Maree’s musings

2020 .. TOGETHER WE MADE IT

  It’s that time of the year when we are prone to those ‘at last’ moments, and this one really takes the cake. For many of us, never before have we needed to feel so united. It wasn’t easy however. Lockdown forced us into disunition – I made that up! – but I’m sure you know what I mean. 

I discovered that the Collins Dictionary adopted ‘lockdown’ as its 2020 word of the year. In 2019, its usage was recorded as 4000; and with a 6000% increase it went viral to more than ¼ million. OOPS … ¼ million and one! I promise to avoid it in future.  We could be sure that unprecedented was snapping at its heels wanting to be part of the action and I’ll bet OMG is on the list too. Incidentally, those hard-working dictionary staff have registered 4.5billion words used altogether: I reckon they’ll be hankering to get together after work for a staff do, suitably socially distanced of course.

For us now, approaching the year’s end, we are united in hoping it is All Over. The thought of warbling Auld Lang Syne at the New Year’s Eve party while keeping a modest distance doesn’t pop any corks, for sure.

So … a year to forget, in fact. However, it’s always good to salvage stuff and ‘learn from experience’. We were united by separation, which is weird. Forced to be divided into bubbles, but at the same time, all in the same boat, as the saying goes. Praying together that it didn’t sink. And then it was election year. 

Here in NZ, where we tolerate the divided views that surface, go together to vote and organise election night parties, it’s all good fun. And when it’s all over and our successful candidates join forces to create the Government, it’s down to work. Not so much in the ‘United’ States – a misnomer if ever there was one. I’m certain we’re united in thinking that. Enough said.

Co-vid restrictions resulted in the rules of social interaction being rewritten and it was hard. But with luck and skill – thank goodness for the Kiwi can-do attitude – we got through. The increase in creativity was startling. We invented novel ways of being together even when we couldn’t be. We re-learned how to communicate in the old ways while adopting some new ones, and ended up better off as a result.

I’m reminded of that saying: ‘United we stand, divided we fall’. Not so modern as you might think; it’s first mentioned in Aesop’s fable ‘The Four Oxen and the Lion’. [Alright, I had to look it up.] The Lion was thwarted by the Oxen standing together so their horns all faced outwards. Good thinking! 

So as we approach the end of 2020, I’m sure we’re united in looking forward to its conclusion. We may be apart, but can still be together. Stay safe and I’ll catch up with you next year.