We asked Chicagoans: How will you describe this year in the future?
With 2020 in our rearview mirrors, we asked Chicagoans: How will you describe it in the future? Some answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
“My husband and I grew closer in quarantine even though we couldn’t do a lot of the things we wanted to. Having each other is more important than any missed activities.”
Betty Mantell
“It was the year I saw another side of some of the people in my life and how they handled themselves during a crisis. Some did it with amazing grace; some did it with amazing stupidity.”
Denise Fricano
“EXHAUSTING, SURREAL AND A BIT LIKE WAR — LONG STRETCHES OF BOREDOM INTERRUPTED BY A FEW MOMENTS OF SHEER TERROR.”
Christopher B. Alexandrov
“I describe 2020 as getting closer to God and family and being thankful for everything.”
Nunise Holmes
“A year of loss.”
Carlos Javier Ochoa Andrade
“A nightmare but grateful for what I have and my health.” Myrna Kar
“Had lots of ups and downs.” Cindy Duval
“The year that dare not speak its name.”
Carson Bording
“2020 proved that 50% of Americans willingly choose to believe in conspiracy theories and fairy tales rather than in science and medicine.”
Andy Burnell
“THE YEAR MY WIFE AND I WERE BLESSED WITH SO MUCH QUALITY TIME WITH OUR NOW 2- AND 4- YEAR- OLD CHILDREN.”
Ryan Elliott
“I am 72. Seen a lot, but this has been the strangest.”
John Green
“The year that showed us all who the essential workers really are. The underappreciated, underpaid front- line workers are who make up the very foundation
of this country and who drive us forward. They are the first to take abuse, to be exploited by the powers that be and to lose their jobs in times like these. But, without them, we’d be absolutely nowhere. My fear is that once things go back to normal, this lesson will quickly be forgotten. So here’s to the grocery store employees, USPS/ UPS/ FedEx carriers, home care providers and definitely medical personnel. All those we’ve taken for granted!”
Cheryl Wisniewski
“We went straight from 2019 to 2021.”
Tom Valek
“Don’t take anything for granted.” Deborah Fuller Tobias
“Eye- opening. We learned how quickly goodwill towards fellow humans during an emergency turns to save yourself at all costs. Also how dangerous science- and fact- denial can be. Horror movies are accurate when they show people needlessly putting themselves in harm’s way.”
Michael Greene
“A MALORT HANGOVER THAT WOULDN’T GO AWAY.”
Walter Brzeski
“A total wash.”
Jose Alcala
“A year that helped me develop.” Armando David Latorre
“Very depressing. I felt so bad about people losing their jobs, kids not in school.”
Bonnie Paulsen Ballik
“It’s the year that I perfected my bartending skills.”
Tom Mattson
“A YEAR OF LOSS: LOST LIVES, LOST JOBS AND BUSINESSES, LOSS OF FAITH BOTH VALID AND MISPLACED.”
Mary Jane Tala
“It is not a year I want to relive.” Pat Kelleher- Liszka
“Rather boring. But not. But really boring. It’s hard to explain.” Ewan C. Dickson
“The year we all lost our marbles.”
Virginia Rodarte
“HISTORIC.”
Paul Taylor
“2020 was a dumpster fire.” Thomas Roth
“I will describe it as the worst year of my life and career.” Suzanne Bolur Rumbler
“An episode of ‘ The Twilight Zone.’ ”
Kathryn Gray
“2020? Sorry, I wasn’t there.” Patritsia Kuvshin
“A year from hell!”
Annette Mandelski Berger
“The lost year.”
Robert A. Bridgman
“A preview of hell.”
Steve Foster
“Emotional.”
Kristine Hulce Romano