Please don't hate 2020!

Many of us witnessed a pandemic for the first time in 2020 and few lost many a loved ones to Pandemic. A major catastrophe after the 1918 Spanish flu, we thought Pandemic is just a scenario for Playbook exercise for our Business Continuity preparedness. But Covid -19 made 2020, the year of the pandemic, that cannot be forgotten that easily.

We wound down 2020 finally and many of us are visibly glad that it is over. We step into 2021, hoping January 1st 2021 is a magic wand to all our Covid woes. Though I share the popular sentiments of people or the lack of it on the year 2020, I wanted to look at also some of the positive outcomes of 2020.

1. The Frontline workers, Doctors, Nurses, First Responders, healthcare professionals, Vaccine research scientists, Nations’ military were truly the “heroes of the year”. The courage and efforts of these men and women cannot be repaid and mankind will be indebted to them lifelong. 

2. The year adapted us to Pandemic quickly to build technology solutions and in certain industries made possible for almost the entire workforce to “work remote” and also be productive. We collaborated better, travelled less, commuted zero and delivered results.

3. Virtual Classrooms brought schools into every student's home and helped teachers engage with students through innovative new methods of e-learning.

4. Tele-medicine is aggressively being adopted by Physicians and patients avoiding physical visits for minor ailments and medical diagnosis.

5. E-commerce gave to new possibilities for shopping, selling and merchandising products from their houses through new found e-commerce stalwarts like Etsy, Shopify etc.

6. Kerbside pick up became the new mantra for Restaurateurs to attract diners. I am not sure if this is going to go away even after the restaurants open for customers.

7. We learnt to maintain a “human bubble” individually, helped by face masks, hand - sanitizers and fist bumps. I am not sure when we will return to greet each other by the customary hand shakes, hugs and kisses.

8. Household chores became the main alternate time spent outside work. Personally I got more brownie points from my wife.

9. People learnt new hobbies from home improvement to podcasting. I turned to fitness to keep myself sane. I ran the TCS New York City marathon and two half marathons "virtually" in 2020. I admit, I would have laughed at anyone suggesting the idea of a virtual marathon in 2019.

I acquired a new skill - hair styling aided by the pandemic. I have completed nearly a year without visiting a hair salon in 2020 and become a rookie hair-stylist styling my and my son's hair. I am not sure if I will visit a hair salon even after the pandemic.

10. The planet became little more cleaner with less carbon emissions and 2020 ushered the hope that we can prevent global warming and save this planet for our children.

Overall 2020 will be remembered as the year when rapid technology solutions, medical research and spawning of new innovation and bold ideas in a single year, that would have taken tens of years, if it had not been for the pandemic.

As I conclude with my thoughts and prayers with families that lost their loved ones to pandemic, I am humbled by our resilience to weather this pandemic and continue to be better prepared to overcome these challenges. Let us not forget 2021 is not a magic wand that will make our Covid 19 woes vanish. It is just a continuation of our efforts to overcome this pandemic and return to the normal.

Happy and a heathy New Year, 2021!