#thenewnormal

#2020 was started off with the same enthusiasm that every year is welcomed with, beginning off with high hopes, aspirations, dreams and goals, a year Dubai along with the world was looking forward to hosting the #expo2020 and Tokyo to host the #olympics2020. Who could have predicted the drastic turn of events that was lurking under the shadows waiting to turn not only our lives but the whole world into a complete chaos that no one could have anticipated in today’s modern tech ruled generation?

After being in quarantined life for nearly three months, the world had to catch up with a lot of lost time and money. Having come to a standstill in today’s fast-paced generation where time is literally money no one could have predicted the halt at a such a global level. No business could have foreseen to strategize the losses they must have incurred during these dark times. Our house, the space of our peace and tranquillity was encroached by business meetings, frequent ongoing calls and everyone was doing their jobs diligently all through the day and night.

Scrolling through social media we saw folks who were distant, suddenly active and posting all kinds of forwards, and the ones that were active well they continued to be loyal to their followers. We maintained social distancing physically and by doing that we landed up spending that much time on social media, a window for us to maintain our sanity, well the little that we had left after our hectic day at home.

Slowly and cautiously the world had to start spinning, businesses had to jolt, malls had to be reopened, life, as we thought we knew, had to get back. The virus seemed to have come with an indefinite visa and though not welcomed has found comfort in our world. Not coming up with a vaccine for three months and counting, the world had to come out of its safe bubble and had to hit the road into the unknown.

Normal was going out with friends and family without any fear, hugging each other and having those long lunches-dinners at a restaurant laughing wholeheartedly. But now “New Normal” is wearing a mask and talking in muffled voices, bumping each other’s elbows and greeting our own family and friends at a safe distance.

Normal was when kids stepped out and jumped hands down into the mud pits, playing carelessly, cycling round the play-area and the only thing the mothers were worried about a bruise or a scratch. But now even going near the door is a nightmare for the parents and it ought to be because children are unaware of their surroundings and land up breaking every single rule and regulation that they need to follow under the new normal. Instead, they are addicted to the various gadgets that parents had to invest in to keep them entertained.

Normal was when we walked out of the house our check list was phone, keys, wallet, sunglasses or headphones but keeping the new normal in mind now the things we need to check off are mask, face shields, wipes and sanitizers.

Normal was when our shopping list was filled with the essentials we needed, like food items, household cleaning supplies and sometimes splurging over electronics. However, now our new normal list is topped with handwash by the dozens, mask for elders and children, gloves, sanitizers, disinfectant wipes and surface cleaners.

Normal was when we could take in deep breaths of fresh air by the beach or while reading a book in the park but as per the new normal breathing without a mask is considered a hazard not only to yourself but other as well.

Normal was travelling away to an unknown destination with just a bag pack or just going home to meet our family and unwind from our daily hustle and bustles and the new normal is travelling unless of a dire emergency with endless health documents.

This kind of “New Normal” is something we should not be acceptant about. The times we are living in are by far the most challenging times we have come across; the truth is that we need to and must accept the fact that this is our new lifestyle.

Let’s change the way we see normal, because come on honestly normal never seemed to have worked for most of the world’s population, so why would it start working now? Just by adding the word “New” doesn’t make anything new, something in the system was not right and has caused this huge mess that we all are in today.

Embrace the change, come in terms with the circumstances we are in but with a completely new point of view. There is absolutely nothing normal in our current living environment, times have changed, and this new cautious lifestyle is here to stay for a long time. By hashtagging #newnormal we are in no way convincing anyone not even ourselves, in fact, we need to change the hashtag to just a simple #new, leaves us with endless possibilities.

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