2020: the year of the Rat
We live in surreal times. We started the year with Australia being on fire, then Donald almost initiated a nuclear war with Iran, prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties and then to top it all off the Chinese started what many believed to be the Zombie apocalypse.
In the Chinese calendar 2020 is the year of the rat and because it is the first in the rotation of the 12 zodiac signs it also represents a year of renewal and strong vitality...
Now, I'm not Chinese or a horoscope expert but that's either deadly accurate or they're just taking the piss.
I'd like to believe this is our host, Planet Earth, fighting back and trying to regain some precious ground in its daily fight against the despicable destruction of its flora and fauna.
And so now humankind is in an unprecedented fight for survival. Almost all our daily differences have been put aside for this one battle against a common, invisible enemy. An enemy that does not distinguish between race, age or gender. Even here in the UK, a country so divided and tribal for the past 5 years the nation is coming together to support one another in a way only seen during wartime.
We've seen a WW2 veteran walk circles in his garden to raise more than £32 Million. We're finally meeting our 'new' neighbours by chatting while clapping. Social media has finally found its true calling. Not to share and re-share that one in a million photo of you in a bikini on the beach in the south of France where you don't look fat and ugly but actually rather sexy, but instead to educate our children, speak to our loved ones and share missed birthday moments and special occasions.
Apart from the obviously horrible and sad side of the current state of world affairs, the funny thing about this whole COVID-19 self isolation is that although the entire world is complaining about it and pretending they want it all to be over as soon as possible (so they can go back to work, woohoo!), they're actually really enjoying it and want it to continue until Christmas. Imagine the New Years Eve party if everyone was allowed to mingle again for the first time on December 31st.
I personally have been keeping myself rather busy these last few weeks. I've taken up acrylic painting.
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A really shit skyline |
I've started baking...
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| Easter bunny decapitation cake |
I've done some more painting...
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| A really shit sunset |
I've done some more painting...
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| A really shit farm |
...and I've even tried my hand at some more practical yet still creative pursuits that I hope will pay off soon.
Many years from now we will look back at these days with bittersweet emotions. With an overriding sadness at the loss of so many lives and loved ones, for many of us it will be remembered as a unique and once in a lifetime experience where we got to spend precious time with our children, wives, husbands and other family members. A time like this we will most likely never see again.
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