Buckle Up

by MEHREEN ZAKARIA - November 4, 2020 - With all the twists and turns 2020 has brought, what could 2021 possibly bring us?

This year is finally coming to a close, and most people are accepting that with open arms. Obstacle after obstacle has been thrown at us, with issues such as COVID-19, George Floyd’s death, and Trump vs. Biden turning heads around the world. 2020 truly is a year that will go down in history. But similarly to how we can’t pause a live TV show, we can’t exactly take a break from—well—time. So, feel free to take a small sigh of relief or let out a “hooray!” for making it through 2020, because now, we need to look ahead to our next obstacle: 2021.

Everyone went into 2020 with high hopes, good spirits, and fearless statements like “I’ve finally got 2020 vision now!” This time around, I think that New Year’s resolutions will be pages long, with the majority covered in tears and prayers that the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” cancellation was just a joke. 2021 is quite certain to have us all on our toes, waiting for bad news to drop at any given moment. While we’ll be able to leave a lot of what has happened in 2020 in the past, there are some things that are just bound to carry over. Let’s brainstorm:

• The COVID-19 vaccine. Will it be successful and released in early 2021, or will it fail, leaving us in a pandemic for another good few months?

• The election. How will the president lead the country for the next four years? Will it get better, or perhaps even worse?

• TikTok. If TikTok finally does get banned after multiple false alarms, will Gen Z be able to survive?

Certainly, there are many more questions to ask, and certainly, there will be a lot of uncertainty. Since the self-proclaimed time travelers on Twitter aren’t very credible, there’s no telling how 2021 will go.

Perhaps it will go terribly, and the “Walking Dead” will become our reality. One small misstep could easily lead to a repeat of this year. With that, the endless list of fears and concerns surrounding 2021 isn’t something to be dismissed. Many of these aren’t just individual “what-if” scenarios anymore; we’re all scared for the world itself. There is a lot to consider, measure, and stay aware of as we transition into 2021.

On the flip side of that same coin, there is hope. If 2020 really was the lowest of the low, what’s the only way we can go from here? Up! The year was brutal, but here we are, and it’s our responsibility to try our best and make the most out of 2021. To reiterate the infamous Kelly Clarkson quote, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Bring it on, 2021!

It’s finally time to get off the roller coaster called 2020. Were there screams? Yes. Thrills? Yes. A kid puking after the first drop? Gross, but yes. Roller coasters can be scary, yet they can also be really fun; they can be the most boring thing in the world, or they can be the biggest thrill. At the core of it all, they’re a learning experience. 2020 has taught us a lot. Now, it’s our turn to take that knowledge and move forward. So, buckle up. We’re getting on the ride called 2021.