Let’s get out of 2020 mode

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Twenty-twenty was just that year for all of us. A lot of grieving and loss, a lot of adjusting and readjusting to something that came at us full force – COVID-19. It’s a year that I am quite certain will go down in history.

The whole world literally went on standstill as the only thing that echoed was the name coronavirus. I personally felt like everything was closing in and I was a bit depressed for a couple weeks straight. Transitioning to online school was very challenging for all of us students, but especially for those of us who have varying degrees of disabilities and impairments.

During this time when darkness seemed to be all around, the Internet became even more essential for us, as it was literally the only way to get things done. It was a necessary tool for staying connected and trying to retrieve normality out of literally what made no sense at all. Many started vlogging as means of documenting what they were going through to encourage others when nobody knew what was happening in the world any more.

We can now see a light at the end of the tunnel as vaccines are being distributed, and things are slowly returning to normal. As we exit this pandemic, let’s not forget the frailty of humanity. Last year, if I must say, was a year where humanity of those around us was most visible and important. We saw a disease spread throughout the earth. It was blind to social constructs, race, nationalities, as well as creeds. If a virus can take out full populations and drastically change the way we live our lives, then we sure do owe it to each other to show love and compassion for one another, ceasing the crime and violence. George Floyd was one such man who woke us up even more as everyone around the world desires justice on his behalf as he died to a law enforcer’s knee in his neck. We hear many other cases of crimes picking up speed in various nations, such as mass shootings, homicide, etc. I do hope, however, that things will not completely return to normal in light of crime and violence.

Moving forward, let’s not forget the terror and fright we first felt when the pandemic hit. Let it be a lesson to us all as surely it was a year to see things clearly, the year 2020.

One love family, one love Jamaica.

RENE P. LAMBERT