2020HLs: Things that were hard at the start of the year that are easier now.
In a year filled with the pandemic, grief, sorrow and loss to millions of people in the world, the actual realisation of the severity of the virus that was spreading at the rate of cities to continents within a few months of its origin was the hardest thing.
Being in Italy, which was then the epicentre of the world with the highest number of virus-infected people and its transmission, it was definitely a huge psychological fear that was fuelled by the paranoia created by the media houses all over the world. Going back home felt the perfect solution to this increasing menace and I rightly reached home at the right time just before nationwide lockdowns were announced.
This huge mess of travelling amidst a raging pandemic from one country to the other and the pressure to be extremely cautious at anything you do to protect yourself from not getting infected yourself and in turn not to infect any of your family members was the hardest thing and we learned it the hard way.
Travelling with people or alone will not be the same anymore, be it commute within the city or to other cities nearby is going to be a herculean task even after the pandemic ends and the vaccinations are provided to all.
Communicating with people on a personal basis or in close quarters was always risky during peak times of lockdowns but now after these many months of induced confinement and restriction of travel between places, there is some ease around the way you can spend time with people who are near and dear to you. You can roam around with a person holding the hands of each other, provided you’ve already washed your hands or sanitised them earlier.
Video calls on apps seemed to have been the easiest hard thing that we learnt to get better quickly. With so many apps with multiple updates that ensured an easy way of communication and with the least amount of glitches.
Masks at the beginning seemed to be like a hurdle for the face but now they are not just for protection anymore they have become a part of our attires with varying designs and multiple colours.
We’ve faced many things that started off as problems or botherings but slowly everything fell into place and we figured out that we just have to change our perception and look at them in a different way and then Voila!
No hardship is eternal, we will just get the better of it and eventually convert it into an opportunity for the future.
PS: This is a series of reflections for the year 2020. Do follow for the upcoming posts and do let me know your thoughts.