And the endless prognosticating on social media by self-appointed Google epidemiologists. I had hoped that life would move toward a new normal, and there were days and even weeks where it felt like yes, we were all going to be okay, at least in those places where people care enough about the collective good to do the bare minimum to contribute to our communities’ well-being. In many ways, the insurrection set the tone for the year. My father was particularly shaken because he comes from a country with a sometimes fragile democracy and he has experienced, first hand, how that country is demeaned in the American imagination and media. Suddenly, we had breathtaking evidence to the contrary.
It was surreal because many people tend to sneer at other countries with fragile democracies, as if American democracy is so strong as to be infallible. And then incomprehensible images began flashing across the scene and we watched, in real time, an insurrection encouraged by the soon to be former president. I think Debbie was upstairs in her office and my mom was puttering around the house.
My dad and I were watching CNN and working in the family room. On January 6th, 2021, we were in Los Angeles with my parents.
