2020 HAS been a disaster calendar, having frequent entries of heavy news. Due to the quarantine restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the radiant idiosyncrasies of life are now diluted, replaced by a surge of online classes or work—forcing normalcy. Memories are now filled with Canvas, Zoom, and social media, with no room for spontaneity. On top of this, Filipinos are continuously divided on the government’s responses to different crises. The disasters, politics, and isolation induce people (such as myself) to respond to these issues.
One issue that I wanted to tackle for this piece was the mass student strike petition because contributing a fresh opinion to the discourse is relevant, especially now when everyone’s voice must be heard.
However, I decided to scrap that. I changed my mind when I called a friend to hear her opinions about the petition. I expected the conversation to be political, but we went down the memory lane instead, talking about cringey memories such as the time I recorded a harana for my crush five years ago.
Surprise! The crush she was talking about was herself (such clownery!). We went on a storytelling spree, sharing the time when I stalked her Twitter to decode her cryptic tweets and find out if she liked me. She also shared that time when I went to their fair, promising to give me a book when I see her. Apparently, she intentionally left it at home so that I have a reason to see her again.
We laughed and cringed as we looked back at these memories. By the end of the call she told me: “It’s been a while since people made memories, huh?”
I realized that I had a hard time remembering remarkable memories this year. All I remember from 2020 is stressing over academics, organizational work, and heavy news. I focused too much on moving forward, that I forgot the importance of looking back. I forgot what life used to look like.
Sometimes, people need a pause from the headlines, and take the time to reminisce. Memories remind us of how beautiful life can be, amid a year that robbed us of our ability to make new, meaningful ones. It’s a breather that allows us to take a hold of ourselves, and remember the life we are fighting for. While it is important to respond to current issues, reminiscing allows us to see surrounding discussions under a new light, thus allowing us to understand it in a more personal manner. It’s oxymoronic, but moving forward requires a step back.
Reminiscing with my friend allowed me to come up with a strong stand regarding the petition, but I decided to forego politics for now. I need more reminiscing, and I feel that the readers of this piece need this reminder too. I’m certain that the day after I finish writing this will be another day of us coping with 2020, but it’s nice to have a break. It reminds us of what’s in store for the future after we deal with the present’s mess—paving the way for the future’s memory lanes.
