What’s Going On, World?

(Unsplash photo)

As the world around me explodes, I can’t help but ask — what’s going on, world? This is not going to be your typical weekly leisure and lifestyle article. Nope. It’s going to be quite painful to read.

2020 is the year that humanity wished it never had — it’s up there with The Holocaust years (1941-1945), The Black Death (1347), The London Massacre (1665), Smallpox (1520), and The Spanish Flu (1918-1920). I’m beginning to think that bad things happen perhaps because Mathematics tells us that knowledge of all infinite futures is not possible.

It began with a gas explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, which killed at least 15 people and destroyed about 50 buildings after a fire broke out. Then, hundreds of billions of locusts swarmed through parts of Southeast Asia and East Africa — the worst infestation for a quarter of a century, threatening the food supply of tens of millions. There were unrest and massive protests all over Hong Kong. An earthquake in Turkey on January killed at least 41 people and injured 1,600. The largest earthquake in history also hit the Caribbean on January, which prompted tsunami warning and office evacuation as far as Florida. On January 26, Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter along with seven others perished in a helicopter crash. On the same month of January, Taal Volcano erupted — thankfully — there were no reported casualties or major damages, but it shut down Manila’s international airport, offices, and schools.

The beginning of the year also saw a series of escalation between the US and Iran which culminated in Iran’s military shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner that killed all 176 aboard. Australian bushfires also peaked in January, which burned an estimated 18.6 million hectares, killed at least 34 people, and destroyed over 5,900 buildings. Let’s not forget the devastating floods in Indonesia on the early hours of January 1, which forced almost 400,000 to flee their homes and killed 66 people. In May, Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-8303 suffered a tragic air crash in Karachi, killing 97 people on board while two passengers survived miraculously. On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 200 deaths, 6,500 injuries, and US$15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless.

Meanwhile in the USA, since the beginning of the year, there have been over 8,300 wildfires that have burned well over 4 million acres in California. To date, the epic scale of California wildfires continues to grow — spawning the first gigafire in modern history. Also, in the USA, George Floyd’s killing sparked huge protests against police brutality, especially toward black people, which quickly spread across the United States and internationally. His killing woke up a whole nation and the whole world and made us all realize that racism is embedded in our society’s policies, systems, and practices. In Belarus, the protests against President Alexander Lukashenko have faced violent persecution by the authorities. A statement by the United Nations Human Rights Office on September 1^st cited more than 450 documented cases of torture and ill treatment of detainees, as well as reports of sexual abuse and rape. Back in the USA, the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden has turned into a shouting match, which reminded me of kindergarten boys – one was a bully and the other trying to remain lucid. What was seriously concerning was that the US President refused to denounce white supremacists and falsely claimed that it is not a “right-wing problem.”

The Coronavirus pandemic that began in Wuhan in December 2019 overshadowed all these tragedies and disasters. The World Health Organization recognized it as a pandemic on March 11. By March 21, more than 276,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in over 180 countries and territories, resulting in more than 11,400 deaths and 90,000 recoveries. The virus’ fatality rate is low — around 1-2 percent — but it spreads easily, and the economic impacts are likely to have long-lasting effects. COVID-19 is definitely a calamity that has disrupted our lives, the world trade, and movements. Who would have thought last year that masks will be almost everyone’s must-have accessories in 2020? Who would have thought last year that we’d be saving the world by being couch potatoes in a lockdown for the most part of the year? Who would have thought last year that toilet tissues, hand sanitizers and paper towels would be the hottest commodities in 2020?

A grim update on Coronavirus: there are 36,430,705 active cases worldwide bringing the total deaths to 1,061,153 worldwide as of writing. The latest political leader to be affected is US President Donald Trump (who has become the “super spreader” in White House). As of publishing, USA holds the no. 1 spot as the country with the most Coronavirus cases at 7,776,224 with total deaths at 216,784. India comes second with 6,835,655 active cases and a total of 105,554 deaths. On third place, Brazil has a total of 5,002,357 active cases and 148,304 total deaths.

I ask again — what’s going on, world? I’m trying to search for a meaning, a less scary understanding.

I’ve discovered 7 possible reasons 2020 is trying to teach us:

1. Appreciate the people in our lives.
2. Be grateful for all our blessings.
3. Help us to connect to our inner strength.
4. Motivate us to find our true purpose in life.
5. Never take time for granted. Every moment counts.
6. Bring us out of our shell.
7. Life is indeed unpredictable.

We have the power to choose to learn from 2020. We can choose to stay upbeat and positive amidst the chaos and din. We can choose to remain kind to ourselves and to others. We can use the lockdown as the perfect time to tackle chores in our homes. We can take the time to find something to occupy our minds and the time in our hands. We can take up a new hobby or activity. We must remind ourselves that even in isolation, we do have families and close friends that we can call whenever the pain and sorrow get too much. 2020 is teaching us to face our challenges in life head-on. 2020 is allowing us to reframe — for us to function healthier by shifting our focus and thinking. 2020 is telling us not to be afraid of the storms, instead focus on the fact that we are learning to sail our ships amidst the strong waves.

Remember this: broken backs do grow stronger — so do humans. We are still blessed — we will always have the choice to either sulk in the disaster or find hope and positivity even from the tragedy. We shall all come out of 2020 as stronger, kinder, and better humans. 2021 is just around the corner.