Glendale City Hall, June 7, 20
Artsakh Street, Glendale, CA October 10, 20
Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. He is from Barcelona. October 11, 20
Armenian Consulate General, Glendale, California
October 29, 20
What
a year! We all agree it
was an usual one filled with many challenges and sad events. If I put the events in chronological order,
the first one that shocked us was the pandemic.
Gradually we learned about COVID-19. But it was confirmed in March and
we had to face the reality.
As a teacher, I was not ready. The spring break started and after two days
we were told not to return to school and work from home. Had we known about it a few days earlier we could
have sent home the textbooks. After a
month we were told that we would not see our students that school year. I cried.
I was adjusting to reality from day to day.
Later, we watched a live murder in front
of our eyes. We watched how George Lloyd
was killed on May 25. I watched the
funeral through live streaming on June 4. As I was listening to Reverend Al Sharpton I was crying hard. It was
touching. So on June 7, I attended the
demonstration for Black Lives Matter in Glendale, even though I was very
careful not to catch or transmit the virus. I wore my mask and did not touch,
hug, or shake hands with anybody. But there were many people close to each
other. It was inspiring to see many
Armenians and Latinos united. Fighting
for justice was important. Many Glendale School District's administrators and school
board members participated. We saw many riots and rallies all over the world.
The new school year started with distance
learning. Both teachers, parents, and
students were better prepared. Students got their textbooks and school supplies.
Labor Day weekend was extremely hot. I was frustrated with the heat. A few days later we had fires in different
areas of Los Angeles. I was teaching via Zoom with all the windows closed. Luckily, the smoke made the air cooler, but
it was hard to breathe. For the first
time, after five months of staying home, I drove to San Diego to get away from
the smoke. A few days later we had a
minor earthquake. I screamed out of
frustration. Enough is enough. Every day something new was happening.
In September Azerbaijan attacked
Artsakh. Armenia was in a war. Armenia was fighting high-tech drones and
arms supplied by Israel and Turkey. Russia was watching and letting the
killings continue. Armenians organized
all over the world. There was an
excitement to get active. Many went to
demonstrations. Armenian youth organized
civil disobedience by blocking traffic on major streets and freeways in Los
Angeles. Many young men died protecting Artsakh and Armenia. Finally, the war ended, but with a big
loss.
Personally, I know people who died from the
virus in different countries. I also know many who recovered. The elections in the U.S. was another
frustrating situation. The lack of civility, rude comments on social media,
"I know everything" mentality was thought-provoking. There were many wars in different places. But
for me, the worst was the senseless war in Armenia. A year ago, Armenia was growing and thriving.
Many young people died.
I have learned to be thankful for what I
have. I have learned to take care of myself first and not feel guilty for my
blessings. I had to be strong, resilient, and positive
for my second graders. I know it is fine to feel numb or angry. We deal with distress in different ways. I
have learned not to open my heart to everybody. Not many have good listening
skills. I can still be friends with them but at a different level. I have
realized that sharing knowledge is good. It was a crazy year. It was full of
sadness. I am going to remember the lessons that I have learned.
