About This Year
“2020 is the worst year” — someone from Facebook
Exactly 1 year ago, right on this date. I wrote my story about my life in the last decade, ready to march up to a new decade.
Little did I know that this year is gonna be the hardest year I’ve ever faced. So here I am… at the end of this year, writing a story. As an “opinionated frontend engineer”, I feel like I have to give my response — my “reaction” to one hell of a year with a story. This story is a form of how I translate my experience this year from my personal point of view.
Flood
I remembered this year was welcomed by heavy rain that resulted in a flood in Jakarta. A pretty gloomy event to open the new decade.
Deaths
Other heartbreaking events soon follow. A legend in the basketball world, the “mamba” himself — Kobe Bryant passed away. Many basketball players are mourning globally.
I even wrote a story to mourn his death.
In my country, Glenn Fredly — one of the greatest musicians known to all, also left us. Many generations grew up listening and singing his song. “Famous” is not enough to describe this man.
Pandemic
We all agree that the greatest issue we faced is pandemic. It rendered people’s life miserably. I learned how social a human being is. This pandemic is affecting all aspects including the economy, business, and social politics. It gives me a new perspective of what defines as “social interaction”. It’s fascinating to think about the impacts if humans can’t socially interact with each other.
Partings
Due to the pandemic, many companies need to adjust themselves financially just to survive. It leads to a massive firing activity on a global scale. I tasted “farewells” to several of my co-workers. But there are also some of ’em who decide to sign-off from the company, moving on to their next journey. It’s sad that we have to part-ways and what surprised me is the number of the self-resignation itself.
Joining their farewell parties and listened to their reason for moving on triggered something inside of me that invites me to also ask myself: “should you join ‘em? do you still want to spend another year here?”. Thanks to them, it leads me to a point where I started to ask myself: “am I already satisfied right now? is the position I currently have already fulfilled my thirst and hunger? or is there something that is missing? what is it that I really wanna do? what’s my next journey?”, and it’s gonna be my next target this year to answer those questions.
House Fire Incident
It’s also the year I experienced my 2nd episode of housefire. It’s an unfortunate event. Never would I thought I would experience such a thing in the midst of this hard time. But at least it’s a start of a new beginning.
25
This year also marks the 25th time I’m roaming in this world. I don’t know what, but… the number feels so different to me. It’s like a whole another phase. It’s the same as when you hit 17 for the first time. Seems like I’m entering a new chapter of adulthood. Hopefully, I can take on responsibility and the changes.
Finally
I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, it is the worst year (at least for me). But there are still several good things that happened. This year I managed to write 23 new stories. Even I don’t believe it 😂 It’s a year I finished reading great books by Hans Rosling and Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths. This year I also achieved one of my bucket lists, to make a basketball community. It’s starting with a friend’s friend, then they started coming regularly and we actually became friends.
Such a delight and funny seeing Asian communities unite over a rice
I’m pretty user all Asians are united by saying “what” this year almost simultaneously.
This year indeed is a step back, there are definitely setbacks. We lost a lot of lives due to the pandemic, we were forced to quarantine, and moments of intimacy can only be done online.
There are also several natural disasters like the flood in my hometown and forest fire in Australia.
But a step back aren’t always a bad thing. In basketball, a step-back shot move could lead to a potential game-changer or upping the team’s morale.
I do hope the step back in this year could lead to a potential “point-making” in the coming year.
Happy New Year 2021 🎊 Stay safe and healthy 🙏 Let’s pray for the upcoming year ahead.
Cheers 🍻 — Ferzos
