My Own Perspective of 2020: The Year That Was

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I am sat in the lounge at five o’clock in the morning in my favourite attire of the year, pyjamas with matching fluffy bed socks, cup of coffee for company and staring out the window into the seemingly endless abyss of uncertainty. As the whole Britain is still asleep and is at temporary rest from the onslaught of the harsh reality of COVID-19, here I am wide awake already trying to fulfill my heart’s desire to write and share my personal experiences last year, 2020, the year that was!

I never have thought that in my lifetime, I’d be able to experience something as dramatic and life-changing as the advent of this pandemic that altered the balance of the whole world: COVID-19! I’m pretty sure no one did anyway. This plague wreaked havoc and still does on everyone’s life. Even superpowers of the world were crippled, truly devastated by it. Thousands upon thousands of lives were lost. Livelihoods, finances and other resources were put in jeopardy. I could go on forever trying to piece out the monstrous effects of this pandemic but then again I thought, “Does it really matter now?” All of us, albeit struggling, are still trying to live the most of what we have.

If my recollection serves me right, COVID started in the UK in the latter part of January 2020. Most people were then nonchalant and took no notice of it. People were minding their own business hoping the disease was just another disease which would eventually just go away on its own accord. Oh boy how wrong we were! Very wrong indeed! Almost a year since its occurrence, COVID-19 is still here, much stronger with its strains and ever slowly bringing lives and livelihoods into their knees. As COVID-19 continues to create chaos in every nook and cranny of the society, scholars have started to have an edge over it. They were able to create a vaccine which they claim could combat the harsh virus. This is what everybody’s been waiting for!

Life has come to a standstill when strict rules were put in place to save lives and protect the NHS here in the UK. The UK government has set guidelines and has been very clear from the start on how to help combat the spread of the virus:

STAY AT HOME. PROTECT THE NHS. SAVE LIVES.

WASH HANDS. COVER FACE. MAKE SPACE.

CTTO

The UK now is on its third national lockdown! So far, the virus has shown very little abeyance if at all. The society is showing big gaps and tears and just holding on to fine threads of sanity. If you look at it all in the grand scheme of things, the society is so tired of being cooped up at home to say the least that quite a percentage of it isn’t heeding the government guidance. If it were you, would you blame them? Hah! Personally, it’s like chicken and egg now. Which came first?

I bet everybody just wants to go on a holiday somewhere warm and sunny. I do! I miss my second home, the Philippines. This may be a bit on the grand scale though but I really would love to be back there again and get reacquainted with my roots. On a more local theme, I would give up a month’s internet connection (I have mobile data so I am not bothered :’) ) just to go to the countryside and enjoy nature without fear of mingling with other people and feel guilty about it. I would give up a few pairs of my most treasured bed socks for a chance to have coffee at the local coffee shop! Sigh!

In the latter part of October 2020, I was COVID-positive. It felt like a rug was pulled from under my feet. I knew before then that it would only take a matter of time before I would have it but still didn’t prepare me to the intensity of the reality when it hit me. I was more worried about my husband and other family members who were classed as highly vulnerable due to medical conditions. The guilt followed suit. During my isolation period, I was not only battling the physical effects of it but most notably, of my mental/psychological state. It was nerve-wracking to say the least. Every waking moment, I was thinking if it would be the day I’d be calling 111 for an ambulance or would it be the day my husband would contract it. It was horrible! Just beyond words!

In spite of the pandemic, I found ways to kind of like thrive and survive. During the first national lockdown, it was summer and I loved it as I had more than enough time to tinker in our garden and improve my baking skills. I was able to enjoy nature more. I had time to ‘listen’ to myself.

Amidst the pandemic, life has treated me fairly if not well. I got the chance to be promoted as a Senior Carer and has been chosen to do the CHAPS (Care Home Assistant Practitioner). The fact that the Management has confidence in me to do the job effectively and efficiently helps me tremendously in fighting the hurdles at work. This just shows the fact that feel-good things done by other people towards you affect your perspective in life.

Life may have been different and difficult for quite sometime now but I have no doubt things will be back to the way it was before IF ONLY we do our share to help curb the spread of the virus. This calls for us having personal discipline and the will to really stick to the rules set out. I’m always telling my self that surely, this too shall pass. I have high hopes that we’ll be able to enjoy our freedom again in the very near future.

I hope our 2021 will be a healthy one. Keeping fingers crossed. xxx