Commenters Tell the Story of 2021

Reopened spaces meant returning to in-person work for some. Not everyone was so eager. S from Chicago, wrote, “I’m the most productive I’ve ever been working from home. I have the silence and lack of distraction I need to provide more value to my employer. Open concept offices are the worst. It shouldn’t matter where we work, as long as we are being productive.”

But the economic consequences of rising inflation and a weakening supply chain were beginning to weigh heavier. Herself, a user from Oakland, Calif., wrote, “There are a bunch of non-urgent things I’d like to do around the house. When I found out a 6 dollar sheet of plywood was now 36 dollars, I decided I did not need to do those things. I also gave up clothes-shopping and other kinds of non-food shopping. I fix and maintain what I have.”

But not all comments this year were in response to news articles. Readers shared personal stories, tips and advice.

The trick for making perfect scrambled eggs? “Nothing more than a good whisk,” wrote rtrach. Having trouble falling asleep? “A family routine,” suggested MamaDoc from Chapel Hill, N.C. Interested in learning a new instrument? “Never give up!” encouraged Michael Kennedy from Portland, Ore.

A few times, the subject of an article responded. On a profile of Sinead O’Connor, the singer weighed in on her own well-being. “FYI I am wonderful,” she wrote, to which Maria Elena C. of Phoenix responded, “Yes! Yes, you are!”

And, by the end of the year, the news of the new highly transmissible Omicron variant upended our lives … again.

On the edge of burnout, health care workers kept going. CC from Sonoma, Calif., shared an experience after visiting a post-surgery ward: “I asked one young nurse how much Covid had affected her ability to do her job, and I thought she was going to cry. But she took a few deep breaths, shook her head, and said it was almost impossible to describe.”