john_khalkho@yahoo.com
2 min readDec 13, 2020

Pardon My Manners

As we surely and safely exit the year with the hope to find a better one, we cannot but for once spare a moment for a quiet reflection. Unlike the years that just came and withered away with the dried, lifeless leaves in autumn, this was indeed a year one can’t forget. It definitely wasn’t as pleasant as it rhymed cause many still recover from the deep wounds mirroring something that was witnessed ages ago in the great wars!

For many, it has left a permanent scar — A lifelong economic burden, an everlasting side effect or a chair that swings without the person who once sat in it. 2020 has sternly and loudly sent a message that we are all mortals and we should not take anything for granted. It definitely has written on the wall that what is given can be taken very easily from you in a matter of time.

When you fall, your mind stops to think about everything else and asks just 2 questions. One, how badly am I hurt and the other how can I prevent this from happening again. Those affected by this, will have to deal with it as long as they live and for those who have been spared will continuously resonate the apprehension if the Pandora’s box is empty or are there more jewels in the crown.

It also proved that as much as we trust the oracles and the clairvoyants, no one saw this coming — Absolutely no one in the entire world. So from now on we should enjoy every moment without excruciatingly trying to ponder what the future holds for us. On several occasions, history has shown us that it has an imperious habit of repeating itself. So whether a phenomenon like this ever happens again in our lifetime is a question that will not have any statistical conclusion.

This has also been a year that has increased our social vocabulary with new words like, “Isolation”, “Social Distancing”, “Masking” etc. Masks not only act as an impediment for the virus but also to the words that come out. I do understand that it is a vital accessory to control the pandemic but they make it very hard for the listener to decode every word that get’s inordinately distorted. I strongly believe that this new attire should be included in the book of etiquette where a masked person wanting to communicate with you begins with the phrase, “Pardon my Manners.” This will not only give me time to drop every other thought I am having at that moment but also pay close attention to the fact that I need to maintain the required distance and not extend my hand even if I approve of the other person entering my social circle after the brief introduction!

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