The 2020 reality
To say that 2020 has been a year to forget would be understating things as they stand.
As I take a deep breath and continue to write this piece, I do so with a heavy heart.
I will turn 22 this year and since the turn of the year, so much has happened. It gets quite overwhelming sometimes. It’s deeply concerning to think how far we’ve come in terms of time, however, we haven’t come far ahead of where it matters most.
Recent events, most unfortunate in their nature, have been challenging to deal with it. Even for those of us who have not been personally involved and are safe, it has been difficult to accept this new reality.
Today’s reality is a dilemmatic one. It is one of many blurred lines, moral challenges and warring of mentalities.
I know history has not been kind to mankind, or rather, mankind has not been kind to itself. Human societies and civilisations have survived a lot worse than what we see on a daily basis these days. Our older generations have overcome many an obstacle, to be where they are today. We have the comfort of a bed, food in our mouths, money to spend, different clothes to wear and so many other luxuries thanks to their endeavours. I wonder if our generation would survive even half of those obstacles if they were thrown at us. Probably not.
Because the fact of the matter is, we as a generation are quite conflicted. People talk about the youth being the future of the world, what is this future that we are all heading to? The youth are the present of the world and already the world is in such a chaotic place. Are we equipped to lead human society into a new era? There are some, probably. But most of us, have a long ways to go.
I don’t want to be sounding too negative, or looking on the black side, however, there is more wrong with society today than there is right. You might feel differently, and you have every right to. We all have our opinions and I’m sure your views differ from mine. But that still doesn't change the fact that our world currently is facing challenges that we are unequipped for.
The reality of 2020 is this —
Racism still exists at large and at every level of society. On the streets, in the offices, at homes, racism still exists. This is such a difficult fact to accept, it baffles me how deeply rooted people’s mindsets are in such vile practices that it is difficult for them to accept anything else at all. Does a job offer really have to be rejected on the basis of ethnicity? NO. Does a worker have to be denied to their rightful pay on the basis of their caste and gender? NO. Does a man have to die on the street when being watched and recorded by people? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
And yet, here we are.
People have opinions, some are useful, some aren’t, but they’re all opinions all the same. Is disagreeing with each other really such a difficult fact to accept? You may believe in one thing and I may not, however, is that really something to get so triggered by? Why can’t disagreements just be disagreements? Why do they have to give way to violence, harassment and so much more? Do people have to face death threats for voicing their opinions against something? NO. Does constructively criticising your government’s actions make you anti-national? NO. Does every argument have to give way to vile abuse and bullying? NO.
And yet, here we are.
We need better leaders. We simply do. For too long, it has been about the lesser evil. However, it has to be about more than that. It simply does. As a society, we have always looked up to our leaders to lead us into better times. And while there are several good examples of excellent leaders in today’s troubling times, we need more. Good leaders don’t just fall off a tree, like fruit, I do understand that. Maybe I’m the only one, but I just feel some of our leaders lack the know-how and are unequipped, in the mental sense.
Now I’m not saying that we should only depend on leaders. We as citizens need to be taking the better initiative to be more responsible stakeholders of society as well. We cannot be sitting hand in hand and waiting for governments to be taking the necessary steps while we could be doing it on our own and taking the first step. However, therein again lies the problem of a smooth relationship between leadership and people and a clear cut support system.
Today’s journalists face more challenging times than ever. Most media houses and networks are biased and throw a veil on the reality of the situation. While there are also those, trying to fight the good fight but always being knocked down by their superiors.
The Coronavirus, the Australian Bushfires, the communal riots in India, the protests in the USA, unrest in the UK, Hong Kong, and several other places ad many more incidents have painted a dark picture for 2020 and that doesn’t seem like it is going to change any time soon.
To say that there is absolutely no good happening would be a lie. There is plenty of good happening, humans working hard for a collective cause. The global community of people working in the field of medicine are navigating the challenge of this unprecedented pandemic. There are several support groups and NGOs tirelessly working to help people cope with the situation. People are finding new ways to cope and live with this new reality of the Coronavirus and some are doing quite well.
I guess, at the end of the day, this is my 2020 reality and all of ours. It is a dark one, but somebody once said The night is darkest just before the dawn and although the dawn may not be nearby, we can surely lighten and liven up our nights?
