The Year That Wasn't
Read Time: 5 mins
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Last Sunday of the year! I didn’t know I would make it this far. I have two short posts for you again, the first one is a rendition of someone’s dream. It’s called -
The Woman on the Top of the World
The 148th floor of Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the highest observation deck in the world. You can not only see the entire city which looks like a real-life model, but you can also see the curvature of the Earth at the horizon.
She stood there, looking at the world at her feet. After all, the city below her wasn't a real-life model. It was a real city that was alive and kicking with its 3.5 million people. Those people who currently looked like tiny ants going in and out of model sized buildings or moving about in their toy-sized cars.
She stood there, at the top of the world.
Alone. Well almost.
She wasn't alone, and she realized it when she looked up. The stars beamed down on her. Just as contagious as her own sweet smile and just as sparkling as her beautiful eyes. She wasn't alone, the entire universe blessed her with kindness and gave her the amazing strength she possessed.
She walked back down to her suite. The marble walls, the costly chandeliers, the velvet carpets, the temperature-controlled air conditioning, the massive suite, and the massive king size bed. It meant nothing to her. The worldly possessions are craved by those who are never satisfied. She was content with herself. Her conscience was clear. This luxury was good to have but she didn't let it define her. At the bottom of it all, she was kind, she was caring, she loved with all her heart and she was the strongest, the most amazing and beautiful woman on the planet.
What good was all of this world which she just stood on top of? Everyone had to eventually be united with the floor. She picked up a pillow and peeled off the blanket from the bed. She put them on the ground and went to sleep.
The second one is a small attempt to recap the year in my own way. It’s called -
The Year That Wasn’t
"We are not down to a single, unique universe, but our findings imply a significant reduction of the multiverse to a much smaller range of possible universes."
- Stephen Hawking
In a parallel universe, this year did not happen the way it did for us.
Life remained the same for the seven billion people. The virus never mutated into existence in Wuhan, China. There were no lockdowns and no stock market crashes. There were no laborers walking back home and there were no depression-related suicides. There were no mass police protests because no one was killed by the cops. There were no bomb blasts, no forest fires, and no floods. Everyone wasn't hooked onto their devices to squeeze in every last piece of information about the world. Kids went to schools and played with their friends. Football had the Euros 2020 and Tennis had its New York Open.
In a parallel universe, we met in person, we hugged, we kissed, we had coffee in crowded coffee shops and we went partying like it was the end of the world.
In a parallel universe, my grandmother celebrated her seventy-ninth birthday. I traveled to Pisa, Italy for my tech conference and celebrated my birthday sipping coffee next to the canals of Amsterdam.
In a parallel universe, we all survived this year without realizing that we are fighting for survival.
Question
Do you believe in a parallel universe?
Leave your answer in the comments below or click on this button below.
Showcase
I also promised that I would try and showcase some wholesome content by others and today I have the opportunity to show you’ll not one, but two such beautiful things!
The first shoutout goes to Minute Videos India who partner with OnPurposeComms. It is a YouTube channel that animates real stories of bravery and courage across mental health, body positivity, and issues like that. Check them out!
The second shoutout goes to one of my favorite Instagram writer, Sunandini Bansal. Check out her podcast The Written Word on Spotify, Anchor, and Apple Podcasts
If you enjoyed this short piece, do hit the ❤️ below or leave your comments by clicking on the button below…
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See you next year! 👋
- Darshan Pania