2021 was supposed to be better than 2020, wasn’t it? I saw all the memes, magazine covers and TikToks talking about how we were leaving the hell of last year behind us and moving into a better year clean and optimistic. Things were going to be great.
But here we are not even a month into 2021 and the pandemic is as bad, if not worse, than it’s ever been and the Trump-loving snowflakes showed themselves to be the deplorables Hillary warned us they were by invading the U.S. Capitol to — according to their chants — hang Mike Pence because he wouldn’t steal the election for Donald Trump.
As it stands now (I’m writing this two days before Joe Biden’s inauguration), the day’s events either went off without a hitch and we saw amazing performances from Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks — that’s right, Garth Brooks played Biden’s inauguration and conservative Twitter lost their minds about that — or we are in the throes of the second U.S. Civil War. Either way I am committed to having a 2021 that is better than 2020, and while things seem all doom and gloom right now, there are some swell things to look forward to in the coming year. Here are a few.
The Tokyo Summer Olympics will finally happen.
I’m not the biggest sports fan but I do love watching the Olympics. There is just something special about an event that literally gets the entire world excited. After being postponed in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic, officials say the Summer Olympics will be happening July 23-Aug. 8, 2021. While live audiences are expected to still be small, watching the events on TV will help 2021 ease us back somewhat into the normal we had before COVID.
Attending live, local events.
Just as with the Olympics, I don’t imagine local events will be up and running at 100% capacity but something is better than nothing at this point. I miss Pride parades, Lake Eola festivals and all the events during the first week of June. I miss putting on fancy clothes and going to galas and fundraisers. I especially miss seeing the faces of the amazing people from our community who help make Central Florida the best place to live. I hope everyone’s planning some amazing events for later on this year.
Warner Bros. will stream all of their studio films on HBO Max in 2021.
In a decision that shook Hollywood, Warner Bros. announced that every one of its 2021 films would release on HBO Max the same day they are released in theaters. That means no overpriced popcorn, sticky floors or annoying patrons who can’t stop talking while I watch some of 2021’s biggest films like “Space Jam 2,” “In the Heights,” “Godzilla vs. Kong” and more from the comfort of my living room.
Hugs. Lots of hugs.
I know that this was the pandemic silver lining for some of you, but I have to admit I love a good hug. I hug when I say hello and I hug when I say good bye. I do the arm-over-the-shoulder hug, the I-love-you-man tight squeeze bear hug, the barely-touching-pat-on-the-back frenemies hug; I love them all. I was raised in a huge Italian family and not being able to hug is like telling me to not breathe or not talk with my hands or to converse in a low, moderate tone. I don’t know how.
I’m getting ALL the vaccines.
I am the opposite of an anti-vaxxer. I love vaccines and encourage my doctor to give me as many shots as he can whenever I pay him a visit. On the top of my list in 2021 is obviously the COVID-19 vaccine, and the sooner the better. I take whatever vaccine I am offered because I am well aware that if I want to be the first person to live to be 150 then I’m going to need all the help I can get. Plus one of these days maybe they will slip up and give me the Captain America shot so I can walk out of the doctor’s office looking like Chris Evans.
Something else I can’t wait for in 2021, seeing live theater again. In this issue, we look at theaters as they slowly start to re-open and stage their big comeback. We also bring you an interview with The CW’s newest Batwoman, Javicia Leslie.
In news, we remember legendary performer Nazhoni Foxx who passed away due to COVID-19 and we chat with City Councilmember Darden Rice as she announces her run for St. Petersburg mayor.
