No predictions for 2022. I blew it a year ago when I wrote this: “Here’s a safe prediction for the new year: 2021 will end better than it started. Maybe not in all areas of your life, but COVID should be under control.”
I failed to understand that COVID-19 could outsmart any political promises by Joe Biden (as a candidate in 2020) and a variety of ever-changing recommendations by Dr. Fauci, the CDC, and the WHO.
Will Rogers had it right in January 1930, “Last year we said, ‘Things can’t go on like this’, and they didn’t, they got worse.”
I doubt you’ll read many optimistic predictions for 2022. A year ago, we were optimistic. We had vaccines for Covid and were assured if we got the shots, we were protected. And if 70 percent of us got vaccinated, herd immunity would wipe it out. Get vaccinated and stop wearing a mask!
We knew Covid came from a Lab in Communist China and were shocked when a variant was discovered in India. Knowing that many people didn’t appreciate the name ‘China virus,’ and to avoid upsetting people from India, someone who remembered symbols from advanced mathematics decided the Greek alphabet could fit and wouldn’t make anyone mad.
So, India became Delta and just when we thought we had Delta defeated another version broke out in southern Africa. Because of 12 other less severe variants, they had used all the Greek letters up to Xi. But to avoid upsetting the Chinese Dictator who released the original Covid on the world, they jumped over Xi to name it Omicron.
Let’s hope we don’t get to the next letter, which is Pi. You’ll remember that Pi starts as 3.1416 but keeps going FOREVER.
We lost a great one this week. Betty White was a few days short of 100, and for 70 of those years she was one of the best humorists on television. She promoted racial equality and loved animals. She was married to Allen Ludden who passed away in 1981. She said recently, “All my life, even as a kid, I have preferred men older than I am. Unfortunately, today I don’t think there is anyone older than I am.”
A new feature for 2022. In Weekly Comments, I plan to include a short (non-political) piece from one of my typical presentations as “Will Rogers.” Currently, thousands of cattlemen from across North America are in Oklahoma City with 10,000 prize animals in 20 breeds for Cattlemen’s Congress. I know they will enjoy this one. “In 1932 I learned the secret of success in the cattle business. And I’m going to share it with you. I was on the W. T. Wagoner Ranch, down in Vernon, Texas… Six hundred thousand acres with twenty-five thousand head of cattle. Now Mr. Waggoner was one cowman that was smart enough to solve the low prices of cattle and make ranches pay…and here’s the way he did it… Every cow had her own oil well.”
Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
“There’s not a single person that knows any more about what [this year] has in store for us than a Billy goat.” DT #2000, Jan 1, 1933
“Do you think the world leaders can get us out of this? They might; ignorance got us in.” DT #2002, Jan. 3, 1933
“There is not a better day in the world to be spent than with a lot of wise old cowmen around barbecued beef, black coffee and good ‘free holy’ [refried] beans.” DT #2430, May 17, 1934