Well…we made it. 2020 is officially in the rear view mirror, fading from view but never our memories. So much happened last year that it’s mind-boggling to look back at the different stages the year went through. From January and February where the Lakers started to look like the dominant championship team they ultimately became, to Kobe, Gigi and several others passing from this plane in the tragic crash, to the botched handling of COVIUD-19 that continues, and will continue, to affect us all.
- My personal highlight for 2020 was the continued growth and development of my daughter and our family as a whole. Family comes first, in all things (even Laker blogging, lol) and seeing this little nugget grow from toddler to little kid over the course of the year has been amazing. While on the surface this may not seem Laker related she has actually starting asking to watch thm play a couple times in the last month. So, at some point in the future, there will be a new Lakerholic (albeit a very young one)!
- The sacrifices of medical professionals in the face of sheer idiocy. My wife works in communication for Kaiser Permanante. The dookie has officially hit the fan in terms of hospital bed capacity but even. moreso when it comes to staffing appropriately skilled medical personnel. Please do your part so we can get back to what we used to call normal. Mask up, wash your hands frequently, don’t be afraid of the virus but damn do we all need to respect it more than we have. America is not some bastion of faith-based reality that through sheer will (dare I say ignorance?) can overcome this pandemic. Like all of our great and incredible accomplishments it’s going to take work, hard work, from professionals but it’s al;so going to take the common people chipping in their part. We didn’t win WWII through will or faith, it was hard work. We didn’t put people on the Moon or in space through anything other than dedication to craft, science and skill. Be more than words, do your part.
- The joy the blog and all of you bring to me. Not going to lie, this blog has sustained me through a lot of things in my life. From it’s earliest incarnation under the K Bros thru Mark Medina to now. The life I’ve lived has seen good times and bad and thru all of it there’s this awesome, sometimes cantankerous but always respectful community of Laker fans that comes together. Sometimes vocally, sometimes silently but always shrouded in a purple and gold hue. So, to all of you, my fellow blog editor Sean, Gerald and especially LakerTom for investing so much timer, energy and personal resources into keeping the spirit and vibe of the OG LATimes laker Blog alive.
- Speaking of the Lakers. They got back in the winning column against San Antonio a couple nights ago, didn’t have the time for a Fiver but wanted to give some props to the ageless wonder that is LeBron James, the growing superstar that is Anthony Davis and to the Lakers in general for bringing joy and hope to the greater LA area and to Laker fans everywhere. It’s been nice seeing the team back where it strives to be: on top.
- Speaking of hope and joy, let’s all work together to make 2021 the year of the rebound. Let’s all bounce back from 2020, grab the board and start 2021 off with a thunderous dunk. There will be vaccinations, we will develop an inherent immunity to this strain of novel virus and we will see our businesses open back up, our families come together again and our friends in the places we hang out in. It will happen and the sooner the better. Heck, we may even see fans in the strands and a banner hung before the summer. So, again, let’s all do our parts and beat this thing like the Lakers are going to beat the Spurs later today.
Go Lakers.
Thanks for a heartwarming glass all full Fiver to kick off the New Year.
(1) Love you’re putting your daughter at the top of your Five Things. One of the regrets in my life was only having the one child and letting career and business rob me from spending more quality time with him. Don’t let anything steal those precious minutes, hours, days, and years because they fly in a flash.
(2) Can’t say enough for our health care workers, doctors, nurses, support personnel and all of those who risk their lives to care for Covid patients. Every one of them deserves our love, respect, and some form of combat pay for what they have endured. They are the best of us, the soldiers on the front line in this war against the pandemic.
(3) This blog has survived change, turmoil, controversy but somehow always keeps going because of the people involved. I’m so grateful and appreciative for the constant participation of you, Sean, Gerald, and all the Lakerholics who have kept the fire lit and the conversations going all these years. Thank you!
(4) The Lakers continue to be the one team above all my favorites that I care the most about because it’s all about basketball. Like any marriage, you and the one you love create a history together than cannot be replicated with any new infatuation or old love you might encounter. It’s a bond that lasts until death do you part. While how the Lakers do does affect what kind of day I have, I’ve learned as I grew older to keep perspective. With the grace of God, I’ll still be here to see banner #18 go up with Lakers fans cheering in Staples.
(5) Great call on it’s up to us, the people who vote, who wear masks, who care about injustice and inequity, who want a country where everybody counts and everyone is heard, to take the steps to build a better, fairer, more respectful and more prosperous America for all of us. That’s a glass half full that I will always believe in no matter how slowly progress sometimes seems.
HAPPY 2021, EVERYBODY. STAY SAFE, SMART, AND HEALTHY!