It is 2022, and we are still dealing with a little something called COVID-19, this time with the Omicron variant.
I will be real. Hearing all the news about COVID-19 and how a new variant or some other concern rises to the surface is frustrating, especially when you just want to live your day-to-day life in the new normal, where we go out wearing masks and keeping our distances from our friends and loved ones.
So, instead of fueling the negativity brought on by COVID-19, what if we turn our focus to the other direction, and instead discuss what we hope 2022 brings us?
First, let me clarify: I am not pretending COVID-19 is over. I am just focusing on something else to clear my mind of negativity. And now, with that disclaimer out of the way, what are you looking forward to in 2022?
For me, a new year means the chance to look forward to upcoming games, TV shows, movies and personal achievements I want to accomplish. I want to learn to drive. I want to hang out with my friends and go watch a movie on premiere night. I want to fuel myself in that hype and excitement of playing a new game that I was looking forward to since it was announced and, probably, hyperfixate on it for almost two months. I want to finish my classes and look forward to graduating this semester.
All of these activities could be enjoyed and accomplished before the pandemic, but in these times of COVID-19 it is definitely not the same anymore. But, to me, that does not matter because with proper precautions, I can still enjoy doing the things I love and accomplish my personal goals. Someone else might think that this mentality is childish and extremely narrow-minded, but here is my question to you: Would you rather look forward to something that brings you joy, excitement, tranquility, self-fulfillment and/or just about any other positive feeling, or do you dread what the future has in store, in both the short-term and long-term?
I am not going to lie. I am tired of all the negativity and the constant reminders of how bad COVID-19 has been on the world, how many people have gotten sick and died, and how depressing it is to see people’s mental health deteriorate because of confinement, burnout or personal issues that they are having a harder time handling.
I am glad that I have found methods to keep my head up and to look forward to the future, despite the almost grimdark bleakness that the world seemed to plunge into with COVID-19. But, not everyone has that luck or support, and it sucks.
One might believe that we have lost control of our lives, future and that this pandemic will last for years to come, changing how we carry on our daily lives after all of this is over. Whenever that is.
But guess what? We are still here. We can still write our future, we can still do things, even though it is very limited and potentially risky, but we can stay safe, and still do so much. And, most importantly, we can still look forward to the future. Whether it is immediate or far ahead, we can still get there.
It is not over until it is over.
