Rueben's Ramblings

While 2021 ended up being quite similar to 2020 – sans the “stay at home” mandates – thankfully, vaccines became much more prevalent, and our way of life slowly but surely started to improve. We most likely still have a long way to go before we get to a new “normal,” but if we try to focus on the good, and what makes us happy, that will hopefully help us all weather the rocky terrain that has been 2021.

We can also attempt to strive to be a little more like some of our everyday heroes who have made a difference throughout 2021 in their own ways. They include (in no particular order):

Amanda Gorman, the 22-year old Harvard grad from Los Angeles and Poet Laureate, wowed the nation reading her poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ on January 20 in Washington D.C. for President Biden’s Inauguration and reading the poem ‘Chorus of the Captains’ in honor the three honorary captains of Super Bowl 55: U.S. Marine veteran James Martin, teacher Trimaine Davis and Nurse Suzie Dorner.

Sofia Sanchez, the 12-year-old actress, model and Downs Syndrome activist, became a viral sensation as the author of the book “You Are Enough” released by Scholastic Books. She was abandoned at birth in a very small town in Ukraine, being adopted by her forever mom and dad, who loved taking pictures of her, which set her on her career path.

David Jamison, the language arts teacher at Hickory Ridge Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee, who has been nicknamed “The Dope Educator,” first went viral in 2019 and over the course of four years, has memorized and performed elaborate, individual handshake routines for 250 students. He also took on his own battle with COVID-19 this year.

Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly, the 82-year-old retired principal from Tulsa, Oklahoma, went viral for getting dressed every week up, since the start of the pandemic, for her virtual church services, posting photos of herself on Facebook in colorful dresses and a wide array of fancy hats and elaborate necklaces.

Here is a video report on Dr. Wimberly by David Muir:

Maya S. Penn, the 21-year-old Atlanta native, graced the TED Talk stage three times before the age of 13, has been commended by President Obama and was named to Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul 100 list of visionaries and influential leaders in 2016, is a young sustainability consultant and advocate, social entrepreneur, animator and Simon & Schusster author.

David Cabello, a 25-year-old entrepreneur who lives near Philadelphia, along with help from his twin brother Aaron, created the country’s first Black Owned food delivery service, Black and Mobile, that exclusively partners with Black-Owned restaurants to give them more exposure and customers. The business launched in February of 2019 and, of course, was of crucial assistance during the pandemic, now services not only Philadelphia but also Atlanta, Baltimore and New York.

Ms. Opal Lee, the 95-year-old retired Texas teacher, counselor and activist, known as the Grandmorther of Juneteenth, who led a decades-long fight to make the day a U.S. holiday saw it come to fruition when President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475, making Juneteenth the 11th federal holiday.

Wally Funk, the 82-year-old member of the 1960’s Mercury 13, the 13 American woman who successfully underwent the same screening tests as the astronauts selected by NASA, became the oldest non-celebrity woman to ever go into outer space. She did so with Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, marking her wait of 60 years to make this feat.

Eugene Goodman, the brave Capitol Police Officer, who stood against the January 6 rioters in Washington D.C., using himself as bait, luring the rioters away from the Senate and directly toward other police officers, received the Congressional Gold Medal.

Here is a video of Office Goodman’s brave actions:

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I want to thank everyone who has visited my site this year. I hope you’ll come back next year!

Happy New Year!