The Summer of 2020
By Lois Smyres
It was a long, dry summer. Two months with no rainfall. What made the summer of 2020 memorable were four events that each by itself would have been life-changing events. The first was the coronavirus pandemic, the second was a contentious Presidential election, and the third was the catastrophic wild fires in California that poured smoke over the Sierra’s into our valley. The fourth was the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a policeman. The policeman held the man face down and put his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck, shutting off his breathing and killing him. Multiple videos of the savagery were posted to the internet and on TV. People in cities all over the United States met in peaceful protests to express their outrage.
It seems no country in the world was prepared to cope with a pandemic. However, previous disastrous viruses had been successfully isolated and controlled.
As cases mounted each state began trying to control the spread of COVID-19. In Nevada the schools were closed, nonessential businesses were closed, and people were told to stay home. Gatherings were to be limited to 12 people.
Three basic actions were urged – wear a mask, practice social distancing (six feet apart), and wash your hands.
The economy took a heavy hit because people weren’t eating out, going to movies and theaters, shopping, and working out at gyms. Basically not spending money. Small businesses with low profit margins went out of business.
The President kept downplaying the virus. He refused to wear a mask and had campaign rallies with thousands of people in close contact not wearing masks.
The Presidential election was an important election. The Nevada Legislature met to give some guidance to the governor. They allowed everyone who was an active voter to receive a mail-in ballot so they would not have to risk getting the virus by voting in public. The Postmaster General did away with overtime for postal employees and mail service slowed down. The amount of campaign mail and the increase in orders for goods delivered by mail increased at the same time.
Toward the end of summer the fires in California were slowly being controlled. The winds changed and started blowing the smoke westward over the ocean. The smoke reached as far as Hawaii.
One thing that caught everyone by surprise was the lack of traffic on the roads and highways. This happened worldwide. Cities closed school and businesses. People were told to stay home – they could only venture out for grocery shopping or health care. Cities that were usually shrouded in smog became free of air pollution. Airplanes were not flying either. The skies were clear of contrails. It was discussed that this was a demonstration of what would have to be done to combat climate change.
News programs concentrated on election coverage and the pandemic. Epidemiologists and other doctors were interviewed and implored people to use masks and social distance. The number of new cases of people with the virus and the number of people who had died each day of the virus filled each news program.
The BLM protests continued peacefully until they were taken over by a radical destructive element. This happened once in Reno.
Nevada’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. The casinos were allowed to open with masks and distancing requirements, but many casinos closed anyway. Special events in northern Nevada were cancelled. Fourth of July fireworks, Reno Rodeo, air races, balloon races, Hot August Nights, Nugget Rib Cook Off, motorcycle rallies, Columbus Day celebrations, Nevada Day, and Trick or Treating.
The 2020 summer was a chance for me to recharge. I established a raised bed garden. Growing a vegetable garden was something I missed since moving to a new home. I was given several seedlings to start my garden and was surprised by how successful a small garden could be. Even though we didn’t have the usual summer parties and barbeques, we did meet outside with some family and friends – wearing masks and distancing. Usually meetings were short – on the driveway, social distancing with a brief exchange of information.
I read a lot because the libraries allowed holds placed on books and then picking up the holds at the drive-through window. I spent time also at a favorite hobby of mine – making quilts, and I made three quilts using fabric I had on hand.
Our dog Shasta took my husband and me for a walk most days. If we met people on our walks, we were careful to give them plenty of space and they did likewise. The one thing I really missed was going to a swimming pool and playing water volleyball three times a week. It was great exercise and a lot of fun. To compensate I tried to exercise for 30 minutes every day plus the journeys with Shasta.
My husband and I were fortunate because we were retired and did not have to worry about losing our jobs or our income as many others did. We were also lucky because none of our children or their family members caught COVID-19.
Vacations were canceled or postponed. We were scheduled to go to Hawaii in May, but the timeshare resort notified us that they were closed. We rescheduled for late August but all of the state of Hawaii was closed. Anyone flying in would have to isolate in a hotel (or if a resident, in their home) for 14 days. Hawaii strictly enforced that mandate and people who snuck out for some beach time were given a hefty fine. Hawaii was successful in keeping COVID-19 infections down.
Another upsetting result of the pandemic was the toll it took on elderly people living in retirement and nursing facilities. Most facilities closed at the beginning of March, which meant no visitors were allowed and many times it meant that the residents were confined to their rooms – no communal dining or visiting. Retirement facilities were inadequately prepared to handle anything as infectious as the coronavirus. The virus spread quickly through some facilities and residents were sickened and many died. My brother lived in an independent living/assisted living facility. At the beginning of the shutdown he was not allowed to leave his room, and meals were brought to his room. He was told he would be allowed to leave for doctor’s appointments, but if he left for any other reason he would not be allowed back into the building. Later he was allowed to walk in the halls, but communal dining meant only one person to a table. The independent living area was off limits to the assisted living residents. The facility’s library was located in independent living, so he had no access to the library. Isolation was difficult for my brother and his mental health worsened.
That was the summer of 2020. The pandemic continued, but vaccines were being developed and the Presidential election was held peacefully. Will the wild fires in California and the rest of the West continue? Will there be advancement in closing the gap between Black and white lives? How will the children who do not meet at school fare in the future? How long before the economy recovers? So many questions.
Photo/Lois Smyres.
Lois Smyres has been a member of Lifescapes since retiring from the University of Nevada, Reno, library in 2000. She has led the Sparks Lifescapes group for about 15 years, and over the years she has loved hearing and reading stories from the other members.
The Sparks Lifescapes group publishes an anthology each year, which includes stories by all the members. The unusualness of the pandemic and the fact we all were experiencing it and being affected in different ways made the topic of pandemic stories an obvious choice for the 2020 anthology.
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