'Buenos Noches' 2020

Sometime in mid-January I began paying attention to the news about the pandemic. The first email from a credit union source about the issue came on Jan. 25.

The first time we published an article on our site about COVID-19 was on Jan. 31 with Tina Orem’s story, “CUs Looking at Pandemic Plans in Light of Coronavirus.”

In early February we began to have editorial team discussions about how we should approach the pandemic beat without being sensational or inflammatory about the topic. At the time, we talked about it in broad terms, and then just days later it quickly became incredibly specific as far as the direct impacts we were already seeing happening to credit unions. As a team (and as normal humans), we struggled to not panic and even had a relatively heated debate about running images with people wearing masks.

During that time it felt scary and strange that a pandemic was happening and already spreading in our country. I think we were in denial for a few days, and then we all realized that this was happening and we had a job to do.

Fast forward a few months.

Way back in May of this year, I was walking around the neighborhood as I do most evenings and passed by some houses that were hosting sad-looking, socially-distanced high school graduation parties. There were two houses in particular a couple of blocks apart that had a very small group of people spread out on the driveway and in the front yard, I’m guessing with family members, while the high school graduate sat in a lonely chair several feet away from everyone. I’m assuming it was the high school graduate because the chair had a balloon tied to it and they were opening presents.

At the time I remember thinking, “Poor kiddos missing graduation. This is the worst it can get.”

My youngest son was one of those 2020 high school graduates. The graduation ceremony consisted of driving through the school’s parking lot as a handful of mask-wearing teachers waved to students from their cars lining the path where my son and the other students drove in, stopped, rolled down their passenger side window and received their diploma from the principal like an order of fries. Students then drove off and that was it. I was there in the parking lot because I wanted to watch this bizarre new ritual. Being kind of a time nerd that I am, I clocked the entire “ceremony” for my son. Entering the parking lot to leaving with his diploma took 41 seconds. While it was selfish of me, I was a little bit thankful to not be sitting in a two-hour ceremony as 1,300 students were called up one by one. Still, it was odd.

There was no big party with family. I handed him a new laptop for college and that was it.

Since seeing those two garage/front yard high school graduation parties in May, I’ve seen baby showers held on driveways, front porch birthday parties, two Quinceañera celebrations on driveways and one out on a quiet neighborhood street, where they had a few tables spread out and streamers and lights decorating a few nearby trees.

I’ve also seen four medical emergencies of some kind, with EMTs wearing full hazmat gear helping a person, loading them onto a gurney and sliding them into the ambulance.

On my walks, I pass by one home where an old woman sat on the front porch in an old office chair that was missing a wheel and held up by some kind of wood block to create somewhat of an even surface so she could relax and enjoy the warm evenings. She was either reading a newspaper or holding a plate filled with some kind of snack, or maybe it was her dinner, I was never sure. Each time I passed in front of that house, I’d look over, smile, wave to her and say, “Hola!” She would politely wave back and quietly say, “Buenos noches” with a smile. I’ve gathered from the conversations she had with family who’d sometimes join her there that she didn’t speak English. Since I’m a regular passer-by person, other family members recognized me (that weirdo who sweats a lot wearing sunscreen and a bucket hat) and they’d say, “Hello” or “Hey there, have a nice evening!” The thing is, we would repeat this same, brief conversation 15 minutes later when I’d loop back around in a mile or so. Anyway, it was a small thing that I looked forward to each evening.

About three weeks ago I was passing by and watched as the old woman was being strapped to a gurney by a few Austin Fire Department EMTs. I stopped and kept my distance some 30 feet away. I concerningly waved to her family as they had to keep their distance from the EMTs. We watched as they loaded her into the ambulance. I did not stay to watch the ambulance drive away because I didn’t want to gawk or intrude on the family. I don’t know what happened to her. But I haven’t seen her or any of her family members since. I miss my brief, but regular smiles, waves and her quiet “Buenos noches” to me.

2020, in hindsight, isn’t much to look at. The last time I traveled was to CUNA’s GAC in February. I recall getting on my return flight and sitting next to a woman wearing a mask. That was my exact moment of coming out of a fog and seeing what was happening.

We are watching the ripples of 2020 already moving well into 2021. WOCCU has cancelled its in-person conference and it will be a virtual experience. GAC will be virtual. The world remains in virtual mode as we wave to delivery drivers from the front window.

If there’s one upside to this year, it’s that we took more time to check in with each other. I’ve learned more about my team and the details of their lives this year than I ever knew. I’ve connected deeper with my credit union friends and understanding that, while we are having a shared experience, we’ve all been upended in personal, professional and unique ways.

We’ve all lost something or someone this year and I won’t look back on 2020 with any real fondness.

Keep wearing your robes while working from home. Keep wearing masks. Keep yourself safe. Keep checking in on your family and coworkers. Stay put and keep holding on because 2021 isn’t going to look or feel much different for months. If we’re lucky, by this time next year we might be able to actually celebrate the end of the pandemic and give each other a hug.

Michael Ogden is editor-in-chief for CU Times. He can be reached at mogden@cutimes.com.