By most accounts, 2020 was a tough year. Despite hopes for better, 2021 certainly had its rough moments, too.
The pandemic is still here and, at least in terms of new cases from the latest variant, remains well underway. The stock market it up for the year, but the last half of 2021 hasn’t been kind to many investors amid inflation and stretched supply chains. And the country still appears to be inexorably divided politically, as was put on full display this past January.
There are hopeful signs for next year: maybe, just maybe, the pandemic ends and enters an endemic phase, while the economy looks fundamentally strong and there’s always hope that what unites us turns out to be stronger than that which divides us.
We had lots of hope for 2021 and the dawning of the Covid vaccination era, but reality and new variants intruded on dreams of a full return to normalcy. Perhaps 2022 will be different. Or more of the same.
What do you think? Are you optimistic that the new year will be better than 2021?