Learnings from The 2020
This year has been exceptional in more ways than one... That the pandemic hit all of us is just the cause which snowballed into many effects (some drastic) for a lot of us.
To say that I am thankful would be an understatement... thankful that I got rest when I needed it (due to the lockdown), thankful that I've been blessed with my bundle of joy despite all odds, thankful for a lot of things... but most importantly thankful that my near and dear are all fine, emotionally, physically and financially.
So here's my takeaway from this year...
1. There is often good in all the negativity that surrounds us. While this might sound like management jargon, it's true. On a personal front, lockdown provided the perfect opportunity to work from home and rest when I could, which really helped. But even in a more general sense, the air became cleaner.. City dwellers could suddenly hear chirping birds and spot stars in a clear (read smokeless) sky.
2. Reinventing oneself takes time and energy, but is not impossible. The sudden announcement of a lockdown brought the whole country down on its knees. After a fortnight, companies were still found grappling with the idea of 'Work from Home', a term which would soon become common lingo. But then, thanks to the fearless frontend workers (read Doctors/Medical staff, Health workers, Delivery personnel and Police) and the use of technology, the country got back.
3. A Clear realization that everyone has to do their work for you to be able to do yours. While having to do household chores for atleast the initial 2 months of the lockdown provided a surge to the sales of washing machines, sweeping robots and dishwashers, it also helped all of us realize that the 'other chores' of the house which are conveniently allocated to the domestic help and maids is not menial work but actually essential. The flipside is also that lots of households had new found masterchefs living with them :)
We seem to have readjusted our expectations to work from home, online classes instead of school and zoom/video calls instead of physically meeting family and friends, a large majority seems to be cut off from the bitter reality that this pandemic has shown them. Media might have written about the migrant labour problem at length, but most of us from our glass windows conveniently read all this and sigh, but don't find a way to make it better.
There is enough and more people who have lost their jobs suddenly (due to offices which have shutdown), children in these houses who were forced to do odd jobs to supplement the meagre household incomes, government school kids waiting for school to reopen (since they don't have the luxury of attending online classes for lack of infrastructure at home).
The only hope is that this year teaches us to respect everyone and everything - nature and humans alike, and empathize with what the others are going through. Find ways of helping others without crushing their confidence or self respect. Hopefully the pandemic is not just about social distancing, instagram posts of gourmet dishes cooked and WFH, but also about developing respect for one another's effort and time.
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