2020: The year the world rediscovered itself

“All grown-ups were once children but only a few remember it” ~ Antoine de Saint Exupery

I think about the above quote a lot, it’s from a story called “The Little Prince”, which some of you may be familiar with. For those who aren’t, it follows the journey of the titular prince – a little boy - as he leaves the familiarity of his home planet and discovers that the “grown up” inhabitants of the other planets are nothing like him. While his innocence, curiosity and open-mindedness defines his character, greed, routines, and narrow-mindedness defines theirs. When I first read the story, a long time ago, it was unthinkable to me that anyone could forget the magics of childhood – writing whatever stories came to mind, losing ourselves with abandon in novels that took us to far away lands and playing outside till the sun came down. Growing older meant having to write more facts instead of fiction, reading textbooks over novels and having to stare at a screen rather putting on sunscreen.

This year, it was different. The pandemic descended upon us, and for nine months most of us were confined to our homes. Without the hours and hours spent on trains, buses, and cars, for the first time in a long time we had a lot of free time. Time, which to all extents, was ours to use as we wished – to have fun, to laugh, grow our creativity and live as we once used to. The only problem was... we had forgotten how.

“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken” ~ Warren Buffet

As put by the quote above, habits forged aren’t very easy to break, but if this year has taught us anything, it is that we managed to do just this – one step at a time.

Some have tapped into their childhood and broken the habits forced upon them by the mundanity of daily life. Taking up poetry, reading and bike riding (as I have) and singing, drawing, cooking or simply living day to day without each minute being categorised. Hearing stories of people rediscovering themselves is an uplifting effect of this pandemic, which has otherwise taken so much from so many. Perhaps the ability to reflect upon on the year with gratitude is also something that we’ve gained.

Stories of rediscovery aren’t limited to humans, but also the beautiful and breath-taking wildlife that surrounds us. Reading stories and seeing pictures of animals re-discovering their natural habitats without human interference is a poignant reminder that the Earth is not ours alone, but the responsibility to ensure it is safe and hospitable for everyone is definitely ours.

This year certainly has been unique. It has afforded us with the time and energy to slow down and rediscover what truly makes us happy. It enabled us to connect with friends and family on a deeper level. It opened our eyes to important issues within society and called to arms our sense of justice. Most importantly, it united us all in a shared sense of purpose. Here’s wishing this feeling extends into the new year and paves the path for many more discoveries and “re-discoveries”!

Happy New Year to all!