We're halfway through 2021: How does it compare with last year?

Much time and many tweets were expended last December saying goodbye and good riddance to 2020. And with good reasons, really, almost all of them having to do with a little thing called COVID-19 (you may have heard of it...it’s been in all the papers).

This was not only cathartic for a lot of people, it also put pressure on 2021 to be better. Much better. Having reached the halfway point of the year, here's what we can say about it:

Good Things About 2021 So Far

• We're "emerging from the pandemic," as the phrase goes. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are all down. This is undoubtedly great news.
• On Jan. 10th, my Cleveland Browns defeated the team from Pittsburgh in a playoff game. It is always encouraging to know that, at least occasionally, good wins out over evil.
• Celebrity deaths seem to be down from last year, I think? Not that celebrities' lives are any more valuable than any other lives, but if nothing else, we use them as barometers for how old we ourselves are. Last year it seemed like a movie star was dying every 24 hours.
• The U.N. declared this the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. This designation is virtually meaningless, I know, but I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and feel like they deserve their own year.

Bad Things About 2021 So Far

• We (and by "we" I mean Americans, though I think this is probably also globally applicable) still seem to be yelling at each other a lot and mistrusting each other and generally feeling smug and superior to those who do not happen to share our worldview. This may never go away, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be raised as a depressing, terrible thing, which it is.
• There are still COVID variants in many parts of the world, and while it's human nature to just want to move on and forget about the virus, many people can't. And you have to assume those variants are going to take root here.
• In that same vein, my daughter Melanie had the virus in January and still cannot smell. This doesn't seem to bother her in the least, but it bothers me.
• I know I'm not alone in this, but I ate way too much cake in the first half of 2021. My cake consumption needs to come down. (I tend to eat as much cake as I do fruits and vegetables. I don't think it balances out well.)