Mental Facelift: Ending the year on an upbeat tone
It’s been one hell of a ride! 2020 is one year that will not easily be forgotten in the minds of its witnesses. Some say it’s a cursed year, but I like to think of it as a loaded one. It was one that was crammed with a series of events that were sandwiched into each other, we were left with no time to breathe. Did I just say time to breathe? Breathing was a luxury this year, as they were made to pass through shields and layers of fabrics (nose masks) worn to conceal our fears and our doubts in humanity.
The Pandemic brought with it manifold consequences: from the health sector to commerce, social life, and also the corporate world. It’s completely changed the status quo, especially in the corporate world. We saw the loss of jobs and the creation of new ones simultaneously. It was a year where everything was possible, where the unthinkable became the norm.
It turns out, humans can adapt and adjust to whatever situation. People were left with no choice but to improvise and get creative with the management of work and life. Working from home was rampant and meetings that needed to be held were done virtually.
Then came the killings…
We’ve had to question humanity a lot this year. Or what would you describe as a good enough reason for George Floyds' death or the Breonna Taylors' ordeal? Why would the world not run amok when innocent women like Tiwa, Jennifer, and several others were raped and murdered in cold blood?
You’d think things couldn’t get worse, but we know better than to expect much from humanity any longer.
The narrative of the latter events is still too heavy to believe or discuss. How can the youths of a nation fly when its mothers clipped their wings while they bud? But it didn’t stop their voices from echoing against the walls of the universe.
Our tears were barely dried out from the southern Kaduna killings before the gory events of the Lekki massacre on the 20th of September, 2020. A date that will forever be embedded in the heart of every Nigerian. We saw the profound power of social media and how it became the fortress and refuge to the masses. We saw how our voices, together are stronger than any weapon and loud enough to conquer armadas. 2020 indeed has heralded a decade of revolution, an era of true liberty.
It has been the year indeed where many including myself believed the world would end at any moment. Because the events that coloured it were too many deaths. So that you who made it alive, should count yourself lucky.
We will therefore grasp at every opportunity to celebrate life, to be thankful for the gift of breath, even if it’s through a gagged nose. And if you were further fortunate to have a roof donning your head, to eat or have a choice of clothes, you should be grateful. Because you made it!
