Thursday 29 April 2021

Twenty Twenty One

 Twenty Twenty One



Attempt #16 ...Gone are the days when I could just sit down and write. You would probably say, I need to get more organized and plan better, however writing cannot be planned, well atleast not for me. I write when my mind is relaxed and currently I've got 4 hamsters high on energy, working that wheel.

The 2020 pandemic reorganized the world over the course of a few months and we have started to live the "New Normal" now. It's been a year and we have successfully adapted. A lot of things that were deemed impossible, overnight became a possibility; such as 100% Work From Home in certain sectors, the "Need" to have maids, 90%+ online payments, the need to wear pants everyday or shave regularly, the list goes on. 

We are fettered by tradition and the 'tried and tested' ideologies. We rarely challenge and push boundaries. They say when push comes to shove, we discover potential.

Most people get too comfortable, both professionally and personally and are afraid to rock the boat...I ask why not? but if you are going to, then you better know/learn how to swim.

Personally it has been a rewarding experience getting to see my daughter grow. The simplicity at the way she looks at life makes me appreciate what I have so much more. Just the other day, the delivery agent came with a box of pampers and she squealed in delight and thanked me profusely, it's like I had given her the world on a diamond encrusted platinum platter.

As kids we appreciate the simplicity of life and as we grow, most of us lose that innocence and fall prey to the materialistic world. We then define success and "happiness" by the number of international stamps on our passport and the wealth we possess. Society reinforces this delusion through advertising.

2020 changed all of that to some extent, there was ban on travel and entertainment. Most places did not allow maids to enter gated communities. People had to adapt quickly and most were able to transition quickly. Some people learned new crafts and some caught up on all the sleep they missed in the previous years. I for one learned new ways of annoying my wife and the art of hiding in plain sight.

This pandemic has eviscerated the lives of many families. People curse the virus, the government, the situation they are in. However when you come to think about how it has survived so long and continues to run amok, it is due to our inability to follow rules. We continue to push boundaries and fail to be responsible. Will we ever be able to all follow rules ? The answer is a bitter pill to swallow.

I look at this period as an opportunity for us to make the best of what we have. We may not be able to change a lot, what we can do is change the way we see the world.

1 comment:

  1. Absolutely super, James. There were sections where I subconsciously reached out to highlight (as in a Kindle). Succinct, Sensitive and deeply insightful.

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