Visualizing the Future in a Year of 'To Be Determined'

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Just as we all knew and expected, things did not magically get better when the calendar flipped from Dec. 31, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021 – even though we may have secretly, unrealistically hoped for a sudden return to normal, or even just a clearer answer on when we’ll see a return to normal. Things also did not magically get better on Jan. 20, 2021, when the Biden Administration officially took charge. While the new president’s swearing in brought a huge sense of relief to many, results of the administration’s efforts to turn the pandemic around won’t be seen for some time.

For now, we’re still living in limbo. Many businesses are still shut down, COVID case and death numbers remain high, more contagious variants of the virus are spreading, and the first few months of the vaccine rollout have been slow and disorganized. It’s still impossible to make definitive plans for travel or in-person events, which has led many credit union industry event organizers to keep their gatherings online for 2021 and move their bets for when in-person gatherings can safely return to 2022. All we can do now, it seems, is keep waiting.