By Thomas Sellers Jr.
If you’re reading this… the nightmare is all over.
The disaster known as 2020 is in the history book. All 366 days of torture, pain and uncertainty are all behind us because it’s 2021. The magical solution to all our problems arrived on January 1.
As a bonus, the United Nations has declared 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust. Also 2021 is slated to be the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, and the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. The Year of the Ox is going to be fantastic.
Or will it just be another 365 days of ups and downs, highs and lows, and memorable/forgettable moments. Let’s not put too much pressure on 2021. Let’s take it one day at a time and hopefully we’ll have a great 10 to 30 days during the calendar year.
The Best Sellers’ List is coming with an optimistic outlook for 2021. With steady progress on past issues from 2020, we can get things rolling toward positivity. Below are 10 events I’m looking forward to over the next 12 months. Lords’ will, I’m marking these dates hoping that we’ll have some resemblance of normalcy.
- January 20
The 59th Presidential Inauguration and Swearing-In ceremony is expected to take place on the traditional date in Washington, D.C. It will take place on the West Front of the United States Capitol. The Inauguration and Swearing-In ceremonies are managed by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. And the significance of the 2021 event, for the first time in U.S. American history a woman will be a part of the dynamic duo that will run our country. Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris has the historic privilege being a part of the winning ticket with President-Elect Joe Biden. - December 4
Hopefully by this time, we’ll be starting a family-filled holiday season. Then we’ll take a moment to prepare for the total solar eclipse that will occur on Dec. 4.
Here is the scientific breakdown. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between earth and the sun. Thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the sun for a viewer on earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s apparent diameter is larger than the sun’s. The moon appears to be blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth’s surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometers wide. - June 10
An annular solar eclipse will occur this summer. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than the sun’s, blocking most of the sun’s light and causing the sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the earth thousands of kilometers wide.
This eclipse is notable for the fact that the path of annularity will pass over North Pole, the only such eclipse in 21st century.
While the eclipse is visible primarily in Northern Canada, in Greenland and in north of Russian Far East, in the Northeastern United States and Canada, the sun will be partially eclipsed at sunrise, which will be between 5 and 6 a.m. - October
I’ve never attended a World Expo and chances look slim. But by the time I’m 40, hopefully eyes will be on Dubai in the United Arab Emirates conducting the postponed 2020 World Expo. Originally scheduled for Oct. 20 of the previous year, the World Expo has tentative dates in October of this year year. By the time the fun ends March 31, 2022 at the UAE Pavilion, the world will be a better place. Normally World Expos are five years a part and feature cultural events, food and networking. The overall theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,’ in Dubai. Dubai also has three sub-themes which are Opportunity, Sustainability and Mobility. - May
Only Memphians got a chance to really be in Memphis in May. Normally we open up our city to thousands of visitors from around the world. Hopefully this late spring, we’ll get to share the fun and tourists’ money with a few Memphis in May events. In 2021, Memphis in May is honoring the culture and heritage of Ghana.
Music Fest has already been canceled but let’s hope we’ll get in the barbecue, triathlon and a carnival. - April 25
The 93rd Academy Awards are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles. Also known as the Oscars, I’m hoping by the spring we can host one of our unnecessary massive award ceremonies to honor one of our many forms of entertainment. The Grammy Awards are planned for Jan. 31 and that’s too soon to gather.
Hopefully with some restrictions, April 25 will be a chance to invite a few folks for a part of U.S. American tradition. The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will honor the best films released between January 2020 and February 2021. It is scheduled to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Let’s hope Hollywood will have it’s showcase night and it will be the beginning of us throwing those types of parties for television again. - October/November
Did the NBA season just start? I thought the Los Angeles Lakers just won the championship. Wait, LeBron and his crew did capture the 2020 NBA title in October. And the 2020-21 season kicked off Dec. 22. But if this 72-game schedule occurs and the playoffs flow smoothly, hopefully the 2021-22 season will start in mid-autumn.
And I would love to see the FedEx Forum packed with Grizzlies fans cheering on our superstar Ja Morant. Also that month, it would be nice to see a darker shade of blue inside the Grind House rooting on The University of Memphis Tigers. - February 7
The first Sunday in February is Super Sunday. And I pray the tradition continues despite a lack of fans and far less hoopla than in years past. The NFL’s championship game and major event of the year, Super Bowl LV is scheduled for Feb. 7 to be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
(PREDICTION TIME) This game is an epic showdown. Some of the best storylines in league history. The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to repeat behind the excellence of Patrick Mahomes. But standing in their way are the hometown Tampa Bay Bucs led by the icon Tom Brady.
The NFL would love that narrative. Or Green Bay vs. Kansas City in a rematch from 55 years ago would be nice. Hey maybe it took a pandemic for the Buffalo Bills to finally win the championship. And the Bills could exercise the demons from Tampa 30 years ago… - July 23
I’m praying by this summer, the eyes of the world will finally be upon Tokyo, Japan for the best athletes in the world to perform. This sounds so odd to say, “The 2021 Summer Olympics are scheduled for July 23 to Aug. 8.”
Normally every four years, the Summer games were originally scheduled for July 24, 2020. But a pandemic shut things down and moved it back a year. The dreams of many men and women still have a chance of coming true. The battle for gold, silver and bronze will take place in various sports. Sadly a global pandemic brought us closer to our brothers and sisters across the planet. That is the job of the Olympics coronavirus. So please take a backseat for a couple of weeks and allow the best to shine and create precious memories for me like Carl Lewis in the Long Jump in 1996. Kerri Strug’s one-legged vault and Michael Johnson in the golden cleats. - May
Finally the biggest event I’m looking forward to in 2021 is the graduation of my Goddaughter Taliyah Lanay Chalmers. The Lords’ will this May she’ll be an official Millington Central High School student on the turf of Mooney Boswell Field for the last time to receive her diploma. I plan to be there with camera in hand, tears in eyes and pride in my chest.
Now after May, I am not looking forward to finishing up college acceptance, packing and sending my Lil One off 237 miles (who’s counting) away to start her adult life. But through years of hard work in the band, choir and classroom, she’s earned her moment.
Like many of her peers, it was a scary thought of them not having the stage for graduation. No last moment with their classmates, no name calling and no chance to be the star of a May night.
How will graduation look this May. Will there be mask? Will there be two separate ceremonies for more crowd control? Will the students get to at least fist bump there principal?
One thing I am sure of, when Taliyah is an official MCHS graduate, her Godpops has a gigantic hug waiting for her. Tears of joy that night… tears of another kind in August.
THOMAS SELLERS JR. is the editor of The Millington Star and both the sports editor and a weekly personal columnist for West 10 Media/Magic Valley Publishing. Contact him by phone at (901) 433-9138, by fax to (901) 529-7687 and by email to [email protected].
