Sometimes we need to take people literally at their word. Not infer a metaphor, not assume an implication. But take them at face value.
The 2020 experience.
For a year that appeared on the horizon promising to take our breath away, it looks like we misread the memo. Not to be a naysayer, pessimist or any such thing, the year has literally attacked our breathing system – individually, corporately and collectively. This attack for mankind’s lungs would eventually crystallize in George Floyd’s gruesome murder, instigating the worldwide “I can’t breathe” campaign.
Our world has suddenly become a smaller, largely scarier, and more delicate place to live in. On the whole, this has impacted us to the very core of our beings and our unified race. And its impact won’t leave in a hurry. Family life, faith, work, existence and socialization will feel the ripple effects forever.
I compiled a list of things that may never go back to the way they were.
Parties and condensed areas. It’s the age of Zoom weddings and Instagram Live Introductions. Would you have assumed that there would be such a time as this? Parties are still currently outlawed in most parts of the world, marketplaces are running on shifts, people are observing strict physical and social distancing. What a time to be alive. Even when this is over, the consciousness for personal space will stay etched in our consciousness.
Social places [eateries, restaurants, clubs and parks, cinemas]. Get your food and leave! You may eat in your car or drive all the way home if you can wait, but the government and food vendors are saying: please love us from a distance, we’ll do the same. That love waxing cold isn’t sure to get warm anytime soon. Netflix and similar subscription-based movie screening and streaming are the future. Football viewing centres will suffer reduced patronage as wave after wave of the virus continues. Even after we find a cure, I’d rather just enjoy home-screening, thank you very much.
The Finance Industry. Cash transactions will slowly bite more bullets. Fintech is the future of banking. Technology is the future of virtually anything, anyway. But in particular, more transactions will move to digital, non-cash, tech-based forms. The prudent banker needs to take the time to garner as much knowledge in this field as possible because it’s almost fully buffered. During the strictest periods of the lockdown, we realised how little one needed cash for things that really mattered. Online ordering, subscriptions, ticketing and e-wallets ensured that we were all safe behind our phone and computer screens while the virus ravaged and rummaged outside.
Worship centres and rigid religious idiosyncrasies. Three months now, we’ve all been barred from going to religious places. Churches, mosques and other religious centres where it seemed like physical attendance was the only way to worship have found ways to keep the faith and spiritual consciousness unhindered and on point. I personally have had to review a lot of idiosyncrasies I had regarding a myriad of issues, and although I haven’t lost my faith [I am a practising Christian], I have realised how flimsy, lightweight some of the rigid beliefs and approaches I had were. A lot has changed in me, as I’m sure they have in many. God isn’t a figment of our imagination, neither a product of our rigid and unbending “if you don’t believe what I believe you’re doomed” approach. Faith is extremely personal, and although our experiences do influence others, they should by no means be the lens by which we grade their morality, holiness or uprightness.
Real estate. This is a big deal – particularly commercial real estate. Working from home has become a darling phrase during these times; perhaps only beaten to second place by ‘Coronavirus or COVID-19’. Employers who were originally adamant, unwilling to even consider the possibility of remote work, are now clutching the concept very close to their chests. It took only a few weeks of COVID-19’s merciless punches to humble them. Costs are being cut, cut, cut. This can only mean that even when we leave these dangerous times, employers need no external data – they know that over 80% of work they’ve always compelled physical presence for can be done remotely. Still sure you need that intended million dollar commercial real estate project? Think again.
Did I miss out on any?
Please let me know in the comments.
And don’t forget to share.
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Read some more of my writing here.
I completely agree with your analysis… but if this is what it took for humanity to re-assess our priorities then I am all for it. The deaths are painful though but staying home without getting a query from your boss is not shabby.
Well, i couldn’t agree more.
Might i also add that friendship and other forms of ‘ship’ [sic] will become characterized and driven by suspicion and counter-suspicion (who wan catch Covid, lol).
Maybe this will help us reconsider our subscription to communal life in Nigeria.
Maybe this will redefine political culture, political socialization and political participation; especially in Nigeria.
Maybe this is just what the world needs for a reset and readjustment to technology.
Maybe this is what we dont need at this time where globalization has made the world smaller, and everyone a global citizen.
Maybe we dont even know what lies ahead.
Maybe, maybe, maybe…
Maybe this will help us reconsider our subscription to communal life in Nigeria.
Maybe this will redefine political culture, political socialization and political participation; especially in Nigeria.
Maybe this is just what the world needs for a reset and readjustment to technology.
Maybe this is what we don’t need at this time where globalization has made the world smaller, and everyone a global citizen.
Maybe we don’t even know what lies ahead.
Someone said that the virus probably came for the principal reason of pointing out to us what really matters, and casting our gazes from fruitless expeditions we had earlier pursued.
Something about this: “Maybe this will help us reconsider our subscription to communal life in Nigeria.”
Remarkable.
Thanks so much for your contribution!
Sigh.
Who would have thought it would take a punch this huge to humble us and send us back to the drawing board?
Priorities long misplaced, misread and misjudged are now finding their way back into our lives. Humanity is discovering ways to deal with matters it had run away from for decades, maybe centuries.
Thanks so much for contributing!
A thoughtful analysis. The world as we know it is passing away before our very eyes.
I think you left out the education sector.
Education! Great catch!
How could have I omitted the tremendous effects this will have on the primary industry, from which we’ve all stemmed?
Thanks for your contribution, Abigael.
I agree with your analysis but also need to look at other sectors like, education and other, most especially the education sector, it will take time before we get it back on track, it just painful that our leaders have being toying with this country for so many years, look health sector not really do well but we pray God should intervene in this country affairs,most especially in our leaders mind, so they could learn form this pandemic and every individual.
Education and Health!
You’re very correct, dear brother. This has really shown that we were not ready – not as a nation, not as a government. And like you said, it really will take time before we get back on track. Some things, as mentioned, will most likely never return to business as usual. But we watch, keenly.
Beautiful writing. Big kudos to the designer of the image. That took my breath away.
Is addition to what you have outlined, COVID has unearthed somethings that we did not want to face. The world gave use options, we could escape, we could runaway from our home and thoughts and nightmares. We could work till late and start early. No one questioned our diligence at work. We perfected the art of wearing masks. We move from clubs to club, eat out, go for long visits at our friend’s or work travel… anything to not face our demons. And then COVID happened and there is no flight option. We have to fight or drown. There are many casualties in these fights. As there are many victors too. Divorces, rapes, teenage pregnancies, loses of jobs, suicides, loneliness, grieve… But then there are weddings, meaningful relationships, bonds created, emerging entrepreneurs and creativity. Makes me wonder who are the winners of the situation. Is it those who are fighting hardest. Or those who have been able to be vulnerable to the situation? Does Ecclesiastes 9:11 have a part to play in any way?
Then there is reflection on priorities and things that really matter to us or at least should matter.
So that I do not take so much space, the last one would be “are we really learning” from the situatiin, and will it last? Or all this is for survival, as real as it seems. Personal reflection. Personal growth. Changed habits… How many of us have been in the sitiation of, “If I make it this time, I will never go back again” “God if you save me… or if you give me…. or if you protect me…. I will never … or I will always…” And then we are given what we ask and for a while, we are changed. N we start doing that which we promised we would do, or stop doing that which we promised we would stop. And then we find ourselves in the forbidden fruit temptation sitiation… Do we fall or do we remember our promise, our prayer….. not that it is that easy to change our ways because we prayed or made a promise. But hopefully, this time, it will be deep enough to make it worth keeping the promise?
Ignore any typos please… trying to type as I save burning onions…
“And then COVID happened and there is no flight option. We have to fight or drown.”
This really got to me.
The pandemic and all its effects hit us all in such an unplanned, unforeseen manner. It truly was either fight or drown.
I think the real winners are those who were able to tap from the effects of the situation to review their lives, their priorities, their relationships – essentially, the true people and things that really matter. When all chips were down, we all ran in and huddled at home.
So many truths in this writeup, Molly. I’m going to be rereading it many times.
Thanks a bunch for your contribution, my friend ❤️
Education. Teachers and school administrators are still passionately arguing thay it would be utterly impossible to achieve the same education goals through digital media compared to in-person classes. To be fair, we are still gathering the data. We don’t know if students have learned more at home than in school, but we do know that we have been forced to try in the name of safety.
Parents have been forced to sit and try to teach their kids concepts and solutions to complex problems that they have always conveniently left to the teachers. Tempers are flared because “this is not how they learned to solve for x”. I have lost count of the number of screenshots of math problems sent by “Aunty this” or “Uncle that”, who had been concerned by their cousin/nephew/sister with the dreaded six words – Mummy said you should help me.
LOL.
Perhaps this will finally let us all see that teachers are tragically underpaid for all the hard work they do.
Still, we have been forced to innovate and find ways to continue learning. Will schools ever be the same? I doubt it.
Education. Yes! Yes! Yes!
Schools will truly never be the same. E-learning models and establishments are springing up on every corner. I suspect the education sector and employers are suffering from the same ailment. They assume that if they ignore the problems long enough, they will go away. They think a refusal to face the issues squarely means that somehow things will even out. Maybe, the underpayment of teachers is at the heart of the problem, truly. Because, to be fair, they must think: ‘why kill yourself for people who don’t care about me?’
So it boils down to the parents.
This is a real and meaningful analysis, this year experience has shown out the truth of our leaders visions and ambitions,corruption and harassment of citizens who used to live by their daily income is being practiced all around! Only God can do something upon this crisis and unfair crazy world otherwise humanity is dead
Thanks for your contribution, Elysé.
It’s a pleasure to meet you. The year has indeed revealed the true strengths of the world’s leaders. The smokescreen has lifted and we can tell which administrations are really worth their salt. May God help us.
A pleasure to meet you!
This is really beautiful Gbolahan. One trend that the pandemic is helping to accelerate is dumping fossil fuel and moving towards renewable energy. I loved reading your thoughts..
Wow!
Trust Imade to spring up the totally unexpected. Great point. The earth seems to be the overall winner in all this. The environmental impact of humans switching to renewable energy, and basically just getting out of the way and staying indoors has been enormous.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Imade!