TAKEAWAYS FROM THE YEAR 2020
2020 has been a tough year around the globe. Characterised by the lethal Coronavirus pandemic along with various natural calamities, the year- end holiday season doesn’t feel the usual. But as it is said, every cloud has a silver lining! So instead of lamenting, here are a few reminders and lessons from the passing year.
Importance of mental health.
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death brought
forth the much needed discussion on mental health. It made us realise that
mental well being is as crucial as being physically fit. It heralded an unsaid
movement to de-stigmatise seeking psychological or psychiatric help. So next
time don’t hesitate from lending a helping hand, you never know who may need
it.
Digital is the future my friend!
From online classes to work from home, the
year taught us the value of technology and online resources. On one hand it
showed how technology is capable of changing our lives, for the better but on
the other also highlighted the infrastructural lack India as a nation experiences
when it comes to providing technological support to all in an egalitarian
manner.
Environmental
concern.
It literally felt as if the Earth had had a
breath of fresh air in decades, when the dolphins were spotted at Mumbai’s
Marine Drive, when the deer roamed freely on the streets of Rishikesh and the
Himalayas were spotted from the house balconies in Jalandhar! With lockdown
bringing down the pollution levels drastically, one can assert that climate
change can be undone by working together as a single race as well as
individually on a day to day basis.
It’s
never too late
It’s never too late to acquire a new skill
and it’s never too late to pick up an hold hobby. Being on pandemic house
arrest gave us a chance to reunite with old buddies, elderly relatives and our
next door neighbours (yes, someone just like you lives there!) So do not
abandon again that paint brush, cricket bat or the apron that you donned after
months or perhaps years.
Compassion
and solidarity
This for sure forms the most important
lesson. The year taught us that in the face of a lethal outbreak, boundaries of
regions, class or race seem to get thinner and it’s only being together as one
human race that helps. India fed thousands of its daily wage labourers for
days, with each one contributing their bit. It also reminded us of the significant
role frontline workers play in our lives.
Fare-thee-well 2020, as we step into a new
year, a new beginning with hope and positivity (and also a vaccine!)
-by Hetika Kathuria
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