2020. The year that was. It’s a bit early but there is no right time for reflection. Chinese calendar had called year of the rat, Global calendars called it the Leap year. History will call it the year when the world operating system rebooted. This was the year of the virus.
Every year December, people across the world reminisced over the year and enlist their top 10s – be it moments, people, greatest things. This year that list will be different. If anyone can stake a claim that they predicted this, please message me and I can get you a clairvoyant outfit and a globe or at least a parrot to launch your own tarot cards business. This past year has redefined and realigned priorities and objectives for the mankind or for that matter, citizens of the world – not just limited to humans. 2020 has brought an abrupt end to many lives which were yet in their adolescent time. 2020 has been such that I have heard people do not even want 20:20 as eyesight anymore.
Year has added new words to the lexicon and some of the words have taken additional meanings – Corona being the primary. It is not just limited to the Sun, has added an earthly meaning. Word Nuclear in 2020 hasn’t been as scary as that has been referred to nuclear families and people have been reunited with their own nuclear families.
New products and services have had their launches and avenues have opened. In the world of 2020, all the major events be it person or be it at the global levels, were all online and people attended them virtually, In the world of social media, new social was added to the dictionary. It was called Social Distancing and physical space was brought back. Face coverings have become a necessity and Mask has truly been added to the powerful 4 letter words in the vocabulary. Masks in all shapes, sizes, colors and designs have adorned the shopping aisles and masks occupy some of the most precious real estate in the stores. Liver in the human body hasn’t been the primary and sole consumer of alcohol, fingers especially have staked their claim as well.
Weddings, funerals, graduations, movie releases, orientations had their online debuts and the globe has truly become flat and you could conduct your business from anywhere in the world. Phrase Zip Zap Zoom was used in the past to describe something that moved quick. In 2020, zip is when people zip their mouths, they were too zapped and zoom has been the savior pun intended. This year has also reiterated that this world is ready for the Digital Prime Time.
However, everything about this global reboot hasn’t been bad. Nature which was almost forgotten shown signs of revival, animals and birds have been visible again in places where they were driven away from. Oceans, skies and leaves have returned to their preferred pigmentation and hues which we thought only existed in poetries have returned. Pollution was sincerely controlled, and everyone could breathe better. People added skills to their repertoire during these times and satiated their thirst for hobbies that hadn’t been given time to.
Citizens of this world have awoken their compassionate side and have opened their hearts and wallets out to the ones who can use that helping hand. Not everyone has been fortunate in this year and return of humanity is another welcome change. On topic of humanity, it would be an incomplete summary if the hat wasn’t doffed to the warriors wearing white coats and countless humans who haven’t been wearing their capes but haven’t been any less.
Humans all over the world have realigned their objectives and are ready to embrace 2021 albeit with some thinking new year will be a complete 180-degree change and be back to square one.
Another aspect that has been validated to the core is humans as a race are resilient and will survive for the most part. I would say let’s embrace 2021 as a blend of 2020 and years before that and let’s not forget lessons learnt this year. Signing off, let’s embrace 2021 and hope we don’t invoke our bad habits. Value your relations and spend some time with the ones who matter the most in your life.
