2020; WORST YEAR EVER?

We all entered 2020 with a rare spirit of excitement, this year was supposed to be more than a new digital
sequence and it was, but not the way you were looking and hoping for. May be you planned to start a new
job, a new university, or have a wedding. Sure enough, things did not go as planned and you might have
been compelled to call this year a nightmare, but calling ‘2020 worst year ever’ is no more a subjective
opinion it’s more of a global idea now. Times magazine officially labeled it so in its December’s edition
with a big red cross marked over 2020 (it is a tradition saved for worst foes humanity has faced and this
year it was used for the fifth time).

Unfolding of events
Starting January; series of events including Iran-US dispute, wildfire outbreak and racial injustice outrage
happening over the western border already had us feeling anxious when in late January Chinese
government announced ‘outbreak of respiratory illness in central city of Wuhan’ as an international
emergency. Patching up with the number of cases and spread rate, day by day we saw covid’19 at our
doors, evacuating streets, bazaars, schools and work places. Now it was not an event happening over a
distant area, it threatened us in person and our family members, had us worried about little and older ones
and especially those members who worked as front line doctors and went to war each day.

Different schools of thought

Fighting covid’19 and its blues was one thing and dealing with people with different opinions was
another. Some people did not believe in the existence of virus and called it a terror scheme and ignored all
the precautions while some called it God’s wrath on the mislead ones, aiding to the misery of those whose
loved ones were affected.
Destruction
Economy, education and finances everything came crashing down to a halt. Effects of pandemic were
endless, it affected everyone from large business to group of daily wagers who work hard each day to
make the ends meet. Some people went through not less than feminine while some hoarded stock for a
whole year.

More destruction
Midst the chaos, overly active monsoon rain hit Pakistan mid-July flooding parts of Sindh and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa especially. Damage and ruins added to the pains of people who already suffered financial
loss by hands of corona virus.
Many other historic events took place, one way or another we all experienced loss and misery this year.

On the flip side;

Even though timeline of 2020 seems to be episodes of a thriller series, everyone went through some major
shifts owing to all the time we had in quarantine. Not running thorough hectic work routine our lives
somehow seemed to have slowed down, which allowed us to reflect on ourselves and discover ourselves
like never before. We learned the practice of gratitude, patience and value of having health and resources
which we otherwise always have taken for granted. And so we had our different paths and ways of
evolvement. We learned the difference between luxury and necessity as we had our family bonds got
strengthened watching endless episodes of Ertugrul rather than a pricy trip abroad or while planning small
scaled weddings with only intimate family members rather than lavishly celebrated weddings. We learned
off screen hobbies; we baked, we painted, we crafted.

Walking into 2021

Only few days left into new year and 2021 still seems like a time from future, and surely it would be
beginning of an advanced era looking at how we birthed and adapted to the idea of working from home.
We are operating schools markets and business while confined to our homes. This would have appeared
to be a very bizarre idea a year ago. We have learned to make ways when situations don’t favor us. We all
will be walking in 2021 with a very different perspective and an evolved form as 2020 has humbled us
down with a sense of general harmony showing us how little control we have over our lives.
You might have not gained material accomplishments, making through highs and lows of this year is in
itself an accomplishment. As one might have said ‘we lived through a history lesson’.