By Dennis Richardson
‘What did you do on summer vacation?”
That is the normal back-to-school essay question. There should be some interesting essays this year.
We had planned to go to the Tulip Festival in May but it was cancelled for the first time ever because of COVID-19.
Beaches were open off and on. I saw a lot of “protests” on the news channels. Rioting and looting was more like it.
We mostly stayed home except for a short trip to a lake house a week or so ago. We socially-distanced, wore masks while out and so did almost everyone else we saw the one day that we did get out.
Normally we go to the summer National Newspaper Association convention but I only had to walk across the living room to my laptop to attend by ZOOM this time.
The fall convention would’ve been at Jacksonville Beach. That sounded like a fun trip but it, too was cancelled. For the first time ever the National Convention of the NNA will be held with online sessions and the board meetings will be by ZOOM.
I can think of a few topics students might pen in their annual essays: how they got funny tan lines across the face from wearing masks at the beach; long trips by automobile because of cancelled flights; board games with brother, sister and the parents; extra yard work to keep from getting bored while under quarantine; church services by video where our preachers have become tele-evangelists; and things like that.
Students will have a longer summer “vacation” to write about since schools let out during the spring and some started back late. Then some who came back to the classroom found themselves quarantined once again because they were friends with someone who tested positive for the virus.
2020 is an interesting year, one that will not soon be forgotten.
As for me, being self-quarantined meant more time to read more newspapers.
Yes, I still like to hold what I am reading in my hand where I don’t have those annoying pop-up ads.
That is just my opinion. That’s what this page is for. Let us know what is on your mind. It’s still free as long as it is clean and not libelous.
