I'm 27. In the year 2020. This should be a bigger deal than it is. But as much as everyone has started off their New Year with new goals, new lives, new journeys, I for one, have been doing new goals, new lives and new journeys for a while now. And I wanted something different. Different is what I asked for, and it is what I got.
When the clock stroked 12am on 2020, I was deep in the heart of KL with new friends I had made sometime in December from a music festival I was at. If anyone knew me, they'd have known this is not what I usually do. I spend my new years with family and friends that I hold dear to me.
This year, I just wanted things to be different. I think that's what everyone wants for this year. For things to be different.
I'm writing this so that when I do look back on this in many years to come, I'll remember this year. The year we thought we had in the bag. But this year will forever be known as the year the world saw a pandemic happen right before our eyes.
We got news of this virus spreading sometime last year. The Corona Virus was in many ways a joke, at the beginning. Mainly because it spread from some Chinese people who eat exotic animals from Wuhan. Chinese eat many things, and unfortunately, will continue to eat exotic animals if they could help it. But this virus had been known to have come from Wuhan. This virus spreads to kill and it does so very quickly. Soon enough, many were dying in China and Wuhan had a lock down. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was just monitoring it from afar not realizing how extremely crazy this virus is.
It's April, 2020 now and for the past 4 weeks, Malaysia has been in MCO (Movement Constricted Order). A lot has changed since. All non essential companies are working from home, schools and universities are closed, restaurants have been told to shut early. The whole world is being affected by this. But here, as i'm typing this. I can't help but realize how calm and peaceful this world has become, or has returned to. The Earth is healing and I'm all for it.
Now, I for one know being at home isn't easy. I leave the house to escape as I'm sure many do as well. Having said that, I think I've kind of gotten used to this way of living. I sure as hell have saved a lot of money. I eat less although I've heard otherwise from friends and their habits. But also, I get to spend a lot of time with my family which, I suppose, is either can be a really amazing or really annoying at times. Luckily my kitten, Beanie, who's now almost 6 months old keeps me sane.
This MCO is going to last a while, affecting our jobs, projects and lives, testing everyone's sanity. But the reason I write this, other than to read back on this many years from now, is to also remind myself how very very fortunate I am, to be sitting here on a Friday afternoon, typing this. I'm healthy, blessed with a roof over my head and money in my savings account to last years even if this pandemic lasts that long. And really, the only way to curb this, is to stay put. I'm glad to say that this is by far the easiest thing to do.
So, Sam, continue to stay healthy, to love yourself, and put your mental health first.
Have Good Vibes, send Good Vibes and receive Good Vibes too. 💜
