Goodbye 2020?
So, in exactly 2 weeks, we will be doing the countdown to 1 January 2021. I think we can all agree we have no idea where 2020 went. Or what a trying year this has been. Every year we had before that we considered as challenging doesn’t hold a candle to this one. Not in the least. Jobs were lost, weddings were put on hold, births and deaths didn’t have the “you’re not alone in this” spirit they are usually poignant with – it’s a strange, strange year all around. It’s not sad, it’s not depressing, it’s just … bizarre. Because when I look back at my year, I can’t describe it by anything other than the word “strange”. My writing gig fell through, I joined the very place I quit back again on a part-time basis, my bank account is starting to see considerable improvement as a result, I have made significant progress in a project I’ve been working on, I interviewed some truly, truly amazing women, I struggled with the news about Chadwick Boseman, I’ve branched out into colours when it comes to clothing and I’ve only had 2 mental breakdowns. Strange, but also, I’m very fortunate to say it’s not too shabby. Just because I know myself and my tendencies. And the current economy! People who say money doesn’t buy you happiness have never had to miss out on paying a bill or have a completely different understanding of “happiness” and “peace of mind”.
But I digress. Things could be way, way, shittier purely based on the state of the world. But I’m okay. If there's anything working in a hospital and endless bingeing of House M.D. over the years has taught me, it's that humans are endlessly tenacious. We learn to adapt, to heal, and to live. We find a way. Life finds a way! (A truly flawless working in of the Jurassic Park reference if I can say so myself. Truly flawless)
Many are saying 2021 is a way to reset, that it’s about starting over or that 2020 doesn’t exist. I can see why; I can understand it. But if you ask me, 2020 was the true reset. The year we collectively got uncomfortable as the human population and dealt with the consequences of our set ways - socially, politically, climatically. Fortunately for me and my loved ones, we are all healthy and safe, making 2020 a hugely introspective year at the most for us. The year turned ALL our attention inwards and towards one another. And like some unspoken pact, that’s where we all kept our attention collectively. We never kept our attention beyond making sure we don’t go out of touch with the rest of the world. And that forced us not just to reflect on our actions and how we can be better people, but also to reconnect with one another. Lockdown and life as we slowly come out of it have meant video calls rather than texts or phone calls, finding something to do as a family, and falling in love with your earpieces because everyone else in the house is in a zoom meeting.
So if you ask me, 2021 is not about going back to a “normal” life for me – because everything I considered a “norm” before has changed or no longer exists. Your friend is running late? Whoops, can’t hang around Sephora anymore and test out random lipsticks to kill some time until she gets here! I mean, even practically speaking, with the way the world is moving, it’s still HARD to imagine a life that shows some semblance of a 2019 life in 2021! Take Singapore for example. We will likely be wearing masks until the 3rd quarter of 2021. Even after that, we probably have to whip them out during air travel! I literally can't imagine flying to the US right now, not just because of the numbers but it will be an 18-hour flight at the minimum. I mean, I already find it a little difficult to breathe during take-off and landing! But I truly believe, and as I said before about humans’ tendency to adapt, we will get used to it. Because it is a minor inconvenience after all, considering the grand scheme of things. It will be like that guy who plops himself next to you during your flight with no concept that you simply can't claim a hand rest to yourself in economy. You just can't.
The way I see it, 2021 is a continuation of 2020, the storm we weathered through. Hopefully (crossing my fingers and toes), 2022 is where the rainbow is because it takes the sun and the storm to make one. But meanwhile, in 2021, I expect more discomfort. Not just because of the world, but because I anticipate more introspection that all this free time has somehow created. Nothing is more uncomfortable than having to deal with your innermost thoughts but the good thing is, nothing makes you grow more than that. In 2021, I hope everyone I care about is safe and healthy. I hope there will be near worldwide access to vaccines and treatment options. I look forward to some new eye products. Because let’s be honest. I thought since I’ve stopped wearing concealers and powders and blush and highlight because it was making my skin under the mask FREAK out and I can save on refilling, “trying out” and buying such products. But no. I took that money and used it on buying all the eyeshadow and eye products you can imagine. One, so that I don't look sickly and two, it's just meditative to do repeat motions in the morning like sweeping eyeshadow across your lids or mascara on your lashes. This part of my morning feels more important than ever. And can you really put a price on that? More importantly, I hope this new norm brings you a stupendous 2021 based on everything you've learned from 2020! If any of your major milestone events had to be put on pause in 2020, I hope they are picked up again in 2021. I hope you experience love and abundance in any way possible and I hope you stay safe and healthy. Thank you for letting me be a part of your 2020 and I'll see you on January 7, 2021!
*Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, "Thendral's Telegraph" here!*
