; he’d play games on his other computer or talk to his girlfriend for hours at a time. Couldn’t see his friends in lockdown, that was a long-lasting blow. Predictably his overdue homework built up, his grades suffered but most of all anxiety and guilt built up hugely. Tom. Tom was our biggest fallen soldier in Covid 19. We still have variants around. We still mask up indoors. But school is happening IRL and we can hug one another. And Tom seems better.

It was nice to have the Tokyo Olympics happen this year. I always feel a bit more connected to the entire world when this event happens. But I wouldn't say it impacted me a great deal. The pandemic is still going on, and it's been nice to see restrictions being lifted here and there, all over the world. Canada finally opened up recently, for example. I want to travel, but I'm still waiting until next year to be safe.

Can we still describe the pandemic as an event? It remains the event that has affected me the most, because unlike a change in political leadership, natural disasters, or the US leaving Afghanistan it affects my everyday life -- not just how I interact with others but how I do my work. Being back in the classroom is joyful. Being masked in the classroom and always waiting for word that one of my students -- or I -- have tested positive makes me anxious. I simply cannot get outside of this "event."

Ongoing Covid 19 regulations have prevented us from going home tos we family. It’s just dragged on, even with vaccinations. Travel is a lot more complicated with different rules in different places that keep changing. I suppose this is the new normal we must get used to. But I can’t believe our families have still not met our baby

Trump lost. BIDEN WON - which has been good in so many ways. but Trump's legacy is still doing damage. As I write this we are reeling from the law Texas has passed and the Supreme Court with Trump's appointees has permitted to go forward for awhile setting up vigilante justice against women who NEED abortions and their supporters. And now he's cozying up to families of marines killed in Afghanistan when Joe pulled out bc of a deal, he, Trump, made and bc damnit it was time and he's just still so awful.

The pullout from Afghanistan has been contentious. Also, the denial by so many of the election, vaccines, and the politicization of all pieces of the information spectrum is disheartening. However, I believe our souls have yearned for physical existence and this struggle is part of it - it probably always has been.

First- Biden won the elction and that was a relief. Many in this country didn't want to believe that and we had a real life insurrection on January 6,2021. I was frozen in front of the TV watching it happen in real time and then seeing a denial that it ever happened or that Trump didn't egg people on. 5 people died. Also the resistance to vaccination and masks really surprises me. I saw a demonstration with parents yelling- "My child, my choice". To a degree that is legitimate, but when it comes to public health and safety, we are so intertwined that we have to make community decisions. Denial, wishful thinking, laziness, complacency are all contributing to the problems in this country.The continuing signs of climate change and our resistance to take bold measures to confront this.

The less than peaceful transfer of power in January shook me hard. I was born on January 6, 1961, as I was actively being born, Richard Nixon was certifying the 1960 election where John F Kennedy, a man Nixon hated, as president. I was absolutely terrified that I was going to watch a coup d'etat. My wife kept asking me to come to bed, but I couldn't. If this was going to be the end of my country, I had to witness it. I want to say this has renewed my faith in our system. I am tired of the same story again and again. I have also read a number of books: So You Want To Talk About Race and The Sum of Us. And then there is my own experience as a woman and a lesbian. I am tired and I don't want to be. I want to be hopeful. I want to feel safe again.

My boyfriend moved home (abroad), which means we have to be apart until travel restrictions are lifted or until he can find a job in my country. Being without him and not knowing when we can be together again has been extremely difficult. I still haven't "gotten over" it. Some days I feel so hopeless, depressed and alone — I just long to hug him or do even the simplest things together. Some days I feel okay and try to make the best of it. But no matter how I'm feeling about the situation, I'm always thinking of him.

Aside from Covid, the election of Biden - hopefully it will put a stop to the abandoning of the rule of law that Trump spent so much time undermining

The selfish Covid-denying and vaccine-resisting population have all really eroded my faith in humankind. I used to believe that humans would come together if they had a common enemy--a hostile alien from outer space for example. Now I know that we wouldn't. We would still divide and fight and undermine each other. Is the solution to turn my back on my species and just plant trees?

Is there any other event besides covid? the global impact has been significant and inequities are showing up in places people turned their backs on. Covid changed how I engage socially, what "battles" I choose, where I go, who I keep in touch with, etc. Nothing is as simple as "let's just go". Spontaneity is long gone.

Vaccines - a relief and major source of anxiety. The side effects are poorly documented and we lost a healthy family friend this spring due to a blood clot after vaccination (not J&J). I ultimately chose to be vaccination after months of frustrating research, more than anything just wanted to feel more comfortable in social situations. I developed a strange food allergy for nearly 2 months as a side effect (diagnosed by my allergist). I am still not comfortable dining indoors (and still anxious and limiting dining outdoors in crowds) but otherwise am relieved to be getting back to some sense of a return to “normalcy.” My mom and sister will not vaccinate due to their concerns about side effects. my sister takes all the necessary precautions of wearing masks and testing almost daily, but fears that her job is in jeopardy due to new requirements in NY that are beginning to roll out on a federal level. My mom has already contracted covid twice with minor cases, so I think she believes she has enough antibodies to not need vaccination. I think their right to choose what to do with their body should be respected as long as they comply with wearing masks in public, and that requiring proof of a negative test instead of requiring vaccination would be a more fair mandate.

Product and labor shortages. Post-covid 19 pandemic mania (although we are still fully ensconced in the covid pandemic) and where the world economy is in terms of the workforce and the impact on product availability is big in my world, and in the lives of others around me. Being in plastics, lacking the availability of resin, and suffering the labor shortages has ultimately led to the company I work for being acquired by another and the potential loss of my job. I know of people who work in the auto or machine industries also suffering from parts availability and labor shortages. Restaurants struggle to stay open due to staffing issues. Warehouses lack labor to load trucks, thus leaving truck drivers with no loads to deliver. It extends further into examples such as a shortage of rental cars or a months-long lead time to order new furniture. Will things settle down and someday return to "normal" or will labor issues continue to affect lives and ultimately change the way we do things?

Top of the list would be the ongoing pandemic, slowly eroding my faith in humanity. I feel like I'm getting judgier and less compassionate because I'm so mad at ultra-privileged people claiming to be oppressed over trivial shit. How badly traumatized are we as a society that SO many find safety in conspiracies? I kinda know why we're here but I do not like it one bit. Runner's up would be the Israeli army persecuting their Palestinian citizens, The US throwing Afghanistan to the Taliban, Texas making abortion illegal just last week... I suspect the world has always been this ''on fire'' and I just wasn't seeing it up close and personal.

The Israeli election, which brought together a coalition government made up of men and women from a broad swath of the nation's political landscape, including the first Arab MK's to participate in the leadership of the nation, has given me great hope that people can change, and can come together to do good. The election also saw the defeat of a hero who had transformed into a xenophobic narcissist who clung to power for his own personal needs rather than the good of the nation.

Covid. I’m unable to do anything or go anywhere now!

The easing of lockdowns has been really frightening. Fewer people are taking it seriously and not everyone is getting vaccinated and it’s scary.

well, we managed to elect Joe Biden to the presidency, i think that has impacted me in a good way, because i think it's held the country together a bit longer. The Jan 6 insurrection shook me, as a peek at how things might yet play out in 2024. i think there is not a unified USA, i think the insurrection illustrated how the narrative of rebellion can be shaped to fit anyone's ideology, and the ideology of the USA is quite fractured and broken, and was built upon smoke and mirrors to begin with. Jan 6 was a chilling confirmation of my own ideas about Trumpitsts, and the failure of the Biden administration to push through much of an agenda, even when its party holds both houses of Congress, shows the limits of liberalism. I think the best solutions are local solutions, solidarity practice, and mutual aid.

The January 6 insurrection happened. What a fucking mess that was, and continues to be. May tRump and his band of Deplorables rot in Hell for what they are doing to this country. Patriots my fucking ass! All of them should be locked up, including tRump and the rest of his grifter family. God help us all if he runs for president again. The sniveling, thin-skinned, orange-haired toupee wearing menace is the worst American president in our history. January 6 was a shameful stain on our history. Never forget. It has made me question the very nature of our country, and I don't know if I can think of us as a shining light upon a hill any more.

The election that ousted Donald Trump from the White House and installed Joe Biden, that was probably the biggest world event. Just the elimination of the constant Trump news and sound bites has been such a relief. Joe Biden has the integrity and demeanor that we need in the Presidency. The Trumper have done anything but disappear. He really ignited the base of Americans who don't trust the government and science, the anti-vaxxers, the white-supremacists, the anti-immigration folks, and the people who are likely to believe conspiracy theories (like stolen elections). This state of craziness in America is disheartening, to say the least, but it helps to know that so many others are feeling the same way.

Fear of our government like I've never had before. What is in this vax?? What are they trying to accomplish? Many other diseases and viruses that are worse are not handled this way. Why? I do not want to get the vax at all. But at what cost? Will I need to give in?? to go on our cruise in 6 months? Now they are saying we need "booster shots"! I have listened to the inventor of mRNA, Robert Malone, explains that our natural immunity is 13 times stronger than the vax. Although he has had the vax himself (High risk) he and I believe at best the vax should ONLY go to the high-risk population. The long-term results are leading to this conclusion but more will be revealed. That "more" is what I am worried about. If our entire world has had the vax we will develop resistance to naturally defend our diseases and illnesses. Just like antibiotics get resistant.

My hip replacement surgery. I live alone and have had to ask for quite a bit of help. It has come from unexpected places. Especially people in my two book clubs. I am ending up working on all areas of health from strength to gastrointestinal. I have had to admit to my weaknesses in order to get stronger. It is not as fast as I hoped. It will be ongoing for the rest of my life, I imagine.

COVID kept us separated from people and community. We are always grateful for connecting with others when it is safe to do so.

The death, pain and suffering caused by carbon emissions which have led to severe weather events and the death, pain and suffering caused by civil wars such as in Afghanistan. Hopeful that humans can change, but lamenting the denial and greed. Governments are invested in wars, business as usual capitalism and consumerism because they are invested in arms and fossil fuel industries. I don't blame humans but the "machines" they are part of and so that's why change is possible. System change through people waking up.

The arrival of the covid vaccines was astonishingly fast and I tolerated them both with little to no side effects. I cannot understand why there is so much resistance to vaccination against a killer pandemic. The politicization of public health measures has made this country even more ill-mannered than it ever was.

The pandemic continues however a vaccine was created. Unfortunately a new variant of COVID formed called the Delta variant. We are now at higher numbers for COVID than ever. More children are effected as well. Masks are worn everywhere by a majority of people. It has continued to be a political issue instead of a health issue when it truly is a public health issue. Over 500,000 people have died in the US. Biden was elected. We feel positive about this.

This year, going to Israel impacted me and it made me feel like a much better person, and made me feel connected to someone, somewhere, when I was struggling.

Well, for most of us it's the Pandemic again. Sigh. Don;t need to say any more than that.

Wasn't this also question 1?

Obviously the COVID-19 pandemic has affected me. The kids are doing school from home, and that requires so much work on my part. I am not getting nearly as much done at my actual job.

The inauguration of Joe Biden as president. Despite the attempted coup by Trump supporters, and the continuing misinformation campaign, I am relieved we have a steady hand and a compassionate voice in the White House.

The Coronavirus Pandemic has still been impactful in 2021 even with vaccines. I couldn’t leave camp on days and nights off which was a bummer, but I know it was for the best. I am so glad to be back at school with a vibrant crowd.

Trump lost. The overwhelmingly impact of Covid is sickeningly scary combined with the lack of protection and security of the America people at this time created by Biden and his administration, while the majority of my Jewish peers continue to be blind to the reality of our situation makes us ripe for another Holocaust. Everything is so uncertain.

Covid and being at home with my husband for weeks. Had to be entertaining for his sister, deal with pregnant daughter and dopy son. Just stressful. Learned to journal and do artwork for stress relief and some peace of mind

so much is happening in this world, so much . . . bad. yeah, we got Trump out of the Whitehouse, but the continued disinformation and the Big Lie, attack on voter's rights, continued blatant white supremacy . . . and the continuation of the pandemic because that same disinformation has included the idea that being asked to vaccinate and wear a mask to protect yourself and everyone is against "freedom." It makes me hate living here, being associated with these people, being subjected to their behavior as we watch the variant surge. Then, Texas essentially banned abortion. I feel beaten down by all of this. Some of that fire of revolution has died out in me because it seems like the BLM movement petered out while racism prevails. I need to find my inner activist again.

Delta variant…just when we thought we could return to “normal”…. The scientific data varies about the risks. So I choose caution…because we don’t know who is and who is not vaccinated.

Of course, the pandemic. Who has it not impacted. Then, Biden's election. Though I know (and political life has proven) that things wouldn't change overnight, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the fascist, racist, xenophobic slide would slow down.

So many. All the natural disasters that really point to climate change. It’s here. It’s real. And it’s hot!

Good lord, SO MUCH happened in this last year. Climate disasters, the election, the insurrection, continued variations on the covid pandemic... It's hard to choose one! I think the collective impact has been to put me more on edge, and also to be jarred by specific impact on my life. The day of the insurrection, I just kept working. I didn't know what else to do. I kept checking the news and watching TV as a way to feel connected, but it was also frustrating and made me feel helpless and alone. I want so badly to act, and it's hard to find ways in a lot of these situations that are so large and overwhelming.

The killing of George Floyd, subsequent Black Lives Matter movement, some rioting and many peaceful demonstrations world wide. I did not participate on the streets much, but it is such a relief to finally feel acknowledged the complex burden Black Americans bear. Of course, the backlash is swift and hateful, but something has moved in America and will never be the same.

The rapid collapse of Afghanistan was a scary yet predictable wake up call. The mission of American GI forces in all other nations needs to be reviewed. We spend 2500 lives and 900 billion and 20 years trying to make an old, insular, medieval society of tribes into the USA. We should not try to do that again.

OMG. everything. Biden's election. Delta. Climate change. Delta. Increasing fears. Reopening and then closing. Afghanistan.

The attack on the Capitol on January 6 and Trump's speech the Thursday after the election were so infuriating and scary. We knew there would be violence after that speech. I never imagined his supporters would actually attack the Captiol. I still don't understand what the attackers thought would come of it. It just left me feeling that our country is even less safe than I thought when Trump was first elected. I never thought his terr would end with that. Matt and I took out the guns in preparation for election night. He reviewed how to use them, and I practiced holding them and aiming. We discussed all of our resources in the event we had to escape. We covered the windows with paper many nights during the winter afraid of something of which we weren't sure. I never imagined people would attack the Capitol though. I imagined angry protestors marauding in our streets but not that.

I think the Pandemic continues to have a major impact on everyone, in tragic and heartbreaking circumstances. The divide between the “have and have nots “ continues to betray our fundamental sense of decency to each other. The plight of those subjected to climate disaster, war, racism, economic disparity is a harbinger of a continuing tragedy. I’m anxious in an underlying manner, fearful that it is too late.

What even is time anymore? This year? I think the January 6 storming of the US Capitol by white supremacists was this year. There were hurricanes and wildfires and deadly heatwaves in the Pacific NW and Canada. It’s the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we abandoned Afghanistan, the Taliban is back in charge, Roe was essentially overturned in Texas. It’s been a heavy year.

Wow. Another year of overwhelming events. The Texas anti-abortion law is the most recent. I have rallied for women's rights and health care as long as I can remember-more than 50 years-and this assault is almost too much to take. Feels like a setback to the dark ages, a misogynistic attack on me as a woman. I will be marching and protesting as I can, given the pandemic.

Boy, do I wish the answer was different than last year. The pandemic continues to overshadow everything. We had a short reprieve early in summer, after vaccinations were out, and we thought we saw light at the end of the tunnel. But then the Delta variant took advantage of all the people unwilling to get vaccinated and here we are again. On a positive note, the election of Joe Biden most definitely impacted me. It gave me hope that we might finally wake from our national nightmare, aka Trump. Then the January 6 attacks occurred and it seems that Trumpism is still with us. I try not to let the events of the year make me overly cynical and negative. I try to think positively. Try being hte operative term here.

Well, really, I can't imagine an event in the world that affected me more than the COVID pandemic. It brought all of our travel and education plans to a screeching halt. There were silver linings - my partner and I instituted some sweet rituals that I'm sure we'll keep forever. But the stress of the pandemic has been wearing.

How am I supposed to pick one? Between the election and covid all world events have taken on a hyper personal affect. On a happier note, the day Joe Biden officially won the election was one of my happiest days of recent memory, and getting to dance in the streets of New York and party all day with my friends was an unparalleled communal experience.

Outside of Covid, it would have to be the attempted coup d'etat orchestrated by Donald Trunp and his minions. The event and its ongoing effects have just further disillusioned me about our government and the overarching stupidity/gullibility and small mindedness of the American people. I feel so depressed about the divide in this country and my own tendency to pigeon hole people who who are enamored of Trump style politics. My disgust with the far right politicians drives further into my own struggle with depression.

I think to me, the event that most affected me was when Israel was attacked by Hamas with rockets and seeing how many Jewish DIDN'T stand by Israel, in fact some liberal Jews I know spoke out against Israel and it really upset me. And of course the anti-semitism that followed that attack. Its hard for me to connect to any Jew who doesn't stand by Israel. You can disagree on policies, but the state of Israel is a gift and a blessing to every Jew. And many liberal Jews are falling for the false media narratives about Israel and the Palestinians.

November 2020 election and the subsequent interregnum, insurrection, and inauguration felt significant and impactful. I made myself a countdown calendar and marked the days as they passed, watched in awe as trumplings stormed the White House, and generally felt like I witnessed the most circus-like presidential transition my country has ever seen. Now that the dust has settled, I feel so much safer and stronger in my home as an American than I did during the previous administration.

COVID is still in the forefront as the major event affecting the world and me. The best thing to happen was the development of vaccines. I've just recently had my third (booster) shot but I still wear a mask when I go out. The second thing is the return of intelligent, rational government to the White House. There are still Republicans in the Senate who are set in controlling women's bodies and who are trying hard to repress the voting rights of those who would vote them out of office. Unfortunately for us that is an ongoing battle that will not be easy to win.

Observing the increasing hostility and violence that's occurring because people don't agree on some aspect of a political decision. Watching each party tear down the other candidates rather than promote their platforms feels like we're moving towards the end of democracy.

Joe Biden was elected President. To me, the world has become less contentious, less crazy, less mean and more of the "big tent" generous, loving and supportive America that I was proud to be a part of pre-Donald Trump. It has removed an entire swath of anger and drama from my life and even given me an extra hour or two of free time as I am no longer drawn to watch CNN with such vigil.

The wildfires in California have impacted me, as well as the late fall ones closer to home here in Colorado where I live. I remember a night last October where my son and his running group were supposed to be doing a fun full moon run. Instead, they ran under orange dusky skies and a red moon, and my son had an asthma attack. Fortunately for us (but not for others), the fires are further away for now. But the pollution on a daily basis reminds me that climate change is real and will hurt us all if we can't do something about it.

The controversial COVID vaccine. It took on a whole life of its own. It made me decide - resolutely - on my direction. It also helped me to make more sense of things that unfolded in my life starting in 2017 and into 2018. The strange symptoms with my health, and my disoriented feeling. The "ascension," symptoms as I now know them to be. There is a distinction in humanity right now that literally does send one group in one direction and another group in the other. It's a "we're going this way, and they're going that way," synopsis. New earth/new paradigm versus old earth/old paradigm. 3D to 5D. It's really incredible.

The continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic has kept me close to home, with a much slower pace of life. This has had advantages--more time with my family, more time to reflect on my inner life and make changes--but I am also feeling desperate to travel and do and see novel things and being able to do so safely (without the kids yet vaccinated) still feels long off. The rash of wildfires has also emphasized the risks of climate change and I am feeling much more anxious about the future of our planet and the human race. I have thought on several occasions during the last year that if I hadn't yet had children, I might choose not to bring more humans into a world whose future feels so uncertain.

Uhhhhh we had a global pandemic. While I hated the forced isolation, I do miss being home so much. I’m no longer doing things I don’t want to do. I’m trying to take better care of myself and forget about the superficial abs obligatory things. I don’t ever want to be as busy as I was before the pandemic.

Its hard to think globally at the moment. Afghanistan is crazy, and feels like what has happened to many colonized countries (the colonizing force gets up and leaved without support)..history just repeats. Locally we have has another loopy fundamentalist go bonkers in a supermarket. The world...my world...is changing. The impact on me is to really knuckle down and dig my heels in...I don't need to go anywhere in the world!

I think the obvious answer here would be covid, but it’s almost as if living with it is more normal than not now. We are very lucky in our country, we aren’t suffering from the repercussions as much as others. I think the event that’s impacted me the most is the situation in Afghanistan. Seeing the Taliban take over and seeing the absolute fear of so many people has been really difficult. It’s been one of those times where I feel completely hopeless, I want to help so bad, I want to do something about it, but what. I can make the donations that I’ve made and be educated on what’s happening, but I keep asking myself what good that’s done for anyone. Those poor men and women and children. Every time I’ve seen something on the news I’ve cried and just felt so sorry for living the life I live when they are fleeing to preserve theirs. It’s horrible shit, I’m so heartbroken.

Covid 19 & uncle biden... Gas prices are soaring and vaccines are killing everyone

The fall of Kabul reminds me that we should never have gone over there in the first place. It's sobering to watch our president struggle with the pullout of troops while stranding thousands. War is hell. Sadly, too many in our country have no idea what it's all about. I despair over the tragic stories unfolding.

I hate to just say “covid” again and again, but it still continues to impact me more than anything - even when indirectly. All the uncertainty, the back and forth with regulations and protocol have made what we all thought was ending instead continue to be at best a nuisance and at worst ominous. The other big sad thing that has developed this year is the animosity between people over disagreements with regard to covid, masking, and especially vaccination. It pains me to say that this has impacted relationships between my family and our relatives in heartbreakingly negative ways.

Covid is the obvious answer. Texas's ban on abortion has negatively impacted me. Just can't believe the world is regressing like this. States yelling for their "right" to discriminate against trans people. Police brutality happening one after another. It's all painful to see and I'm not sure how to help as a poor and disabled person. I'm trying to think of something positive but all I can think of is Chauvin's conviction. It's a sliver of justice in that awful situation for George Floyd's family. I hope the family is able to find peace. I know how painful it is to lose someone you love to murder. Losing a father, a husband, a brother, a son though. My heart is with them.

Corona. It changed everything. I could not travel, invented new ways of working.

The COVID pandemic has changed normal living and negativity impacted ability to travel abroad.

Covid, Covid, Covid. The pandemic has been the world event that has most impacted almost all aspects of life. After the frightening first year, we all thought (and hoped) that things would get significantly better after vaccinations were available. But the combination of the Delta variant, and those unwilling to get vaccinated, has led the crisis to continue after only a very brief window of relief and optimism. At this point, there seems to be no end in sight. I retired just 2 weeks before the initial lock-downs were put in place, and my husband will retire within the next few months. We had hoped and planned to travel, meet people, and feel free and unencumbered moving through the world in the coming years. The pandemic has changed all that.

Covid-19 pandemic. It's limited my ability to move around and interact with people. It's been a cause for anxiety and sadness. This small unseen virus has taken so many lives, its impacted economies, way of life, community relations. The acknowledgement of the virus and ways to protect against it have become politicized in the US to a point where people are using it to draw a line between citizens regardless of the impact of personal and universal health.

Talibans taking Cabul and all afeghanistan. It affected me because i imagine all those women with no rights again like 20 years ago, with no freedom, all the pain under the burkas. There is so much to do for women in a civilized world, to obtain equality and now in afeghanistan is like returning to medieval times. I feel i cant do nothing to change the way taliban treat women.

Like everyone else (I would hope) COVID has left a mark on the way we walk through this planet. It is clear we are fragile beings and if we follow the prescibed steps to alleviate things such as pandemics, we might be able to eradicate it. I am happy to say I've remained vigilant in staying safe and healthy despite having faced other life threatening health issues in 2020. I'm grateful every single day to be alive.

January 4,2020 - was so much sadder than 9/11. We did this to ourselves and the divide between Americans seems irresolvable. I’ve felt hopeless more often. The anti-bad divide is similarly disheartening.

I went to a 100th birthday party. I don't know how many times I'll get invited to such a celebration, but I'll go every time. My mother-from-another-brother turned 100 on June 13 and died on August 20, 2021. She was the closest to having a grandmother that my kids had. We shared Thanksgivings and Christmases with her for the last 15 years or so. Her wisdom and wonder will be missed. And I'll miss baking for her.

Covid 19 It has guided every religious, personal, family and organizational decision and opportunity for the entire year. A great deal of resentment of Antivaxxers both publicly and privately. They are prolonging the misery for everyone because of this pandemic

1) of course, the pandemic. I've always been a fairly fearless person in terms of willingness to go new places and try new things, but now I find that I'm anxious whenever I step outside my door. Bored and frustrated inside, but anxious outside: this is a conundrum. On the other hand, I've been able to forge stronger bonds with friends and family electronically, and that's been an enormous please and source of strength. Relatedly, being so isolated (even though on line teaching went surprisingly well), it's pushed me towards retirement probably a bit sooner than anticipated. I'm very glad I wasn't retired -- what would I have done all alone for all these months? -- but I'm readier now, maybe even finally ready, to call it a day. Good work, well done, time to turn to something new. 2) the Iraq withdrawal: only 20 years late. Shame on us for continuing the forever war, and shame on us for not having a better exit plan. Those refugees -- and people still to come (hopefully) -- deserve all the help and support -- real help and support, not just talk or temporary -- that we can provide. Does this affect me directly? Actually no. But it doesn't absolve me either.

There is so much going on in the world right now, it is hard to pick just one thing. There are a two things I think about that impact my thoughts and my actions: 1. Climate change and the drought in California - I am doing my best to conserve water, as well as to drive less, recycle and sell used clothing, grow our own food, and try to impact the planet less. 2. Covid - I am dismayed and upset by those that won't get vaccinated, insist on not wearing masks, and continue to listen to propaganda that isn't based in science. I am not sure what impact I can make on this aside from wearing a mask and setting an example for others.

I'm numb to the world's affairs. I can't shoulder the worry and it's so overwhelming to think about that I get bluesy. Instead I'm focused on hyper-local matters -- helping neighbors and friends, picking up trash (a lot of disposable masks) in the neighborhood, a few transports to the community fridge, and well, that's about it. I know there are issues I should become more involved in, and I want to, but I find myself unable to launch into action. A dear friend says its because I'm aging. But I know 80-year-olds that are getting more done in a week than I do in a month. NYT called it languishing. That I am.

Covid spreading has been a horrific worldwide crisis. It’s been a rollercoaster. Watching people on the news mourn family members of all ages is so sad. They are helpless to this disease. Many countries desperately want access to the vaccines, and they can’t access them. It reminds me of the US privilege because we have a surplus and so many people who are anti vaxers.

The utter failure of California government and Federal government on so many levels is unprecedented. I feel lost knowing the media circles the wagons to protect the status quo (Democrats). It seems lately I get more protection from racial/gender/sexual orientation/country of origin discrimination than I get for political viewpoint/speech. It is OK to shame me for not agreeing with all COVID lockdown/mask wearing/vaccination control regardless of contrary science, experience of other countries, and credible commentary from licensed experienced epidemiologists. No I'm not a nut-job and I believe in vaccines (I'm vaccinated), but I find masks and lockdowns mostly ineffective. Reasonable debate is squashed by labeling any skepticism of orthodoxy as being a "denier". Any I can't begin to describe all the problems with the State of California: EDD fraud, wildfires caused by environmentalist orthodoxy eliminating all forest management by running all the loggers out of this state in the name of a spotted owl. Can you tell me how much spotted owl habitat is left now that thousands of square miles of forest have been burned up? Not to mention how much carbon has been released into the atmosphere by the state that is supposed to be at the forefront of fighting climate change? Private forests managed by forest product companies plant 4 trees for every one they cut down, and they don't have wildfires. We could have let the forests be thinned and actually harvested some useful lumber instead of doing nothing in the name of orthodox environmentalism (picture a tree hugger cowering at the sound of chainsaws). So I choke on forest fire smoke and keep my mouth shut while wearing my ineffective mask for COVID or smoke.

Delta variant of COVID along with opening things up and vaccination and masks - all this COVID stuff that keeps changing - the chaos and lack of agreement and the stress that people are reacting to...the world feels chaotic and a bit dark but I do believe that we are in the labor pains before the birth of a better world.

The events of January 6th shook me to the core. I watched in real time, mesmerized as an angry horde stormed the Capitol, threatening not only lives, law and order, but the very foundation of trust in a social contract that has girded our nation since its founding. I no longer have faith that our institutions and our goodwill for one another will keep us safe from mob rule. Heaven help us.

The storming of the Capitol on January 6th has had an intense impact on me this year. To see hundreds of my fellow citizens who truly believe the election was stolen try to break into the Capitol was terrifying. Many of those folks are white supremacists. It was disgusting. The way they trashed the building and tried to steal so many things was just so very wrong on so many levels.

the so-called pandemic, which is really a scamdemic / plandemic and it gives me concern as to when the following biblical prophecy will take place: Revelation 13: 16-17 [TLV] 16 He also causes all—the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the slave—to receive a mark on their right hand or upon their forehead. 17 And so no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark—either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

virus

It is still a pandemic. Vaccinations and booster shots were administered this year and I was vaccinated this March of 2021

Living through a continuing global pandemic, of course. And, in different ways, both January 6 and the inauguration of a new leadership in the White House. I'm horrified by the actions of the mob that rushed the Capitol. And, honestly, they terrify me. Because they have not gone anywhere. And, on the other hand, with new leadership, I feel our country is in infinitely better hands than the 4 years prior. As I watched the inauguration, I realized I was breathing again in a way I hadn't breathed since 2016.

The lead up to the election (and the former president's insinuations that he would not accept its results) had my partner and I strategizing how we would leave the country for our own safety. I am very relieved we didn't have to.

Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban. I'm incredibly pro equality for women and I cannot get my head around how women who have had more freedoms over the past two decades can cope with what they are returning to. Devastating. And an appalling lack of foresight by the US/UK. There are no right answers but what has happened is definitely a wrong answer.

All of it. It is all making me depressed, anxious, and desperate with a dark vision of the future. COVID, COVID deniers, the environment- record storms and fires and hurricanes and the lack of political and citizen will to make necessary changes to ensure a better future. Not to mention democracy hanging in the balance and the TX forced birth law.

Covid-19 1. I am grateful that neither of my parents is alive - so I am not constantly worried about them or dealing with the heartache of my Mother not understanding quarantine (because of Alzheimer's) 2. I am now worried about my SO's mother, Kitty, my biological parents but since I am not entrusted with their care I need to not jump in. 3. I am stressed about my finances. It's all good now but if the unthinkable happens and Scott leaves me - I stand to lose everything I have worked my whole life for - because I was too young to lose my job and to old to get a new one. And my retirement income is finite.

COMBINATION OF PANDEMIC, CLIMATE PROBLEMS - FIRES, FLOODS-EARTHQUAKES, AND MESSY EVACUATION FROM AFGANISTAN MAKE ME FEEL LIKE THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT IS COMING TO AN END (LIKE THE END OF ROMAN EMPIRE) AND HARD FOR ME TO SET PERSONAL PRIORITIES

I imagine everyone would say the covid 19 pandemic. So, samesies. The frustration, loneliness, anger, fear, confusion of it and in turn what we really believe as individual humans. The saturation of politics and misinformation making it into our algorithms on our lives online. The climate issue is very disturbing. Seeing life under water and in our polar areas deteriorate. The countless charities and go fund me's supporting so many things. Broken legs, plants, start ups, animals, homeless. The options are many and varied, and I find myself trying to decide which would make me look better as a human, and which is truly better. Am I actually helping. I've discovered that I am just very human. I am scared. I have flaws and faults. I have realized just how precious and short life is. And my current goals is to be ok. Be healthy. Be a good human. Make kindness my life, my eyes, my heart. My hands.

Global warming. Really need I say more?

It's the most recent world event, but the withdrawal from Afghanistan has really impacted me. The swift movement of the Taliban as the US withdrew its troops , the inability of ally nations to complete their airlifts, people dying because they ran onto active runways and held onto landing gear as planes took off or couldn't hold on and fell to their deaths.... it's been absolutely jarring to me. The Taliban have announced a transitional government which includes many of the "old guard", seeming to guarantee women's rights will be obliterated there. As the passing of RBG in 2020 dominated my answer to this question, the situation in Afghanistan dominates it today for the same reasons. It is another step backwards from progress, another passing of things onto the shoulders of women while simultaneously removing their autonomy, rights and voices in our world. I'm sure by 2022 the world will have seen the result of the US state-level challenges to abortion rights, which seems they will be successful in overturning Roe vs. Wade. What then? US policy decisions often set the stage for the larger world to follow - as with last year's answer, I fear for the kind of world that will be left for my babies. The kind of society we are shaping and becoming is moving steadily in the wrong direction.

The general unpredictable permanence of everything right now. "Oh we can travel! Oh wait, I guess we can't.... but wait, new announcement that is supposed to be about travel, oh.....not the news they said it was going to be." My partner and I haven't been able to see each other in person for almost 18 months now. Last week we were supposed to be able to be together.... every day for 2 months it was this up and down of whether or not travel was going to open up. Everyday trying to be hopeful, excited that the concerts that I had bought tickets for seemed like the perfect occasion, the feeling that everything was going to be alright in the world now....and then to have the concert pass by, and the sadness of that hope unfulfilled, hitting like a tidal wave because nothing ever really changed.

The covid 19 vaccination approvals. Getting my family vaccinated gave me a moment of freedom and peace of mind this year. It was a welcome break even though we had to return to full COVID measures once the virus varients started to show up.

The US leaving Afghanistan and the many thousands left behind has been very challenging for me internally. For so many year, going back to Vietnam, I have opposed our country's involvement with wars around the world. Far too many young men and women have died far from home in an unwinable, unthinkable war. We have slowed and hobbled the future of Afghanistan with our view of democracy. When will we learn to support countries that are seeking change, and provide the tools needed, not the soldiers and missiles, etc. My pacifist roots shake with despair for the families trying to hide, begin again, or seek to learn their homes.

Covid, again. I am tired of zoom. I am tired of not seeing people IRL. Haven't seen my son in two years. Livid that so many refuse vaccination and believe nonsense from nonentities and non-experts. Yet good things have happened too; DJT was defeated by Joe Biden. And Georgia (!) sent two Democratic senators to DC. And I worked to help elect Mark Kelly, among others. So all those phone calls were not wasted.

Oh wow - Covid 🤣 - Mandatory masks today and starting a vaccine passport for sports teams, concerts, restaurants in BC. Election coming up to get Trudeau out

The political instabilities that my country is experiencing and got worse this year due to the pandemic. I feel for my family and everyone who is suffering from hunger despair, unemployment and lack of health and social care.

It's all climate change all the time. The pandemic. The fires. The floods. Sometime in the past 18 months, I started asking people how the zombie apocalypse is going for them because I work with people all over the country, and I couldn't always remember whose Covid numbers were going up, who'd had an earthquake, who'd had tornadoes, and who'd had a hurricane. We got vaccinated, had a few weeks in early summer where we wandered around without masks and ate indoors in restaurants. Then the delta variant started to surge and we masked up again and went back to eating outside. But we did travel, and we saw friends, and started to learn to live in a world where everything is a risk calculation. Staying at home all the time is too hard, so we balance. We traveled to California, where we stayed an extra week because forest fire smoke had overtaken Denver, which was supposed to be our next stop. We thought we were lucky when a tropical storm just dumped a little water into our basement when others were completely flooded. It has been a lot.

Covid - Still. I am very worried about going back into the office. I am concerned about it for health reasons, but also for quality of life. Since working from home it has increased my happiness and work/life balance. Having the 3 kids and wasting 2 hours of my day on the commute creates more stress, rushing, and less family time.

OMG - the Pandemic, withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden becomes President, the insurrection on 1/6, Trump's Stop the Steal lies campaign, hurricane Ida, fires in CA., Texas anti-abortion law allowed by Supremes, Republicans anti-vaccine/anti-mask craziness. I feel that Trump broke this country and I'm not sure it can be repaired. It's terrifying.

COVID-19 is a once in a century disruption, which at once illustrated the power of nature, the power of science, the power of ignorance and the power of interference. I’m more committed to public communication of science than I ever was before.

The continuation of the pandemic. The arrival of the vaccine. The exit of Trump. The return to reason.

I mean, global pandemic, right? The pandemic has totally shifted the ways I think about the world, and about myself. I hate to say it, but maybe I dislike strangers more now? I think I am less charitable and less patient now that I know how few people are willing to do the basic courtesy of wearing a mask. In terms of myself, I am still figuring things out, but I know I have been changed. I guess maybe next year I'll have a better understanding of how.

COVID, election, politics. Covid and the vaccine have caused lots of issues. SO many people are showing their true colors by being anti-vax and anti-mask. It’s so stupid. Trump supporters are everywhere. Abortion is becoming illegal, voters rights for black people are being taken away, everything is shit. It’s so so dumb and I hate some people in this world.

It’s really hard to think of anything other than Covid. It reinforced how stupid some people are and how caring and innovative other people are.

There were a lot of weird and interesting things that happened this year. I mean there are the easy pickings - Corona, Trump, Domestic Terrorism, fires and floods, and hurricanes. But I feel like that's every year now. So I'm going to go with some stuff that isn't easily apparent. We had an Olympics that was barely watched because of the insane time difference. It was also sort of a disaster because of the weather in Japan. We had the US leaving Afghanistan last month after like a decade over there. It's still ongoing at the moment with the Taliban being all excited and everything. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. We invaded Afghanistan more than a decade ago and....it's still a terrible place to live, and we still have terrorists. So what was accomplished? What were the motives to stay there for so long? What can be learned from this. I have not served...so I also wonder how everyone I know that has feels about this, but it's a very touchy subject so I can't ask. Jeffrey Bezos shot a dick rocket into space. Really amping up on that Dr. Evil persona he's building. Elon Musk also shot things into space - very Lex Luther vibe going with him. A Reddit group brought down Wall Street with Game Stop - that was fucking wild. Honestly, it seemed like because everyone was still battling the Corona Virus we needed to think up new and inventive ways of messing with the world. It was a wild year.

Covid - isolation and activity restrictions. And of course so much death. Climate change. It’s so darn hot everywhere and we have a drought. In other places too much rain. Seems like there are so many problems in the world. To many people and depleting our natural resources.

COVID Vaccines!! It has been both amazing and disturbing to see the transformation of the US by vaccination and the crazy misinformed insisting on not getting vaccinated. We are currently in a huge peak in infections and hospitalizations and deaths. Hospital ICUs are again overflowing and many have to triage who will get a ventilator because of nursing shortages due to burnout.

The resurgence of COVID has made me continue to question what my future looks like at almost every step. I’m very, very tired. I hope that you reading this next year are a little less tired.

COVID restrictions affected me greatly. I chose not to go to the gym due to their mask policies that I think are unsafe. This kept me fairly isolated unless I chose to call friends, which I didn't do very often. The pandemic made me very shy and unwilling to reach out. I don't know why.

COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed my life. I'm much more conscious of the people around me and my own health as well. I need to work on myself to be a healthier person in general. COVID has also made me think of my future and children and keeping my body healthy enough to produce them.

I think the "re-set" year allowed others to know what it was like to be alone, what we used to call a "shut-in". I never felt isolated and welcomed the silence on my walks

This year I had to respond when my mother said she was in an abusive relationship. I had to speak to the man. She has now returned to relationship with this person and I am having feelings about it.

I’m going to try to avoid using covid as the answer and instead say the Olympics. I was really moved by Simone Biles taking such a strong stand for self-care and mental health and putting yourself first by stepping down during the Olympics. It triggered a really important cultural conversation around mental health and entertainment, especially given that the Britney Spears conservatorship controversy was going on simultaneously. It was high time for our society to have a reckoning over what we expect of women in the spotlight, and women of color in particular. I thought it was really interesting how many people I didn’t expect to have such forward thinking opinions, who actually did. That was affecting for me personally given my own mental health struggles.

How can I say anything but covid. It had impacted my job, home city, friendships, family. Total uprooting.

The hurricanes have me appreciate how vulnerable our coasts, and our country is. Too, I'm seeing inequities in federal relief (FEMA, e.g.), who chooses to rebuild. and how can anyone not see the impacts of climate change?

This question is sooo easy. The COVID-19 pandemic is at the forefront of everyone's mind. We are still dealing with restrictions and deaths, many of which are senseless. I don't enjoy masking, but feel it is the best way to keep people safe. Also, getting the vaccine is so important to protect you and those around you. These topics have become so divisive and political, it seems there are wide swaths of my fellow citizens that are actively choosing to go maskless and not get the vaccine despite a consensus in the medical community saying these are things we should all do. Tough times we live in.

Biden winning the election. Phew! When I woke up after Election Day I was expecting to be chagrined and defeated but accepting of another 4 years of Trump. I had seen the early results and the senate result coming in and thought, “Well this is what the country has become. If you live in a democracy and get out voted then you have to learn to live with it. That’s a democracy. You don’t always win. I guess Trump type people are who we have become.” Then my husband told me that Biden had pulled ahead and would most likely win- well wow! - such a wave of relief swept over me.

The attack on the US Capitol was pretty disturbing. Abortions are under attack. Black people are under attack. Asians are under attack. We need to take the US back from the old, rich white patriarchy. I'm pissed.

The good folks at Judaism Unbound had the wonderful idea and somehow convinced Dr. Richard Friedman to do a year long series of lectures, once a week. They ended in April and have been very informative. The impact on me is that it gave me an idea to organize an Adult Education class around those lectures. The first idea was to do this for my synagogue, where I am chair of the Adult Education committee, but a congregant suggested that we could take this to our local Limmud, because they are thinking about how to do regular events through the year to add to their big annual lectures. Adult education is hard to organize because the goal is to get a bunch of people in the same room (zoom or real) at the same time. And of course, this particular series of lectures is just one idea to start with. It is a great series for anyone interested in biblical scholarship. https://www.jewishlive.org/returntotorah

There have been so many events that have impacted me, but if I have to choose just one, it would be the January 6 insurrection at the capitol. I remember watching in horror as it unfolded, unable to believe that it was happening in this country. I have been terribly afraid for the future of democracy over the last few years, and this event made those fears tangible. It has put me on alert, and energized me to become more aware of things that I might not have paid attention to previously.

Goodness. What hasn't impacted me this year? I do my best to be mindful of how eventful the last year has been -- more pandemic, the vaccine, the 2020 elections, Afganastan pull out, RBG dying, the horrible current Surpeme Court. There's just so so much happening. I do my best to take news breaks when needed, depend on light audiobooks for when I start getting overwhelmed, and help out where I can.

January 6th was the attack on the Capitol by thousands of Trump followers. They invaded the Capitol, attacked and overwhelmed Capitol police, pushing their way into the chambers and offices of senators and Congressmen in an attempt to stop the certification of Biden's election as President. It was startling. Almost unbelievable that Trump would go to such lengths to overturn the election. And yet, that is who he has been this whole time. He is a power hungry, limelight hungry manipulator. And we are very lucky that the bombs set at the DNC & the RNC didn't ignite. Lucky that Trump didn't declare martial law and try to take over the military. And the fallout from the "Big Lie" that the election was stolen by widespread fraud--despite being invalidated by over 60 court cases--has poisoned and bifurcated our country. Trump is already declaring that the California recall of Gavin Newsome is rigged--because the polls show he is ahead by a few points. So the "it's rigged" meme has already been launched. Our democracy is on the line. Trump is a poison pill that continues to shoot poison into the psyche of his followers. Trumpist extremists are threatening the lives of election officials. Republican states are making it harder to vote in order to demotivate those who typically vote Democrat--minorities, labor unions, poorer citizens. Governor Abbott has signed one of those bills this week. And another bill forbidding abortion after 6 weeks is set to be enforced by the populace rather than the state, by suing anyone who helps a woman to get an abortion after that time. It is unconstitutional on its face--and yet the Supreme Court has allowed it to take effect, instead of suspending it for official review. These politically emotional and divisive events have impacted many--and I have to consciously rise above and tune my consciousness to higher vibrations in order to not be dragged into the quicksand of hostility and angst.

Of all the options to choose from, I would have to say the beginning of COVID-19. It was so strange to hear of a new virus coming from such a remote part of China, and hearing of how fast it spread. I was in Japan at the time and people were messaging me, asking me to stay safe. At the time I thought that was an overreaction. We didn’t see it come to Australia for some time after that, with the cruise ships and overseas travellers. And it was even later to Canberra. But suddenly work got harder, new policies were constantly coming in as we expected the floodgates to open. It wasn’t until August 2021 that Canberra was really hit, and I was working in ICU by then. Now we wear PPE constantly and have to worry about breaches and exposure to an even more contagious strain than we originally dealt with. And there’s no end in sight…

Can I pick one? Aside from the continuance of the Covid Plague, I think the biggest was the election of Joe Biden as President, blessedly ending the Trump era, at least for now. And the long struggle of contestation of the election, almost right up to inauguration, culminating in the right-wing attack on the U.S. Capitol shows how much we should NOT take our democracy for granted.

Afghanistan. Women and children and families. I don't know them but I know what it is like to have a child, a brother, a sister, parents. Separations of what we do not choose but what often makes us whole. Refugees. Fleeing home. Leaving behind what is known. My heart breaks for humanity. How can we do this to our fellow humans, all the through history.

January insurgency in Washington DC. Made me appreciate democracy and freedom. Vaccination rollouts. Boosted confidence.

I have never been so angry as I was watching the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Twenty years from now more Americans will die retaking this country. In the meantime, there is an entire generation of people who have been led to believe that they had a say so in how they live their lives. Young women born in the last 20 years will be subject to unspeakable atrocities because they have been told they were equal to men, have the right to an education, and can think for themselves. I have no idea what the answer was but this was not it. All we have done is taught yet another generation to hate America. It is disgusting.

It's still COVID-19 especially the Delta variant. But other big events this year include Miron stampede, Surfside FL condo collapse and the terribly excuted pullout of Afghanistan. This last event will come back to bite us for the way it was done. On the positive side, the Avraham accords really give me hope for the future!

I could definitely still discuss COVID, but I would rather discuss the election and attack on the Capitol building. We waited quite a while to finally hear that Biden won the election. We celebrated in Ann Arbor that day and everyone seemed to be in a great mood. The past president refused to concede the election and insisted the election was rigged. He did not back down and he encouraged his supporters to commit horrible acts at the Capitol. It was a disgraceful display of blind obedience to their leader and an attack on our democratic principles. To then have this twice-impeached idiot of a president consider running for the presidency again is depressing. I don't want to see or hear from him any more, and I hope the GOP can find anyone better to nominate in 2024.

Maybe I just don't feel impacts easily? The thing that has affected me most, and most negatively, is my boss's ongoing inability to hire competent people who will stay very long. That's not exactly an event.

All the racial protests around Chicago and the country. It feels like a real watershed moment and I have learned quite a bit but always feel like I never do enough. And question what I should be doing.

The pandemic is the most obvious one, even though the "event" has been ongoing for 18 months now. Our daily lives changed, but it has also changed some things long-term, such as where we work, even where we want to live. I don't like how the school system, or even our principal, has responded, which has caused me to rethink my priorities and goals. Is it "an event"? I think so ... 9/11 was an event, but the aftermath is what shaped our lives. The pandemic has been a slow-moving event.

Worldwide pandemic Has caused me to withdraw from most people because I don’t trust them to act in a safe way

All of the online conferences and meetings have allowed me to actually network decently despite my neurodivergencies and disabilities. This means that I actually have a decent grad program now! And research I care about! This is legitimately life changing.

The death of George Floyd affected me drastically. The marches were some of the more powerful things I have been. Part of abs it makes me work seem more pressing but also showed me how messed up our country is and how much more we have to do

Images of the fall of Kabul Afghanistan harken to the haunting embassy shots from Saigon in the 60's. Our exit payment included arming extremists. Not surprising turns of events having read the Pentagon papers. Moral un-equivalence seems to be the order of the day. Not a good place to have been for 20 years.

Fucking Delta man. We were starting to feel comfortable post vax, but then delta erupts right before the school year happens and we have to be concerned for our kids. I know COVID is supposed to be light for littles, but the long term ramifications concerns me

The scandemic has changed the world and not for the better! Freedoms have been taken away!

There are so many: The January 6th insurrection, The active voter suppression efforts in so many states, The Texas abortion ban and the Supreme Court’s refusal to stay its implementation. I barely recognize my country. I loathe what we have become.

Election of Biden,,,path to normalcy…i hope

Still Covid. Being inside so much with so little contact with others is hard. Knowing that I am still feeling the impacts of being sick in March 2020 and feeling lucky to have survived - and there are still people arguing about the seriousness. It is really hard to hear folks discount and refuse to protect people like me - I am now more high risk as Covid triggered other issues for me physically. I don't know if the people refusing to wear masks, get vaccinated, or yelling about their own rights truly understand or have paused to consider how it feels to be on the recieving end of that. That they devalue my life and that of others so much - they would rather not wear a mask than protect my life and that of other high risk people. I am so frustrated by the misinterpretation of freedom and disregard for others' needs. This entire event could have been one that brought everyone together, instead it has driven us apart even more. Living in an apartment building where some folks are vaccinated some aren't, and most aren't wearing masks inside is also hard. I don't think I should have to convince you or beg you to give a shit about other people.

The passage of the anti-women/anti-abortion law in Texas. Having been heavily involved in abortion care in the past, and being on the front lines, this has affected me deeply. Women who look like me - white, affluent, not young -- will be able to get care confidentially and safely. Poor women, women of color, and young women will suffer and die. I feel so helpless. Everything I can do feels insufficient. I am working hard to find answers, and to re-build a coalition of people who are unafraid to help in whatever ways we can.

Brexit (the final and official date) It just means a complicated predicament for me and my son and I really wish we would be living in a different era

I think my mother’s illness has made me be more proactive about my own health

The American response to receiving or not receiving vaccinations against COVID-19 has impacted me in a way I would not have thought when the pandemic started in early 2020. Because the response has become so politicized, it has inextricably colored in some way how I view my friends and family members. I wish that was not the case, but both sides seem willing to fall on the sword for an issue that should unite, not divide. That said, I have steadfastly maintained that since neither high-ranking Democrat nor Republican politicians are sitting with me at my dinner table - neither side cares about ME - I will not let political views come between my friends/family and me. When we get together, we talk about...football, or some other non-political topics. Life is too short.

Covid, racism & unrest, capital insurrection. I think what that has taught me is to take nothing for granted, and that we need to protect our fellow human beings from a health, safety, and civil rights perspective. All of the things I took for granted are being uprooted, and my perspective on many issues is shifting for the better and being more active. I can no longer use the excuse that I'm a good human being, because I can't be complacent or passive. It's a lot of personal work to pack in one year.

My dad not being the guy I thought he was. Seeing him betray his most often repeated principles was earth-shattering, but also confirmed that following those principles leads to a better life. As soon as he stopped following what he preached, life became turbulent and his prospects diminished.

It is recent, but the taking over of Afghanistan by the Taliban in the last ~month has been super impactful in a devastating way. Unbelievable that 20 years of war can be undone in a matter of weeks. Highlights the tenous nature of our world on a global level. My heart aches for the Afghani people, especially women and young girls whose freedom will be severely limited.

Covid. Both our jobs have been focused on covid. Our lives have changed because of covid in terms of schooling, home working, contact with family and friends. Our lives have been impacted by this global issue and yet we have become so insular, so focused on what's inside our four walls. I have felt like a scribble and yet always grateful for how safe and provided for we are.

There has been a lot this year, but I think the thing that impacted me the most, or at least affected me the most, was the trial and conviction of Derek Chauvin. I was able to listen/watch all of the trial. It was amazing to me that anyone listening could think that he was innocent or that it was an accident that caused George Floyd's murder. I can't believe that anyone who watched the recording could think the same thing. The hardest part was trying to explain it all to my kids. Especially since Trevor and I are not on the same page when it comes to most social and political issues. In his mind, it was one bad police officer who did something bad. End of story. I wholeheartedly believe the opposite and know that it is directly related to racism. It is getting harder and harder to talk to the kids about issues like this because they are getting older and understanding more, but they are also getting mixed messages sometimes between us. Because I feel like I have more of an influence on them since I am with them more than he is, I have a goal of introducing them to more race related issues and social justice issues in general. This would just be as simple as reading books, watching shows, and volunteering at this point in time. The things surrounding George Floyd's murder and the subsequent trial really made me feel like I need to step it up when it comes to educating my kids. I think that I also need to work on educating myself. These two ideas are two main goals of mine in the coming year.

The pullout of Afghanistan. It felt eerily similar to the stories my family always told of my family in Europe attempting to escape the Holocaust. I couldn't/can't believe what I was seeing - especially the horribly familiar image of the man falling from the sky as he attempted to cling to the airplane's landing gear. I don't think it should have happened this way and I won't be able to ever forget it.

When I think back on all of the events which occured I'm most impacted by the release of the vaccine. It gave me so much hope. I'm saddened by how much it's divided us and the disregard for backed science and yet I feel so much gratitude for the ability to see live music, enjoy restaurants in person, and be with friends and family. So much has happened this year: the death of RBG, the election, the current situation in Texas with abortion laws, a major hurricane - but I keep coming back to hugging my family and friends. I needed hugs.

What hasn't impacted me?! Jan 6 attempted insurrection: how on earth did we get here? Decades of Republican gas-lighting culminating in Trump. Inaguration of Pres. Biden: immediately took steps to acknowledge and address the pandemic, continually articulated the need for government to address the problems facing the country.

The development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine was a big deal. My husband and I both got vaccinated, so now I feel more comfortable going to restaurants, although I almost always eat outside. I'm also going into the office one day a week. Of course, the Delta variant has also had an impact, so we're doing a lot less than we thought we'd be doing by this time. We have tickets to see the quarter finals for the SF Comedy Competition in less than two weeks, but I don't think we'll go because sitting inside with a lot of other people still seems like a bad idea. I'm greeting in person for HHD services, but then I'm going home to watch the services online.

I am black, Jewish, lesbian, mother/daughter/sister/friend everything has affected me deeply. The hate directed at those with my color skin, and those who love as I love, and those who pray like I pray, and those who mother like I mother… The hate has felt unbearable and overwhelming. The pain and grief has felt soul numbing. However, I remember my ancestors who were kidnapped and brought here in chains; I remember the strength, the sacrifices, everything they did to ensure I would be where I am today. I cannot give up. I cannot turn my back on the world. I will not.

COVID is still having an impact on me this year. I have still been holding on work travel, but it is going to start again soon. I have had the ability to stay very much in my introverted cocoon, and that makes me anxious about going back to "normal."

The rollout of the covid vaccine really showed me how people don't understand how their actions affect beyond their world. It's hard.

Biggest thing has to be Covid. Dont think it will ever go away. Not sure why some people feel so stuborn and take this into their own hands. Yes I agree maybe the government might be the cause of this in some way, but the way people are handling this with public and kids and being around others....common. Why do people need to have something horrible happen to them for them to realize that they cant take these things into their own hands.

The insurrection Jan 6, the voter suppression efforts and the TX law that not only bans abortion but puts an actual bounty to citizens to prevent abortion, among other awful laws, events, makes me feel very angry with those who feel that their way is the only correct one for our country- their fear of others is unacceptable and their need to control women is outrageous!!

I don't think someone would call this an event but my state recently passed a new law about abortion. It's pretty much bullshit and it's starting to impact the state. I've been pretty pro-choice my whole life and it still stands.

I feel like everything has impacted me this year. Earlier in the week we had historic rain and flooding in the basement. I am on the heels of Annie's memorial. I feel like I am in a constant state of confusion and detachment, looking for answers and connections that I hope are out there somewhere, but I'm not super confident about that.

The take over by the Taliban in Afghanistan. How could America abandon this country in such a mess? I am astonished by how could the corruption in Afghanistan be something that the Americans did not see? How America could be so stupid? This is more a sign of how the Americans hates other Countries, as they did in South America all the time. For example, putting an idiot as President of Brazil, paying a Judge to put a real leader in jail so he could not take part in the election 3 years ago.

LOL

The Delta variant!! I thought we'd get through this and then we had to be uber careful again. There was so much rain this summer, that the beach barely happened. But when it did, I grilled. That gave me great pleasure, great pleasure. Moira and I were supposed to camp out and look at stars. Instead (because of rain) we met at a hotel in Connecticut and laid in its parking lot to watch the meteor showers. And we did see a few.

The ongoing pandemic is getting very annoying. We would be in a much better position if people stopped listening to pseudoscience and got the vaccine and also stopped being selfish and wear a mask. Then, these same people, have the gall to say “my choice, my body” or “I’m pro-life” and then vote for restricting the rights of women and literally not do anything that could help prevent deaths. As always when I get to this question, I hate humans and they continue to let me down in growing numbers.

covid, covid. Two friends died, one of covid and another of cancer, because of lockdown he did not check himself. I was doubtful if the pandemic was so big or if it was like H1N1... but it is more serious than I thought. It also impacts me to see many countries cooperating to find different vaccines.

Lies and silence where I hoped there wouldn't be (pick an event: a cop getting killed with fire extinguishers...). Once again, I saw the bottom lowered itself beyond where I hoped it could be. It forced constant reminders that despondency only gives victory to those least deserving of anything--which in turn is the weakest reason for strength, doing the right thing.

The rise in antisemitism couched as "social justice" and "anti-Zionism" has terrified me. Where Jews have stood with marginalized groups, those same groups have now all publicly turned on us and yet again we find ourselves alone, with even our own people degrading us. Having lived in Israel and given birth to a child there, I cannot believe the lies and propaganda being spewed by the left ESPECIALLY those in the government. It terrifies me that our own activist groups like AIPAC and the ADL have done pretty much nothing about it and we are left with young people on social media with very small followings as the only voices of accuracy whereas pro "Palestinian" historical revisionist and hate speech accounts amass millions of followers and are left unchecked and unmoderated on social media entirely. What's been most frustrating is watching assimilated American Jews mostly not care at all. It is too reminiscent of pre-Shoah Germany and Europe where they think if we are just rich and "like them" enough, nothing will happen to us. They're wrong.

I think the 2020 election was a time that really opened my eyes to the country and that unfortunately we are two different countries. I see an emboldened and vocal collection of white supremacists who are doing anything to hold onto the power they gained in the Trump years and the anger they hold at even the threat of losing that power. It again reenforces the awareness of my privilege and the need to use this privilege for good, it is something I cannot ignore. The distribution of vaccines globally has been another awakening of the inequities in our world and the willful ignorance within our country. It is simultaneously disheartening and motivating.

The Texas abortion law. It shows that even in the US rights that are supposedly “guaranteed” to a gender and the promise of the separation of church and state can be taken away so easily. One ridiculously unqualified elected president who picks a few dishonorable supreme court justices can change my life for generations. True liberty and freedom is so fragile.

Texas and their anti-abortion law that is in effect now. $10,000 bounty given for turning in anyone who has or assists in abortion. Grrr. Last time I wrote an essay re abortion, my son estranged from me. But I'm planning to write another one.

I was very happy to see Donald Trump defeated in the 2020 election. The storming of the Capital by his supporters on January 6th was the first time since 9/11/2001 that I turned on the news and kept it on all day. It was such a disgrace to our country to watch.

The US military withdrawal from Afghanistan was traumatic. On the positive side, because of the events, I reconnected with colleagues from Kabul. I also saw colleagues work together from opposite sides of the world to try to help get people to safety. Their work reminds me that there is, indeed, good in the world.

COVID - starting this year in a pandemic, moving to relief from the vaccination, then circling back to the unknowable risk of COVID Delta variant and the realization that other variants are possible, even likely. It feels like whiplash.

The world for women's rights is regressing. It's happening at a violent pace. Last week Texas banned abortion past 6 weeks (before most women know they're pregnant). And anyone helping someone get an abortion after this time can be jailed - like the best friend driving her girlfriend to the state line. And the High Court let it pass. Last month the Allied forces pulled out of Afghanistan after 20 years and a trillion dollars. The same week the Taliban crawled out from under their rocks and spread their slime over the country. As though they never left. And this week they've banned women from playing sport. "Because it's unnecessary". Nothing more than beasts of burden. LGBTIQ rights are regressing in Hungary and Poland and Russia, and we do nothing. It sits heavy in my chest. Progress isn't kept - it has to be protected with the same anger as a Texan losing their gun. I fear what's coming the world over for women and girls, and I feel helpless.

Seasons. I know it seems idiot compared to something like a worldwide pandemic, but the pandemic hasn't really impacted me that much. But seasons had. I'm from Rio de Janeiro, where we basically have summer all year long, and living in Jerusalem I could finally see all four seasons as they are described in books and shown in movies. It was beautiful. The nature here is very different from the one I'm used to, and has been my pleasure to observe and marvel in it.

Learning to live with Covid is tough. The vaccines help, but there's still not enough data for us to completely relax. I feel like governments are now abandoning people to deal with it by themselves. There doesn't seem to be any idea of how this pandemic will end. All our travel plans have had to be put on hold and I'm still scared every time I have to go outside of the home.

LOL um, let's see. tr*mp is finally out, which is a huge relief, so that's one. Delta gave me covid, so there's that. we lost power in February(?) when everything froze, and there's a hurricane now which didn't hit here but is still a thing. the world is still a total mess, but perhaps marginally better. or worse? don't know. grateful to be vaxxed though

Travel is possible in the pandemic, but it feels less free. As as resulted I've neglected to take so many trips, resulting in more time home alone... with my dog. I think about my next move, and wonder if I might prefer a remote location. I expect people want to escape others for good reason

The unwillingness of people in our communities and across the country to vaccinate themselves against COVID-19 is mind boggling to me!

Watching the spread of the novel coronavirus and the enormous thrill of watching Donald Trump lose the election. This has been an incredibly difficult year with huge stops and starts. I have seen friction and factionism amongst all the people I know and it's altered my ability to care about others.

Its crazy to think that a year ago I wrote about coivd and still now it is difficult to think of anything that has had a larger impact on me. That said, with the American withdrawal from Afghanistan I feel both acutely aware of my age, and how long ago 20 years feels, and also truly saddened by the reality that so many are experiencing right now. Whether they are American Service men and women struggling to make sense of what their time there meant, peace activists happy that the war is "over" even though the state of things are horrific, or most acutely the Afghan people who are for lack of a better term in peril.

The change of president here in the USA has made a dramatic change to how I view the world. I feel like there is a little more of a balance in the world. I still am seeing things that disappoint me however I am feeling like there is a glimmer of hope.

Corona, what else. It Made me realise that something had to change and that I wasn’t happy anymore. By having to stay at home with the kids, I understood that I had been neglecting myself and the things that matter most, and instead chose to put my energy in things that didn’t make me happy, made me more insecure and didn’t teach me valuable things anymore.

Biden was elected President. I felt as if I could finally exhale. I wasn’t tightened into a ball when I’d turn on the morning news. Every time I hear him speak, I don’t have to shudder. He’s far from perfect and constricted by a too tight congressional margin and a polarized electorate, but he’s a human, and an experienced and kind one at that. I’m no longer embarrassed to be an American.

the January attack on the Capitol was astounding, deeply disappointing, and very disturbing. I felt a great sense of outrage and loss. We are better than this -- how could people be so far gone they thought a physical attack on democracy was the answer. How did they become so emboldened? It shook some core beliefs that ultimately, no matter how strange things get, we, as a county are going to be alright, things will balance out because we all believe, in the end, that our country will and has to stand. I don't think I trust less, but I do question more and don't assume that what I see as common sense is a no-brainer.

The current situation. I can't travel abroad to see my family.

Pandemic. changed everything. I wear masks all the time. I am nervous about being in a crowd. I doubt this will ever go away. I think we will have the virus in various forms forever. I value my health more while feeling it's more at risk than ever. I value family more and also time alone more.

Covid of course, but more personally, my mother sold the house she has lived in for 50 years. It was filled to over flowing with family memories, not only from the time she lived there, but will all the items that pointed to generations past, including a family Bible that dates to the early 1800s. Many things were passed on to me, including my beloved Deedee, the stuffed animal lovey from my toddler years.

How a few countries are going back in terms of human rights, Dominican Republic, US / Texas, etc. Making it difficult for women to get an abortion, making it ok to discriminate against minorities, making it harder for minorities to vote, etc. I feel exhausted that we just can't take a break. Also, a little hope with Mexico approving abortion laws.

Everything and nothing again. I am going to say that the election of Joe Biden gave me a glimmer of hope but COVID has continued to directly impact my life. The world feels like it's more in flux than it's been in previous years and I wonder what a world that is humming along looks like now.

The insurection on the capital has made me realize that Trump has set our country back in so many ways. His "people" do not care about all of America, just their small minority, and they are having far too much influence on everyone else.... Our Republican "leaders" are the worst, and are following Trump like he's still in power. They are turning our democracy into a dictatorship, and only want the opposite of whatever it is you want ...It is a sad time, and I feel very bad for our children and grandchildren, as they are going to have to deal with these idiots for a LONG time... The afganistan pull out is sad, but there is nothing we can do to change their culture, and it's up to them now to fight.

Sports! There was The Olympics, the Tour de France, England in the final of the European Cup. Some of my friends turn their nose up at sports but I have had many times when the only way to bond with someone was to talk about the sport that was popular in their country. Ethiopian cab driver? Talk about marathon running. Turkish fellow diner? Talk about soccer. Columbian chef? Talk about cycling.

See Question 1. They're the same question. Question 3 is also pretty close. If you're reading this, and you've answered a variation of the same question three times, ask yourself: Does this exercise help me with anything, or is it procrastination?

The Delta Variant. We were crossing our fingers hoping for a return to the before times with everyone* getting vaccinated. And then, first world hording and anti-vax foolishness allowed the virus to mutate. Welcome to the endemic pandemic, y'all

The Afghanistan withdrawal has been by far the most impactful. 20 years ago Americans jumped from the towers to avoid burning to death, this year Afghans fell from our planes to avoid the Taliban. The disrespect show to the members of the military, those who still stand and the fallen has been akin to treason, not to mention the translators that have been betrayed. The president has trusted the Taliban, even so far as to give them a list of the names of Americans and translators. This should never be forgotten. This cannot be forgiven. (PS No sign of being impeached or 25th Amendment. Seriously? Yeah, thanks guys.)

The death of so many caused by the COVID pandemic. I spent close to 18 months at home staying out of restaurants and stores. I didn’t see my children and grands. Didn’t fly to see friends and mostly avoided nearby friends to stay free of COVID.

The oscillations around COVID definitely top my list. So, I was used to isolating and had gotten to a place of acceptance around it all. As I mentioned in previous questions I was able to find the good in a terrible world situation and use it to grow personally. I was worried about the ‘reopening’. Then it started to happen and I slowly became comfortable with the thought, stopped wearing my mask and went out more. Then variants emerged(of course they did - natural selection)! And back we are … sort of, but with blurrier lines. In the meantime tons of people refuse to get vaccinated - because … ego? Misdirected individualism? I don’t really know. These changes and other peoples ‘ choices affect my behaviors and view of the world. I am trying hard to work my compassion practice and not start loathing those I don’t understand again. I am striving for balance between personal health and some socialization. I anticipate this will go on for a while.

The ongoing pandemic and how politicized public health has become. It's as if we no longer have any sense of society, of our moral and ethical responsibilities to our fellow citizens. Toxic individualism is killing as many people as the actual Covid virus.

Covid covid covid. Have pretty much ended friendships with the unvaccinated in my circle. After a stretch of feeling sad, I feel resolute & better off for seeing their selfishness clearly enough to not want them in my life.

Covid is still impacting both the world and myself. I felt feverish yesterday and had a rush of panic recounting everyone I had been in contact with and the possible repercussions. I feel confined in a lot of ways that feels disheartening, and knowing I'm in such a privileged position when compared with others also feels disheartening. Thinking of World events in general makes me shudder and want to crawl into a hole away from everything and everyone. The norm has become heartache and badness, which is a hard rut to pull out of.

hmmm most recently that would be the “end” of the war in Afghanistan. there has been so much devastating news nonstop during COVID, but certain events nationally like the insurrection on January 6 and then the war globally have really shaken me. In practice, that has unfortunately not translated to much contribution or activism on my part, but rather more of a trauma response of dysregulation that lasts days. I have also been limiting my news intake (quantity and when in the day I check) as a result.

Covid-19 pandemic, tested pretty much everything, patience, relationship, stress levels etc.

President Biden defeated donald trump in the US Presidential election, which restored some of my lost faith in the capability for self-governance of the US population.

There isn't one, single event that was particularly impactful this year. I would say that what has had the largest impact on my life are the lingering effects of COVID. As a Rabbi in a congregation, our professional team works incredibly hard to build community. We thrive off of the energy and excitement that resonates through our hallways when people of all ages and backgrounds come in and out of our building. But for the most part, our building lies fairly empty 90% of the time. Yes, we have our nursery school children, which is wonderful, but I mean not having the same attendance at in person programming; the programming that can really transform a community over the course of the year. It is disheartening when people feel too afraid to come or are now accustomed to staying home. We miss our community and we want them back in person again.

The West's cowardly retreat from Afghanistan has made me feel deeply ashamed of my country. We imposed our will on them for twenty years; lost numerous lives; then just upped-sticks and left, leaving a shambles behind, and betraying Afghans who trusted us. I am outraged on their behalf and disgusted by us.

Getting my Moderna vaccine on "Force Day." (May the Fourth). I even dressed up for the occasion. I got tears in my eyes when the nurse gave me the shot. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for her, for the crews that put up the tent, and for everyone that worked to make possible for me to get a "superpower" against a killer just by showing up.

The awakening is affecting me. Feeling a lot of people asking themselves what they are doing with their lives, how they are utilizing their time, etc. It's been a big time of reflection.

COVID, especially as it filters through the never-ending culture war, as manifested by the tug-of-war over vaccinations. Things that appear self-evident to me don't appear self-evident to all, and things that seem self-evident to them don't seem self-evident to me at all. I think this is all part of the process of the fracturing of mass culture into smaller units, fed by the fractional processes of the virtual world in which we all increasingly live.

January 6th rocked my world - inner and outer. Before the Orange Guy, I had thought Democracy was bedrock we could always stand on. I took the Constitution and it's subsidiary institutions as bones - all things solid and reliable. Now I see that we could lose our entire system of government in a heartbeat. It makes me feel scared all the time. I don't trust Americans not to destroy America. Even if the current situation is repaired, I will feel insecure for the rest of my life.

Covid, It changed how I worked; still haven't traveled for work in 18 months. It changed my kid's life with quarantines and home school. It changed what worries my wife and I had. How is the pandemic affecting our kids? How do we get vaccinated? What about our elderly parents? My wife went back to school and graduated with a nursing degree December 2019, right into a pandemic. Her stress to a new career affected everything.

The defeat of Donal Trump. Not a moment too soon. Bad rubbish. Good riddance. For a week or two there, I had a crush on Joe Biden. And I'm not even American

My mind does not hold onto current events very long, so thinking back, I cannot come up with a lot of highlights. Biden was elected, Trump is still contesting the election I think. Climate change has been linked to all kinds of environmental events over the summer months. The Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan as the US has pulled out of the country. It seems that many people took advantage of the government economic support that jobs are going unfilled now that many of the restrictions are lifting and that is causing a whole new kind of challenge economically. The Delta variant is wreaking havoc among vaccinated and unvaccinated alike. The only events that have impacted me personally are the climate events and the unfilled jobs. It was hot this summer. Uncomfortably so. And many of my plants burned. It was weird to see so much damage. I am not sure how many of my plants died. But the event has left me with this feeling of transience. Things are changing in visible ways and we are standing still assuming things will return to something predictable. I think we tend to both look to our leadership and also to shrug it off. Tell me what to do, you can't tell me what to do all in the same breath. You were wrong, so therefore you were wishy-washy. One moment I am wide open and the next I am pulled inside. I waver from confident to insecure and back again. For years, I have made a concerted effort to lessen my environmental impact, but there is that part of me that says it is too late, give up. Repent, the end is near seems more plausible now than it has at any other time in my life. But like institutionalized racism, I also feel we are at a place globally to embrace change. It may be violent, maybe it has to be to get us to actually birth this new self. The Taliban is not experiencing a peaceful transition to power. They may have to kill off all of their people to cow them because people are willing to stand up against tyranny. The virus may kill off people who are unwilling to either trust science or change their ways. The planet has been affected by our apathy and is fighting back. And we are the midwives.

Covid. Relentless, unavoidable. An opportunity for uniting humanity against a common enemy but instead being used to exponentially create division, distrust, conspiracies…. The inauguration of Joe Biden as president — filled me with hope and also fear that the relief would be short lived.

It’s still the coronavirus pandemic. It has restricted all we can do, people are still dying and I don’t see how it can end. The vaccine is a godsend though.

Vaccines becoming available. I and most people I know began getting out more, seeing friends in person, attending safely-distanced functions. I still take precautions and wear a mask around people I don't know and in groups, but I feel safe enough to be out and about and enjoying a more normal life.

I think the most recent situation in Afghanistan has impacted me in a way that I did not imagine, it makes it more evident that I need to respond by helping to repair this broken world.

The election for sure. Not only was I glued to NY times.com watching as they called it. It was also the first event I went to on my four-year university campus. I watched CNN with fellow democrats. We nearly feel out of our seats predicting that Biden would win Georgia. and the wildest part is that he did win Georgia (mind is still blown)

The resurgence of Donald Trump in politics frightens me terribly, since I think he is very much like Adolf Hitler. I hope fervently that he will somehow disappear...

Climate change, weather patterns are out if ckntrol

I have felt more impacted this year than previous years by so many events of the world. The US pulling out of Afghanistan has really impacted me, in large part because it really called into focus how little it impacted me over the previous 20 years. I have felt tremendously saddened by the earthquake in Haiti, murders and rapes in Mexico, Covid spikes in India, especially events where children are killed or harmed.

This past year supposedly brought a political change, by putting a Democrat in the White House and a majority in both Houses of Congress. However, these leaders of these groups are horrible at utilizing these opportunities. They need to step up much more strongly, dispense with the filibuster and really take charge or we are sunk as a nation and as a planet.

Covid: It's annoying to wear a mask. But I have also stepped back into 'myself' more, and what's important to me is still coming to the forefront. Hence my keeping these answers simple this year.

Jan 6 revolt at Capitol. Showed us that we are not immune to the national struggles that humans face worldwide... and as 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, that is another reminder to be vigilant and humble...

Oh my gosh, it's got to be the insurrection in DC. What a total and complete disaster. It was so upsetting to see all those people breaking in, damaging our Capitol. I was just like, wow. I actually quit working that day, because I couldn't concentrate and it was a mess. It was so so upsetting to see that the vast majority of those protestors got away with it. It made it so clear that if those protestors had been Black Americans, they would have alllllll been arrested, locked inside the Capitol until they could sort them all out. I just couldn't believe it. Now, there is going to be another protest on September 18th, and I'm worried about it, wondering if it will be more of the same.

COVID-19- we all had to go home suddenly and learn about the pandemic as scientists figured it out. We had to wear masks and rubber gloves and stay away from other people and I was afraid to run in the park because there were too many other people. People at work got sick and it was terrifying every time. But NYC. Was lucky to have Cuomo debrief us every morning. In other countries and around the US many more people died for lack of resources no icu beds - cannot say goodbye to dying loved ones people lost jobs and homes and many business went belly up and many new bushes saws have been born. This has been the single most impactful event of our lifetimes and we are still figuring it out and it’s still scary. But there has been a lot of accepting and releasing and learning and inside growing and readjustment - this is good but we are still in the maze of figuring it all out.

The pandemic. It's restricted my life created fear and hardship

The attack on the Capitol profoundly shook my sense of security. Never in my life could I have imagined this happening. It has ongoing implications for the security of our democracy. Moving forward it is imperative that Trump be held accountable, as well as members of Congress and others in Trump’s circle of delusion.

I think everyone's answer will be COVID since it affected everyone. COVID kept me isolated, inside, grateful for David's company (after the first 5 weeks of self-isolation), and my bike trainer that I got a month before our first lockdown. COVID exacerbated my existing anxieties, fears, and self-doubts and made me paranoid about being around other people. I became much more aware of the four walls of my apartment and how boring they were to look at. On the other hand, it also led me to appreciate the banal things I'd normally take for granted: being at family get-togethers, hugging friends, seeing coworkers in person.

The continuation of the pandemic. I'm never going to be the person I was before the pandemic. I'm a different person now. Not just because of the passing of time, but because of trauma I can't even begin to fully understand

I feel terrified and paralyzed with helplessness by the many climate-related events of the past year. I can barely read the paper or look at the news, which of course is the equivalent of sticking my head in the ground. But what can I do?

So much and so little has affected me this year because I barely left the house. The January 6th insurrection made me lose a lot of hope in our elected officials. The rise of the Delta variant and the subsequent return of fear also made me lose a lot of hope. I'm such a hopeful person that likes to believe the best of people these things have really beed hard on my soul.

the pandemic and lockdowns drove my 2nd stream of income. Had this not occurred, I doubt people would have previously conducted hour-long video chats with me on a weekly basis.

Many events in the world this year.... floods, landslides, fires.. terrible fires. Lewis Pugh swimming in the melting artic. Afghanistan and the complete reverse after 20 years. Watching the world cope with the pandemic. Shew. Can be incredibly overwhelming.. if you let it. Can't let it all in.

Perhaps not yet, but the mandates for vaccines that have not been proven safe and effective in the long term (and Delta is proving exactly how INeffective those vaccines are!) are threatening to kick many of us out of work, out of life, just because we are waiting on long-term safety data or better vaccine technology or both...

We're still in mask-mania - although the vaccine was supposed to put and end to it, it's become political insanity! Biden is a total incompetent jerk, but they all knew it and voted for him anyway. In 8 short months we've gone from being the strongest, feared, respected county in the world to a laughing stock - so very depressing watching the news, so a good New Year's resolution is NOT to watch the news!

Covid of course. I have nothing else to say, this is the worst thing ever and with peoples irresponsible actions of getting vaccinated I don’t think it’ll ever end.

It's been an incredible year. BLM demonstrations, police violence, Biden's election, Capital riots, fires, the pandemic, refuges, voter suppression and horrific flooding makes it difficult to find the good in life. Identifying one of these events as one that has impacted me the most is difficult, but Biden's election and inauguration brought some hope. I want to believe his presidency will make a difference. Some glimmer of hope helps day-to-day.

Covid. Covid covid covid covid! March 13, 2020 life changed in ways I never imagined. Isolation. Fear. Loneliness. At the same time it was a time to reorganize priorities ( and closets!) and to look within to find new and different ways to connect with myself and with others. My relationship with my wife deepened. I longed to be able to see and touch my daughter and my parents and friends. As an extrovert, it has been painful. I am grateful for zoom and the ability to explore new ways of being creative. It was probably my most artistically Creative year.

The world events that impacted me this year were the election of Joe Biden and the subsequent attack on the Capitol. The election of Biden gave me some assurance that the country can change and enough people can recognize when a mistake has been made, when we've put a dangerous man in the White House. Although the reason DJT was kicked out was mainly because of his handling of the covid pandemic, it was also important that opposition recognized that it needed to put forward a moderate candidate. Even though, at the time, I was disappointed that they didnt select one of the younger moderate candidates, it was ultimately the right thing to do for the Dems to coalesce around Biden. The attack on the capital was shocking. The images of mobs storming the building and waving flags from the edges and parapets reminded me of Kiev and it was scary. I was not entirely surprised because I've had an eye on the escalating violence mostly perpetuated by far-right political groups. Most haven't followed closely some of the incidents and clashes that have happened in the Pacific Northwest. But it was scary to see the direct attack on the Federal government. I even said that we might see an attack on a state government building - which we basically did in Michigan. But the whole thing is scary. It makes me fearful for disruption of peace and stability in this country and its makes me fearful of the safety of my family as liberals and Jews in this country.

COVI-19 Pandemic. The scale and pace of change – unprecedented, unexpected, bitter-sweet.

The ongoing pandemic has and is still impacting me. I haven't seen my family or friends in Germany since Christmas 2019. It impacts my private life and public live every day and sometimes it feels like it's never-ending. In January 2021 Brexit was put into place, which also had an impact on my life. As a German living in the UK traveling is now gonna be more expensive and less easy. Groceries prices are hiking up and we even had shortages of some sort in supermarkets due to Brexit and the pandemic.

My closest friend Sam died and the funeral was actually in my sons 22nd birthday. She was the most loyal genuine beautiful friend I’ve ever had in my life and she will be truly missed. I’ve lost a beautiful friend but gained a beautiful angel

Fucking Brexit. In a million different ways, so many freedoms taken away. I can't bear to list them all, it's too depressing.

It still feels like Covid, sadly. The longer it goes on the more of a struggle it all feels. Even though more normality is returning, that overwhelming anxiety is still there and I feel that returning to any semblance of normality is a cause for worry and source of risk. Feeling like I’m progressing as I need at work often feels out of reach. I feel I should break things down into manageable chunks and pause and reflect and check my plan but there never feels the time, I feel overwhelmed and quite low about it. I’m really concerned about my parents loneliness, isolation and health. I worry for my husband who is very social but isn’t going into work, no real knowledge of when and what that will be, concerned with his understandable nervousness about risk, abs also isn’t really seeing people socially. On brief moments I manage to step back sometimes I can pause but mainly it all feels so overwhelming and unmanageable. And then I struggle to think about other world events like Afghanistan, so upsetting, feel maybe I should help with pro Bono support for refugees but don’t think I’d cope emotionally (and struggle for time anyway).