Since 1927, TIME magazine has dedicated its cover to the Person of the Year: one (or several) individual (s) who have impacted the world the most. In 2020 the duo of hope, Biden-Harris, smiles on their cover. Sensible selection considering the enormous challenge they have to tame the pandemic, rescue the economy, lower racial tension and control climate change. Ta jocote.
I dedicate my cover to the anonymous heroes who were 24/7 in front of 73 million infected, and the 1.6 million that Covido took (and counting). I stop writing for a minute in his honor.
Since 1985, La Pluma de Calín has dedicated a chapter of its annual story to personalities that leave us; Let’s see my 2020 count:
Low blow in the world of basketball, especially in California, after the spectacular helicopter accident of Kobe Bryant, God of the Lakers, in which he died with his daughter and 7 les. And that the ship was cooler than the one Kriete lends to Bukele. When it’s your turn, it’s your turn.
Low blow in the hearts of millions of earthlings as Mafalda ends with the death of Quino, its brilliant creator. “Rest in peace, teacher” Parrot Pepita with a tear on her beak.
Very low blow in the most beautiful sport in the world, especially in Argentina, after the anticipated death of “the Hand of God, San Maradona”, at such an early age (60). “Messi or Maradona, son?” “They go to penalties.”
Low blow in the cinema, with the salu Lulu of James Bond Sean Connery. Classic and elegant performance. “Shaken, not stirred”, at the bar when ordering his Martinez.
Very low blow in romanticism, as Mexico was left without Armando’s apple orchards. Music, teacher! “This afternoon I saw it rain …” the little parrot was out of temper.
From a James Bond film the rebirth of Alekséi Navalni, Putin’s main opponent, poisoned by the Kremlin and resurrected by Angela Merkel (TIME Person of the year 2015).
Another film, although it would not be very successful because it did not achieve its mission, could be: “Operation Gideon”, a failed (amphibious) attempt to overthrow Maduro, which cost the lives of 6 invaders. What about human rights? Absent in dictatorship (bread for our matata).
Let’s not get bitter with politics; let’s better look at 2020 anniversaries in ascending order:
* 30 years without communist and capitalist borders in Germany.
* 50 years since the Beatles parted ways. Let it Be.
* 75 years since the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz, the Little Boy nuclear explosion in Hiroshima and Fat Man in Nagasaki, and the founding of the United Nations.
* 100 years of Prohibition on the production and sale of alcohol in the USA, which lasted until 33, but it did not work, because Sam the chichipate managed, sucked and sucked.
* 200 from the birth of Florence Nightingale, which is why the WHO quite rightly declared 2020 the Year of the Nurse.
* 250 years since the birth of Ludwig Van Beethoven, Sunday companion, at full volume, of my maternal grandfather (QDDG).
* 400 years since the Mayflower set sail (from Plymouth England, bound for the New World), with the Pilgrims who founded USA.
* 500 years since Raphael, the Italian genius of Renaissance art, died.
* 800 years since the last “Great Conjunction”, or alignment of Jupiter and Saturn to form the Star of Bethlehem, which we were fortunate to see on the shortest day of the year (December 21).
Let’s put coconut to such an astronomical phenomenon, 2021 symbol of hope! Let’s add the good vibes of summer sunrises and sunsets; those of the full moon of the 29th, and those of the rain of the 31st, and encouragement, because 21 is a lucky number.
Felijaño to infinity and beyond!
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