End of Year Message for 2020...

Well, what can be said that hasn’t been said already about this year above all years!? 2020 with its beautiful numerical arrangement, and the beginning of a new decade that the Gen.Z’s & Gen.Alpha will refer to as the 20’s… Not much, but perhaps this can also be said of this seminal year, that this was the year when Humanity woke up!
At a first glance this may sound far fetched & a little cruel perhaps, as this year has been a year full of tragedy, suffering, confusion & fear to say the least. My heartfelt condolences to all the folks whom have lost loved ones & who have family members or friends recovering from Covid related illnesses.
I have had my fair share of it. We at MANA! have been suffering in the F&B world, with low sales, confusing opening hours, seating restrictions, tough measures & desperately trying to keep our staff and so much more besides.
Yet, yet I can’t help but put things into perspective, not just from an anthropological perspective, but from a whole-planet perspective. As inconvenient and as scary as it may sound in the immediate and short term, we must not behave as if we are the only species on the planet that matters. We have done so for the last few thousand years at our own peril, and now we are paying the ultimate price for our hubris.
The Climate Crisis that is upon us is rapidly bringing all of this to the forefront of our humanity.
If I am losing you a little here, let me propose this poignant question: Whilst humanity is suffering & living in fear, how come the rest of creation is rejoicing & celebrating!?
Ponder this question deeply What does it say about our Worldview? What does it say about our humanity? Why have we collectively chosen this path of “growth”? And so on…
Indeed, with such Socratic-like questioning we can very quickly get to the bottom line, to the heart-core of the essence of what it means to be human on this planet in the year 2020.
Which brings me full loop back to why I refer to the Corona virus as “Covid-19 the great awakener!”

May this year’s pain & suffering not have been in vain and may we learn the hard lessons that we need to learn, quickly and thoroughly, so as to be able to share our beautiful fragile planet with the rest of creation and learn how to accommodate 8, 9 or 10 Billion humans sustainably.
Because once the dust of Covid-19 has settled, this will remain the only question that truly matters.

Until soon
Bobsy Gaia
Founder of MANA!