With the economic downturn, lost opportunities, lost time and the passing away of idols and close friends alike, it has not been an easy year. Yet, one human superpower is finding a gleam of positivity in the bleakest of times. So here is a desperately optimistic list of 20 things that were actually not all that bad about 2020.
1. Not sure what seasons passed by outside, but if you were Working From Home, it was no-pants season all year long. The age of comfortable pyjamas has dawned upon us.
2. Some of us could afford to not be squished against someone’s armpit in a crowded train compartment just to go to work, and that counts as a major win.
3. The realisation that unshapely eyebrows and leg hair aren’t the end of the world. Additional plus: saving all that parlour money.
4. More pet cuddles than ever. Big deadline in 10 minutes? Hug your dog and boop his nose thrice for good luck.
Portrait of excited dog looking at laptop screen while online shopping in pet store with owner, copy space
5. No more waiting in line to use the office bathroom. Flush as loudly as you want, at any time of the day, in the comfort of your own bathroom.
6. More time at home to bully your siblings into doing stuff for you. You could of course return the favour, but somehow they always seem to catch you only when you’re busy.
7. Young adults stopped bringing shame to their family by boasting about their instant noodle making skills. And finally learnt to differentiate between tuar dal and moong dal.
8. Technologically challenged grandparents learnt to place Amazon orders without bothering the rest of us with questions like ‘what’s an OTP?’
9. Alright, so you lost your job, but on the other hand, you sidestepped the awkward obligatory office farewell party.
10. Speaking of which, no more of that, ‘it’s been so long, we should go out some time’, when you know neither of you is planning to see each other again soon.
11. Making small talk has gotten easier. “Two positive cases in your area? There are six in mine.” The weather isn’t your only option now.
Cropped shot of a handsome young male fitness instructor using a laptop while working in a gym
12. Working out at home with an online coach has been proven to have its own benefits. For instance, you can now mute your coach if they get too chirpy.
13. This has been the year we really explored our creativity. In the free time we had, some took up the Arts, some learned new languages and the rest got inventive with Coronavirus conspiracy theories on WhatsApp and Facebook. (The Flat Earthers were getting too boring anyway.)
14. We learnt more Hindi than ever, through Prime Minister Modi’s numerologically timed speeches: aatmanirbhar , mahamari , samadhan . Our dedicated TV news anchors’ in-depth research on the frequency of each word used also helped.
15. Our parents accepted a one-year extension on the arranged marriage deadline. “We need to find a nice boy/girl for you… Once this pandemic is over.” And who knows when that will be.
16. Decreased air pollution meant that the skies cleared up more gloriously than a TikToker’s acne in a glow up reel.
Jodhpur is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. After its population crossed a million, it has been declared as the second 'Metropolitan City' of Rajasthan. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar. Jodhpur is a popular tourist destination, featuring many palaces, forts and temples, set in the stark landscape of the Thar desert.
17. We got to see Instagram travel influencers whine in throwback photo after throwback photo, as they stayed home like the rest of us peasants.
18. Attending classes in university and watching South Park reruns were no longer mutually exclusive.
19. We found reasons to call old friends again, reigniting college and school friendships.
20. The knowledge that once we survive this, we will always have a story to tell our grandkids. “You know that time we almost lost the world to a virus? I was there.”
