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What does 2021 hold for us?

  • Writer: RD
    RD
  • Dec 4, 2020
  • 5 min read

I don't think it is surprising to say that 2020 is quite hectic and mostly in a bad way. But there are many perspectives about this year, I am going to go some of them!


Introduction

It was 31st December 2019, we usually celebrate the New Year at home. But this time, we figured that we shall go to Colombo to get a look at the celebration.


Unfortunately we couldn’t find a place to stop and watch since the area near Galle Face was jam packed.


Meanwhile, the Coronavirus was in its early stages in China, the WHO China Country office was informed of 44 cases by the authorities detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China.[1]


We then circulated around Colombo but it was jam packed with traffic and the police closed down major roads like the ones leading to the Galle Face Green.


We decided to go all the way back to the Marine Drive in Kollupitiya because we assumed that the port city would put out a display and that did happen but not as spectacular as when they lit fireworks for its opening ceremony.


Recalling the way we got there and as we embraced the new decade, my dad told me in Sinhala, “This will be the kind of decade where we may barely, by narrowest of margins get whatever task done in the last moment, not before hitting a few roadblocks & things may be uncertain,”


I smilingly told in Sinhala “oh is that the case,”


When I came back home I kind of thought about what my dad said and I was like “Hmm… That’s kind of interesting let’s see how this decade rolls,”


“This will be the kind of decade where we may barely, by narrowest of margins get whatever task done in the last moment, not before hitting a few roadblocks & things may be uncertain,”

It was just a few weeks later, the looming threat of the beginnings of WW3 began.


(Now yes my dad did not specifically say 2020 in question, he referred to the whole decade, but in history many years gave the precedent of how the events would follow in the particular decade, just like the Great Depression which its roots began from stock market crash just 2 months before 1930[2], just like that 2020 may be the defining year of our decade, for better or worse.)


I was in a drama practice, I was browsing through and saw this post listing down the already horrible things that happened.


The post asked the question what the rest of the year pan out would like.


Mind you, this was during January 2020, a few months before the tsunami of Coronavirus came and wiped out everything, from savings, to hopes and dreams and just changed the pattern of life for nearly all humans on our planet.


2020 Coronavirus Effects Facts 1

We already know what has happened?


But the real question is, what is yet to happen?


As the heading says, 2021 IN FOCUS…. And beyond…..

People have this fairy tale envisioning that all of sudden the COVID-19 would cease to exist after the fireworks erupt for the New Year, the economy becomes more stable and life would go back to normal.


Of course these things should happen.


But in the real world that is not possible.


Think of it, the metal works shop in your town had to go through almost 6 months of lockdown.


This is the same guy that sells there products every day, at least sells one item on his worse days pre-covid.


So in retrospect, that is literally 6 months of no sales. Think of the amount of money that could have been earned to bring dinner to the table or pay their rent just goes poof.


And also, many say small business that closed down during lockdown, did it for good! That is a majority of businesses.


163,735 of them in the US closed down for good according to Yelp.[3]


And of course their reasons are justifiable.


With mounting debt, salaries to pay & the many days they have to go through the stress of what will happen the next day in their minds.


This Covid-19 is just one-of-a-kind in economic catastrophe, just check this next fact!


2020 Coronavirus Effects Facts 2

In conclusion


In conclusion, full economic recovery is not foreseeable. Normalcy of life may not even return for some time!


Now we should not wail on and say “OMG, this is terrible, what should we do?” and act confused.


This is our chance to bounce back and bounce back harder.


If a society of people survived the great depression, WWI & WWII, so can we!


We should also understand that such things follow a process, a step-by-step process.


Firstly, we have to ensure everyone’s safety.


But we have to start to give more priority to economic recovery. Governments will have to feed money, to help the circular flow of income to regenerate and kick start things again.


For all the tax lovers out there, sorry, but taxes have to be reduced! This way, people will be encouraged to build back business.


The question then arises?


When can we ditch these masks?


We can possibly within the year ahead.


That is maybe.


There is an argument that mask wearing could be a good lifestyle choice to protect yourself from contracting viruses and diseases apart from Covid-19.


And that can be proven by Japan’s Unique Mask wearing culture pre-Covid. Read more about this on this article written pre covid here.[4]


However many challenges are posed by this such as recognition of our other people, the feeling of heat and discomfort in the area of your face & sometimes breathing issues (depending on the type of masks worn)


We should also question the nature of the way rules are enforced on us and how double standards are seen with Covid-19 law enforcement.


For instance some protests, people & institutions get a pass.


But anyone else breaks the rule will get immediate fines and become harassed.


As most of us who abides by the law and comply, it’s sad to see many people getting a pass on these matters.


So we hope to see the betterment and ensure that the law is applied equally regardless if you are a politician, activist or just a normal citizen!


Conclusion


In Conclusion, We are looking forward to a 2021 not for complete revival and back to normalcy but the slow transition into one as we help and aid in small to medium businesses encourage to open back up and serve local and the wider communities and also let people do what they have, cause that is when life is beautiful, to get to traverse outside the comfort of your home, to the beach, park, cinema and travel the world.


What do you feel would the New Year hold for all of humanity?



Here are some useful links, which where I even got most of the information that helped me write this article:


2020 Coronavirus Effects Facts 1 :







 
 
 

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