January was not kind to us, at all. The world as we knew it did an almost 360.
We dodged world war 3, prayed through floods in Indonesia, watched Australia ravaged by the worst fires seen in over ten years, hoped for a miracle during the multiple earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, saw Britain’s monarchy coming into terms of prince Harry taking a bow from royalty and have also had to bid farewell to a much-loved human being.
Now we are living through a virus break out all across the globe that is staring at us right in the eye.
Folks looks like we got the short end of February too.
Corona Virus Impact
The most discussed global news item at the moment is the novel corona virus outbreak that is said to have originated in the Huanan Seafood Market in the city of Wuhan in central China. The initial symptom which was recognized to be pneumonia that did not respond to existing treatments now includes fever, coughing, and other respiratory difficulties.
The outbreak has thus far spread to 25 more countries and a total of 910 deaths have been reported across the world as of 10th February, 2020.
Australian Bushfire
Since late December last year, Facebook news feeds have been swamped with news of the chaos created by the unforgiving fire season in Australia. This yearly occurrence seems to be unusually severe this season with many wildlife and acres of land falling prey to the fires that started earlier in the season and spread with greater intensity than during the past years.
Jakarta, Indonesia Floods
Jakarta, Indonesia, home to over 30 million, welcomed the New Year with heavy rains that unfortunately escalated to flash floods and landslides, resulting in the loss of over 43 lives and forcing thousands of residents along the river banks to abandon their homes, all of them who will likely have to return to waterlogged homes and debris.
Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash
On the 26th of January, the whole world woke up to the devastating news of the death of Kobe Bryant, a much loved NBA player who was an inspiration to many emerging players. The former basketball star was en-route to a basketball tournament along with 13-year-old Gianna who was the only one of his 4 daughters to follow in his footsteps.
Prince Harry and Megan Markle Step down Announcement
The whole world came to a standstill with the announcement of Prince Harry and Megan Markle stepping down as senior members of the royal family due to the constant scrutiny they have received since their marriage in 2018. The couple is hoping to fresh in North America which they hope allows them to lead a life that they believe would be somewhat normal.
Though I really can’t see anything normal about the fact that there would be many reporters outside their home (irrespective of where they choose to go) to take a picture of baby Archie.
Death of General Qassem Suleimani
Tension rose when two of the big boys from either corner of the world took each other head-on when a drone strike ordered by the USA killed Iran’s most senior military official, General Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad along with his close associate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
The Iranian retaliation shook the world even more. A Ukrainian passenger airline was shot down, killing 176 passengers’ aboard. It was later reported that the plane was misidentified as a cruise missile by an Iranian air defense operator based in Tehran.
In the face of all this adversity, I have come to realize that no amount of technology or advancement in science and technology ceases to make us and ‘’life’’ less susceptible, in fact, I think it makes us more vulnerable than ever. The more we have, the more there is to lose.
All this calamity is an eye-opener to all of us who fail to see the big picture, the consequence of one fallen tree and the gravity of one plastic container that is tossed into the street. It is also a gut-wrenching reminder of how we should not take our loved ones and their existence in our life for granted.
Nevertheless, I am still hoping for the rest of the year to roll out positively and so should you, thoughts become things people, thoughts become things.
Take care and stay safe during your trips and when at home too!
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