A number that is associated with perfect vision definitely didn't play out in people's favour this time.
What started pretty good, soon turned into quite a bit of a mess and as we were learning more about the new enemy we are facing, instead of clarity we had a year of severe uncertainty.
This year was different, to say the least. I keep joking that I don't want this year to be added to my age since I hardly used it. Nevertheless, this for sure was one of the most intense years that I've witnessed, with rapid changes, unprecedented measures, tough circumstances and a lot of things to learn and absorb, both good and bad.
So while we are saying bye to 2020, let's look back for a moment.
Without any doubts, I want to leave quite a few things and experiences in the past. I wish it was as easy as just flipping the calendar to the new year, and the pandemic would be over, with all that mess left in the calendar to be tossed.
We were separated. Besides, frustration raised anxiety even in the calmest people. The insecurity and instability provoked by the pandemic resulted in a rise in aggression, depression, addictions and general apathy.
We definitely missed out on a good half a year with family and friends. And while the technology made it a bit more bearable, it still wasn't the same. And it for sure was tough on older people, many of whom don't follow the news much and didn't really have a clue why all of a sudden their loved ones abandoned them.
Our world travellers' curiosity hit the wall. A few brave people still sneaked around the world and enjoyed the surrealistic experience of empty streets of Rome, London or New York. But even for them, the number of trips was way down in comparison to regular years.
Obviously, an enormous pressure was put on the economies all over the world, which we will have to deal with for probably five, if not 10 years.
On top of that, combined, Estevan residents alone probably gained a few tonnes of extra weight over the past nine months, just sitting at home.
But as weird as 2020 was, it wouldn't be fair to say that it was absolutely bad. It brought up a lot of creativity, with people coming up with a lot of new stuff, from a new vocabulary (lockdown, social distance, self-isolation) to ear-savers, to all kinds of virtual activities, and of course the new vaccines.
Our accessories collections got widened by some fancy pieces, such as masks, cute hand-sanitizer holders and other special COVID attire.
A lot of our houses saw some renovations happening, and public facilities became so sparkling clean as they've probably never been before.
Outside already being people's best friends, dogs turned into valuable, essential entities, and dog owners enjoyed the privilege of spending quality meaningful time walking them.
2020 also generated a lot of good things and tendencies.
Many Canadians spent their vacations discovering the beauty of their own country.
Instead of being a gesture of politeness, minutes dedicated to loved ones turned into real gems.
People became more accustomed to technologies. We saved millions of hours of our lives on useless travel for meetings, instead of doing it virtually from the comfort of our homes.
The kindness, community spirit and support were through the roof, with numerous fundraisers overpassing their previous results and endless initiatives arising to demonstrate that we care about each other.
We once again proved that where there is a will, there is a way. Our ingenuity was unprecedented, so was 2020. And the fact that there are numerous vaccines already available in the world only proves how far we progressed in our development.
We re-evaluated many things and learned what was pure consumption and what actually was meaningful (like sports or hugs). I feel, that for many of us this year was a learning curve eventually leading towards more conscious consumption.
Yes, for many of us, 2020 ranked as one of the most challenging years of our careers, our personal lives and even our health.
But while we may really want to forget all the problems that this messy year brought, I'd say it wouldn't be the smartest move. Instead, we should try sorting out our values, outline learned lessons and celebrate the accomplishments. Many of us may have some spare time now, and it's a great opportunity to reflect on the challenges we faced and bank on the strengths that these challenges brought up in us.
So if you ask me if 2020 was good or bad, I'd say that it was definitely a year to learn from.
