For the most of the past couple of years, I would write that final blogpost for the year, surmising the year’s most prominent events, and the (possible) outlook for the next year.

 

I almost did not write this year’s review. A part of me feels as though we were all central characters in one long-running soap opera, called 2020.

 

Is it safe to surmise the year yet?

 

(*peeps through top of the duvet, eerie music playing in the background*)

 

Where to begin…

 

The beginning

 

2020 has been a year like none other. Nothing, absolutely nothing prepared us for the many turns this year would take.

 

Perhaps, we should have been a little suspicious, with the barrage of dramatic events that unfolded in quick succession at the beginning of the year, which in hindsight compares to almost nothing in the face of what the rest of the year turned out to look like.

 

First, there was the almost-war with Iran, pitting the USA (and its NATO allies), against Iran – backed in the shadows by Russia and China.

 

And while (thankfully!) that did not happen, lives were inadvertently lost, when a missile crashed an Ukrainian airplane within the Iranian air-space, which airplane was mistaken for a hostile US missile to Iran.

 

In that crash alone, 176 lives were lost.

 

We were still reeling from this, and mourning the loss, when in an equally fatal helicopter crash, we lost Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter and seven other people.

 

At the time, the news of Kobe’s death seemed to be a stark reminder of the futility of this life. A reminder that 2020 handed us a constant daily reminder, when the shit really hit the fan, and death was suddenly walking among us.

 

In living colour.

 

Who could have prepared us enough to lose Chadwick Boseman, Naya Rivera, Ben Foster, and all our beloved whose watch on earth drew to a close in 2020?

 

The shutdown

 

While all these were happening, there had been trickles of rumours a virus, in some far-away seafood market in some province called Wuhan in China.

 

These trickles grew larger, and started to become actual news items on international news channels. Slowly, Wuhan came closer, as the virus picked pace and began to SPREAD SPREAD SPREAD!

 

Suddenly, the infernos in Australia, the squabble with Iran, the rail workers’ strike in Canada… they all began to look like nothing.

 

Humanity had been pitted against a common enemy such as had not been seen in about 100 years (or ever before), and which threatened to wipe us out.

 

Slowly, borders started tightening, then shutting down all together. Countries like New Zealand and Australia were quick to shut out outsiders, while others dilly-dallied, maybe a little too long.

 

In retrospect – and has been argued by some – shutting down the economy and/or closing all borders cannot be a long-term solution. However, I believe it was prudent at the time to at least, try to stem the spread of the virus in shutting down movement for a while, at least, until we better understood this enemy.

 

While on this side of the border, we eventually bit the nail, closed all our borders and took necessary measures to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system, the fight against COVID-19 spiraled into a partisan mess south of the border.

 

You know what they say when two elephants fight?? Over 300,000 Americans (and counting) so far have paid for it.

 

Wearing masks, staying home, keeping physical distance all joined the fray as points for political jabs, even as things fell apart all around, and businesses suffered.

 

If there ever was a doubt that at this time, the USA still is that country everyone looks up to, this year reinforced it. Albeit, negatively.

 

The UNNECESSARY grandstanding of the country’s President rubbed off on not just his citizens, but on people across the world, with many spinning mind-blowing conspiracy theories about COVID-19, and believing to be a hoax.

 

The result? Many more lives were lost, needlessly.

 

Sigh.

 

Meanwhile… the world held its breath for Africa. I would watch the news of the virus spreading rapidly and taking thousands of lives in its wake across Italy, Brazil, the UK, USA, and then… South Africa.

 

I would watch this news, and cry. At some point, I had to shut out the news totally, for my sanity.

 

I would forever hold on to my African roots; people I love live in Nigeria. In Ghana. Abidjan. Togo.

 

We know we do not have one-tenth of the resources these greater countries have to combat the virus. We did not stand a chance.

 

But there is an African proverb: “the tailess cow, it is God who helps it swat flies”.

 

The God of that cow came through for Africa, big time o.

 

Omo! (x 10)!!!

 

Despite the lack of capacity to realistically enforce staying physically distant, the lack of personal protective equipment (and other resources) in hospitals, the absence of adequate testing centres, and the evil looting of COVID-19 resources by evil leaders, the predictions of bodies littering the streets of Africa from COVID-19 did not come to pass.

 

(SOMBORRI, ANYBORRI, EVERYBORRI SHOUT HALLELUYAHHHHHHHH!!!)

 

Somehow… Africa has had the lowest infection rate, the lowest deaths, and the fastest recoveries. Some ascribe it to our generally younger population.

 

I ascribe it to a cocktail of (1) immunity from all the malaria, typhoid, dysentery, measles, chicken-pox and all other third-world diseases that we have been treating all our lives, (2) the prayers of our ancestors, and (3) the God of that tailless cow coming through like Santa on Christmas Day. 

 

The longest 8 minutes and 46 seconds ever

 

Maybe one thing the global shut-down did was connect us all digitally all over the world, and help us all see realities which ordinary distractions of life would not let us focus on.

 

Like that Amy Cooper, who tried to get an innocent black man arrested (killed even?) for requesting she duck her white privilege for a moment, and leash her dog in a public park. This brought to the fore, on a larger scale, the discussions on police brutality and other forms of injustice against black people

 

While we were still reeling from her amateur Oscar-worthy performance, the horror of the slow-mo lynching of George Floyd flooded our timelines and our phones.

 

In what will forever be remembered as the longest 8 minutes and 46 seconds ever, the world watched while George Floyd -  a black American – was murdered by four police officer. He was placed in a fatal strangle-hold, over a ‘fake’ $20 bill, even as he pleaded for his life, before slowly giving up the ghost.

 

Rightly, this sparked worldwide anger, and black people all over the world rose up in response to this.

 

For the first time globally, we came together to say enough is enough, taking it even to the corporate streets and boardroom alleys. Because the truth is you cannot divorce police brutality against black people, from the absence of black people being in enough positions of power to ensure lasting change. 

 

In 2020, we openly talked racism.

 

Without the enduring fear hanging over our heads of being blackballed, and never ever finding work ever again. We talked about the absence of true representation in board rooms, in the media, in entertainment, in law firms, in government offices, in the banks, and sports even.

 

We said, “If I perish, I perish” And F*ck It.

 

#BlackLivesMatter ceased to remain just an ideological hashtag, and has become a global affirmation. Even as we have had to confront the shackles of colonialism, and throw into the light the truth of our own stories.

 

Such as the horrors King Leopold of Belgium masterminded in Congo, and the truth that Mungo Park, Christopher Columbus and other explorers of Caucasian ancestry cannot have “discovered” places that were already existing and thriving, with their own people.

 

(Child! There is so much I want to say, but sweet baby Jesus is helping me to stay focused right now)

 

Dear George, and Brianna Taylor, and Sandra Bland, and all of you… your deaths were not for nothing.

 

You mattered in 2020. YOU MATTER forever.

 

The comedic relief

 

Despite the barrage of sorrows and troubles that seemed to trail 2020, there were events that provided some humour-filled relief in the real life drama we were all starring in.

 

Like that time Gal Galdot and her other rich friends, thought it would be a good idea to shoot videos of themselves sorrowfully singing about ‘imagine having no possessions’, in their stupendously expensive homes, while the world around them burned.

 

I get how people were angry. I just found it humorous (albeit, of the dark kind), even though the singing was really terrible.

 

But I have a soft spot for Gal Galdot. I get that she did not read the room properly, but I know she had good intentions. She’ll be totally forgiven, by the time she blows us away with her Wonder Woman – 1984.

 

The other thing 2020 did was connect us all digitally, in a way we never knew we could be connected.

 

Working from home became a thing. Those bosses who almost always popped in a fizz whenever subordinates asked to work from home had to deal with either popping in a perpetual fizz the whole of 2020, or suck it.

 

And then… who knew we could have weddings, ceremonies and parties over Zoom???

 

(I threw a couple of e-shindigs myself!)

 

This is a trend I hope does not go away, for a long, long time. The luxury of avoiding needless travel, and enjoying an engagement party in the comfort of your pajamas.

 

Ahhhhhh!!!

 

The labours of our heroes present

 

The one thing we never foresaw in 2020 was the youths all over the world biting the bullet, and owning their voices to stand up against oppressive governments. In 2020, it happened in Hong-Kong, in Thailand, and in my motherland - Nigeria.

 

Nationwide protests by the Nigerian youths arose against continuous lynching of innocent youths by the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force.

 

(Note that the Nigerian Police Force still carries on vestiges of brutality, bequeathed it by colonial masters)

 

What started as online rumblings erupted into full-scale internationally covered nationwide peaceful protests, led by young Nigerians. It was beautiful to see Nigerian youths not just own their voice in saying “Enough!”, but also the manner in which they carried on.

 

The protests organically metamorphosed into peaceful assemblies, with demands crossing over to wider reforms in the corruption-ridden government. Young Nigerians shared food, water, airtime, and support with each other, while cleaning up after themselves at the end of each day’s protests.

 

For two weeks, Nigerian youths peacefully protested. Until the Nigerian State started sending armed thugs to disrupt peaceful protests. Still, the youths stood their ground, some protest sites hiring private security detail even, while the police unlooked.

 

In typical brute, authoritarian fashion, the Nigerian State responded.

 

On October 20, 2020, the Nigerian Army coldly murdered tens of Nigerians at the epicentre of the protests in Lekki Lagos State. Since then, the Nigerian State has engaged in arresting suspected or actual protesters, and engaging in other intimidation tactics, such as seizing international passports of prominent activists and holding alleged protesters in prison, without formal charges.

 

The Nigerian State also embarked on a spree of (quite irrational) monetary and other policies aimed at tightening control over the people, amidst renewed talks of a social media censorship bill.

 

Ironically, the same government wrings hands at bandits and terrorists wreaking havoc all over the northern part of the country; negotiating indiscriminately with the same criminals who have murdered both soldiers and civilians in cold blood, and absolving “repentant terrorists” - whatever that means.

 

History will forever remember that in 2020, the Nigerian youths stood their ground, and it will never be business as usual out.

 

And even though it may seem at this time, as if their voice has been crushed, nothing could be farther from the truth.

 

The whole world heard us, for we are scattered everywhere. And like Garri, we will continue to rise.

 

Keep the faith.

 

The Grinch who lost many, many times.

 

In what I consider to be the most stressful United States of America elections, the sitting President Donald Trump this year lost his re-election bid to President-elect Joe Biden.

 

There should be a term for trauma felt by country-neighbours, in the wake of elections across the border. We clutched our chests for days, even as votes kept being counted.

 

Personally, I was exhausted of the vitriol that has breathed from the South side of the border, and on social media. Endorsed on a grand scale by the one person who is supposed to be the most powerful human in the world.

 

With great power comes great responsibility, and while it appeared that the Presidency had failed to get the memo, I am glad the American people finally said enough.

 

While the world may feel entitled to the application of common sense and natural decency in the results of the election, I believe special thanks be given to Republicans who crossed party lines to do the right thing.

 

And then, there were super-heroes like Stacey Abrams, who made sure that every black vote counted. (*insert heart emoji*)

 

In typical Trump fashion however, there have been spurious allegations of mass voter fraud, and countless baseless legal suits filed, even in the blatant absence of any actual evidence of said fraud.

 

It has become obvious that the suits upon suits to overturn the elections is not so much rooted in actual belief that said elections will be overturned. Rather, the aim has been to take away the thunder from Mr. Biden, and cast so much aspersions on the elections to dampen the taste of victory by the American people.

 

Thankfully, the courts have continued to do the right thing, and have thrown each suit rightly out the window.

 

As we say in naija parlance, we meeeuuuuve!

 

Me

 

This is a pictorial representation of the roller-coaster of emotions I experienced in 2020:

 

 At the start of 2020, I was in  virtual self-quarantine.

 

I had gone off most of my social media channels, and even this blog was temporarily shut down. I was active only on LinkedIn, and partially on Twitter.

 

This self-quarantine had been a long time coming, as I had been finding myself more and more sucked into the social media vortex in recent years. I needed to be able to assert to myself that I controlled my social media activity, and not the other way round. The break also gave me more than ample time to focus on my personal and work life.

 

And then… everything in the world went BONKERS. It looked like we were about to enter Walking Dead mode.

 

*insert crying emoji*

 

The toughest part of the shutdown had to be the physical isolation.

 

I can only imagine how people like me, who up until March this year enjoyed the solitude of living alone must have felt. Such hitherto welcomed solitude suddenly turned into a nightmarish solitary confinement.

 

Thankfully, the internet came to the rescue.

 

Slowly, I eased back into social media, starting with this blog. I subscribed to more streaming services, binging on my favourite shows and finding new favourites (like Schitt’s Creek!)

 

Joining and hosting virtual parties, seminars, ceremonies and other events became my go to.

 

I took time to go through my posts on this blog since 2013, and smiled at my evolution. In my writing, my experiences, and my delivery. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I have evolved over the years.

 

In 2020, I discovered new parts of this woman called me… and I am really loving up on her.

 

(Awwwwwnnn!)

 

And family came through, big time. With technology, I connected better with my family all over the world this year, sometimes packing up my stuff, loading my car and crashing in with my siblings in a neighbouring city.

 

Despite the vicissitudes of the year, I scored some major amazing wins, which I have not gotten will never get over reveling in.

 

In 2020 however, I continued to struggle with the question of: how much is too much for social media?

 

Despite having a public voice and using it for (what I consider) good, there is a level of pseudo-anonymity and privacy which I continue to selfishly cling to. I do not see this changing any time soon.

 

*insert wink and evil laughter

 

Biggest take-away...

 

Our resilience as humans has to be the biggest take-away, for 2020.

 

At the beginning of the pandemic crase, it seemed this was the end for humanity. World War Z suddenly did not seem so much like fiction anymore, even as pictures dominated the internet of people warring over tissue rolls

 

Will we survive this??

 

8 months later, we are not just surviving, but thriving. I mean… businesses have taken a hit. And we have not yet come to terms with the people we have lost.

 

But somehow, as a people, we have continued to evolve and find ways to adapt to this new normal.

 

The story of 2020 cannot be written, without the resilience of the human race weaving throughout the tale.

 

2021 Anyone?

 

I know; we’re all so freaked out by how 2020 turned out, that we are dreading making iron-cast projections for 2021, so as not to jinx it.

 

Lol.

 

For me, the thing I look forward to the most in 2021 is the vaccine!

 

(I love you Jeanette Jenkins, Mike Peele and Chloe Ting… but I miss actually going to the gymmmmmm!!!)

 

I am so thankful that the vaccines are being rolled out already, and hope to take it sometime during the New Year. I know there are a lot of reservations, and I too was really hesitant.

 

But girrrrrrl… I am exhausted of tiptoeing around the Rona. So yes please… mix the cocktails and load us up already!

 

My prayer is that richer countries come together to help countries that cannot really afford the vaccines get them, even as we ensure that distribution within countries is not determined by wealth, but by vulnerability.

 

After all… we are only as strong as our weakest links. So long as any one is vulnerable, we all remain vulnerable.

 

2020 was quite the rodeo. It will take quite a while for the world to go back to how it used to be, if it will ever go back to how it used to be.

 

While we pray for the gentle repose of all the ones we lost this year, we stay grateful for life, and provision.

 

In the meantime, keep masking up, keep sanitising your hands, stay as physically distant as possible and observe isolation or quarantine, when required.

 

You have made it this far; together we will make it through it all.

 

Stay strong, and have a fabulous 2021 ahead!!

 

Lots of love,

 

Meg.