December is usually a vibrant month. The holiday season is a time for people to come together, reconnect, enjoy, relax, and celebrate the end of another year. December 2020, however, was far from lively. It was as if warmth and joy were stripped away. Although we may be moving toward a “new normal,” it is difficult to feel a semblance of normalcy. The atmosphere of isolation does persist even if more stringent lockdown measures have passed.
Bonifacio Global City has always bustled and overflowed with spirit, especially during the holidays. Places such as Bonifacio High Street would be packed with all sorts of people going about their day. Some visit stores and shop for presents, while others would share a delicious meal with their friends and families. There were also those who would simply stroll around just to absorb the ambiance and cacophony that filled High Street. Smiles, laughter, and the buzz of conversations were ubiquitous.
But with masks concealing half of everyone’s faces and the looming threat of infection from COVID-19, human emotion grew barely noticeable. Expressions were deadpan—and the holiday cheer, nearly non-existent.
Settings like restaurants, which are more suitable for socializing, are more quiet than ever. If there were people dining, empty space separated them. What were once places of comfort and camaraderie where people could enjoy delightful meals with pleasant company turned into dreary and desolate enclosures from a distance.
Apart from the lack of color that the pandemic has forced upon us, freedom has somewhat faded as well. Easy-going and carefree have become words of the past. Rigid and compliant have become the norm; restrictions and constraints have gained stronger foothold in our lives.
Apart from health declaration forms and temperature checks, Armed Forces patrol the streets of commercial and lifestyle districts. It appears as though places of fun and leisure have indefinitely become places full of rules and restrictions.
Perhaps all these things are for the better. Becoming more conscious and mindful of ourselves and our coexistence with others around us may be the key to full recovery and healing from the pandemic’s reeling effects on social interaction.
Nowadays, I always find myself looking back at how colorful and exciting life used to be. At the hands of the COVID-19 pandemic, holidays appear to have grown dull and listless. Instead of wishing for the season of festivities to last, I hoped it would quickly pass by. Life normally seems so fleeting, especially as the pandemic appears to have no end in sight.
Maybe we will escape. Maybe we will recover. Maybe the gloom will dissipate. But will the joy that departed ever fully return? Truly, how COVID-19 has massively disrupted the globe will forever be remembered.
