When you think about this past year, and when we left it behind us, the most common reaction to the new year was a relieve. I’m not sure why people pay so much attention to some artificial events when numbers are changing. New year, new month, new day, 2pm. If we have our new year starting not in January, but somewhere in summer, we would be already in the middle of the second pandemic year. So why bother? I don’t know. Maybe it’s somehow related to this human obsession to look for some patterns everywhere. Even if there is no patterns at all.
I don’t know why people believe switching to the next number in the years sequence going to change anything. We had a lot of things to think about this past year for sure. A lot of new and old stuff to learn and relearn. But I’m not positive this new reality suddenly going away any time soon. Maybe even this past year will be better than new one. It’s not a popular idea, I know. And it will be two completely different answers if you ask optimist and pessimist about it. But with pure math calculation you can easy figured out yourself the amount of time needed to deliver vaccines for each and everyone.
For sure it will be new research outcomes, and better understanding, leading to awesome breakthroughs and discoveries. This process just can take some time. Maybe a little bit longer than we all hope it will take. Or maybe we’re going to have some crazy scientific researches and their outcomes are going to flip our new reality upside down, but this time for good.
For me personally, I’m not thinking of the past year as of something pure evil. Not at all. It was a big time to reflect and think about everything. And as every change suddenly coming into our lives, initially your usual daily routines going to protest all over against it.
Breaking routines at so massive scale and in so widespread reach was painful — I need to honestly admit it. Some parts of this new normal was desirable. But other parts not. Some of the outcome of this new normal was great. Others rather painful and without any positive resolution in the near future.
It was a new normal. And as it was initially very uncomfortable, then you start to get used of it. New routines start to take places instead of old ones. Initially very emotional responses becomes dull a little bit over time, and alongside with new routines it’s not so painful anymore.
And these changes were not only for yourself to bear with, as it normally will be if you decide to change something on your own in life. These changes were for everybody. And from this perspective you was not alone with yourself. You have a lot of friends, coworkers, just strangers in the nearest shop, to share this pain of change with you. And from this point of view it was some kind of a collective support to each other. Maybe a little bit, but support.
I think this past year was some kind of an adaptation period. For sure it was chaotic and rather uncomfortable. But this training period will definitely going to make us more prepared for new challenges and this new reality.
And more free time for thinking, for reflecting about everything, can make all of us better.
