In-betweenland: As 2020 slips away, an American snapshot

GLENSHAW, Pa. (AP) — As 2020 ends and 2021 arrives, American life feels caught in a weird in-between moment.

Between a pandemic and, possibly, the vaccinations that will end it. Between presidents. And between the radically different styles of the outgoing president and the incoming one.

It’s difficult to say if things will go back to what Americans consider “normal” in 2021, but it’s also hard to say what might arise in its place. And even remembering this odd period clearly may be difficult as the months and years pass.

As one scholar says, “Our memories of this moment are going to be muddled and confused.”