It seems like only yesterday we were all eagerly awaiting the beginning of a new decade, and wondering what fabulous things might be coming our way. Well you don't need me to tell you that for many of us, the things we hoped for didn't quite go to plan! It has been an extraordinarily bad, mad year - and one that we hope we shall never see the likes of again. It wasn't just Covid, a lot of people had more than their share of hard luck in lots of other ways. It's just been one of those weird years where nothing seems to go right.
When in say fifty or sixty years time, and people look back at this year, they'll see 2020 as being the year where people felt as though they were living in a zombie apocalypse movie; toilet roll was more valuable than gold; supermarket sweep became a reality rather than a TV show; we had to stand outside our grandparents' living room window to talk to them; we had to stand outside the supermarket as though we were waiting to get into a nightclub; Zoom became a key connection to the outside world and not just the name of an ice-lolly; masks were not just for surgeons; there was a pasta famine; it was more likely to spot a UFO than hand sanitizer on a supermarket shelf; 'quarantine,' 'self-isolation,' and 'pandemic' were buzzwords; it took a pandemic for us to show the NHS our appreciation; everything from schools to offices to places of worship were closed; sporting and music events ground to a halt, and as for going on holiday - forget it!
'Home' was very much the order of the day as we were told to stay at home; most of us realized we needed a home office; our kids had to be home-schooled, and we desperately needed companies to make home deliveries. Let's not forget the whole world went banana bread crazy! And in a year that saw more death than we ever thought possible, 2020 started to resemble 2016 when a host of well-loved famous faces sadly passed away.
But let's not forget that in the midst of uncertainty and despair, there was some good to come out of a year that saw much hardship and suffering caused primarily by the coronavirus. People started to reevaluate their lives, take a good look at their relationships with family and friends and decide what really mattered. People volunteered their time as best they could to help others. We used the time we were at home to rest, learn something new, exercise more or take up a hobby. We grew to appreciate the people in our lives more. We looked out for people who were vulnerable or alone, whether we knew them or not. Medical staff, supermarket staff, delivery drivers and a whole host of frontline workers became the heroes of the hour and rightly so, rather than the latest attention-seeking 'celebrity' who was famous solely for being famous. And I for one, hope that that will continue.
2020 was a year in which we saw the best and worst in humanity. It's still uncertain what next year will bring. But I'm trying to remain optimistic and hope that next year will bring much better things our way. I know that the normal we once knew may never return and whether that's a good or bad thing - who knows! But I'm keeping everything crossed that things will improve immensely for all of us.
Come on, 2021 - show 2020 how it should have been done!
Happy new year, everyone. Wishing you all a happier, healthier, and more peaceful 2021 xx
Photos: Wix
Blog graphics: Angel Noire