From left, submissions by Eric Clark, the Cromer-allin family, Laura Funderburg and Chris Wyatt.
2020 in six words or one picture
- Published: December 31, 2020
This year, as in years past, the YS News asked its readers to write a little something in response to a question about the year that’s ending. In this case, it was a very little something — we asked that writers confine their sentiments to only six words, as inspired by writer Larry Smith’s “Six-Word Memoir” concept.
It seems that community members — and readers from afar — were more than up to the challenge, and responded with a flurry of six-word gems (and photos) that encompass everything that was good and bad about 2020: the pandemic, spending time with family, the monumental election, and all that time we had to reflect.
Below are those responses. The staff of the YS News thanks every writer who contributed, and hope you enjoy the responses as much as we have.
Hope Fear Loss Sorrow Anger Hope
—Megan Trolander
Relishing this time with my teenager.
—Jennifer Hubbuch
We Must Apologize for the Inconvenience …
—Jeremy Holtgrave
Prepared three-square; complain, if dare!!
—Sandy McHugh
Lockdown? I wish! This pesky job…
—Pam Nicodemus
GET OUT OF OUR LIVES, DEWINE
The fascists took over. Nobody resisted.
—Les Groby
Dystopian Daze. Narcissistic Haze. Hope pays.
—Jerry Sutton
Mike DeWine, a gem among gravel!
—Jerry Sutton and Sandy McHugh
Connie Crocketts submission
Fight fight fight fight lose fight
—Charlie Cromer
Thank goodness I am an introvert.
—Marcia Wallgren
I’m now a breast cancer survivor.
—Bettina Solas
Tatooine dive bar without the band.
—Laura Curliss
Nervously awaiting the end of COVID…
—Kim Lawson
Missing family and friends in-person visits.
—Carol Cottom
A bubonic plague ruined my plans.
—Aaron Zaremsky
Locked in, think home as haven.
—Nancy Mellon
Got laid off but not sick.
Walked every street in Yellow Springs.
Waited whole life for social distancing.
Misses teaching but not grading essays.
—Frank Doden
Grateful to be in Yellow Springs.
—Gilah Pomeranz and Shep Anderson, Yellow Springs Hardware
No Zombies
Just bored to death
—Aurelia Blake
(keep going keep going keep going)
—Rebecca Kuder
Maybe I will do it tomorrow.
—Jim Spangler
Pam Nicodemus
Ummmmmm…….????
Whaaaaaaaat the **** was that ?!?!?!?
—Tammy Harrington
Frustrated with people from our nation.
—Karen Gardner
I’ll be buying my own island.
—Mikki Boyer Vorpahl
Go to work … I’m a nurse.
—Paula Lazorski
Masks, disinfectant, Amazon boxes and fear.
—Becky Clark
I’m afraid to go to work.
—Holly Combs
Masks, isolation, creativity, online shopping, news
—Selwa Whitesell
Isolation. Miss seeing family and friends.
—Rebecca A Padgitt
“Oh, Baby, it’s a wild world.”
—Christina Check
Bad things happened to good people.
—Linda Rudawski
Even my cat takes Valium now.
—Jennifer White
Said Goodbye. 2 close friends. Cancer
Covid keep me from dancing? NEVER!
—Bette Kelley
Why is he not in jail?
—Louise Smith
In with Donald, out with Joe.
—Fred Bartenstein
Becky Chavez
Discovering the beauty of Ellis Park.
—Pat Peters
Coordinated COVID response from village leadership.
—Mayor Pam Conine
Life stagnated by concern and fear.
—Jerry Mahan
Office closed
No commute
Thanks, Tom’s!
—Connie Crockett
If you’re reading this you survived!
—Alpana Sharma
The hill you want to die on
—Volker Bahn
Thanks for coming to my TED-talk
—Chris Wyatt
Five, four, three, two, one….covid
—Macy Reynolds
Surreal, stressful, isolating, frightening, sad: RESIST!
—Paulette Olson
Remote e-learning: connection lost, remotely learning.
—Sarah Crompton
Inspired by youth seeking accountability, change.
—Carol Simmons
Pay attention kids, you’re living history!
—Matt Minde
Caryn Diamonds submission
Made a documentary about Malawi McDonald.
—Jack Burrows
Garden. White hair. Gratitude. Transitions, 2020.
—Chris Zurbuchen
Focusing on my family’s mental health.
—Chandra Jones-Graham
A year at home, it re-prioritizes.
—Eleanor McFarland Anderson
Waiting to exhale, sing, hug again.
—Lori Askeland
It’s been a long year.
—Sue T. Parker
Thanks for the memories, Yellow Springs.
—Karen Wintrow
Life lessons I never asked for.
—Lisa Wolters
Grateful … with hope for the future …
—Joan Ackerman
2020 was what it’s all about
—Rick Donahoe
Dennie Eagleson
Short Street, it’s fine without doubt.
What day, week, month is it?
—Dan Carrigan
Guy who pushes rock up hill…
—Matthew Kirk
Will someone please change the record?
—Lavena Wolfe Lichtenfels
With great change comes great responsibility.
—Sarah Badger
May this be our wake-up call.
—Laryssa Ingebo-Blanzy
I see who you are now.
—Scott Osterholm
Justice even if it’s not you.
—Nancy Grigsby
Taking a step back for sanity.
—Sam Eckenrode
Revealed to be healed. Exhale. Inhale.
—Amy Rebekah
I can not afford to die.
—Romy Matlyn
Holy s**t just wear the mask.
—Spencer Pyles
I love my family more now.
—Eric Clark
Rest, reconnect, walk, cook, love, release.
—Tama Cathers
Oh, to hell with it already!
—Ashley Nicole Cylon
I am stronger than I thought.
—Kate Mooneyham
The best year of my life.
With every challenge there are gifts.
—Zo Van Eaton-Meister
Miles and Eliza Gilchrist
I apologize, my internet connection dropped.
—LayToya Herring
Pivot to virtual and keep doing.
—Dawn Renee Cooksey
Perseverance, cook, prep, cook, prep, cook.
—Jake Siemer
Outdoors is the healthiest place ever!
—Kathy Adams
January 20th can’t come soon enough.
—Susan Finster
His death left a deafening silence.
—Gery Deer
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
—Whitney Sykes
zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom
—Gabby Loomis-Amrhein
So tired of being stuck home.
—Monika R. Werling
I just want it to end.
—Nikki Bataille Lange
There’s no place like home.
—Susan Gray Miller
Only year I didn’t get sick.
—Christina Hipp
Enough with stuff, let’s start afresh.
—Tanya Ellenburg-Kimmet
Started OK, then bad, getting OK.
—Gary Coy
Hit bottom. Grief process. Rinse. Repeat.
—Gene Lohman
I’m tired of cooking every meal.
—Holly Combs
I am sorry for your loss.
—Amy Crawford
Family pull together but via Zoom.
—Amy Magnus
Not meant to teach children online.
—Cathleen Tong
masks, curfews, gloves, election, many deaths
It was the year I retired!
—Marg Kramer Powell
Patti Dallas and grandsons Ewan and Silas
Helping each other through hard times.
—Laura McDonald
Thank god for my backyard.
—Joyce Robinson
I want to isolate again, please.
—Holley Dee, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Learned new vocabulary: asynchronous instruction, Zoom.
—Ashley Miller Panama City, Fla.
Take one day at a time.
—Elizabeth Wilz, Kettering
Please God, is it over yet?
—Jean Van Smith, Kissimmee, Fla.
So many valuable lessons I’ve learned.
—Monica Bellant
Everyday waking up to Groundhog Day.
—Jacqueline Stauffer Clark
Lucky to be stuck with you.
—Lauren “Chuck” Shows
Six o’clock bells. Neighbors’ chiming faces.
—Audrey Hackett
They want to be at college.
—Becky Chavez
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Thank God we have a vaccine