End of the Jinxed Year; 2023
By: Mahfooz Ahmad Bakshi
It’s finally the end of the year that most of us, or perhaps all of us hate for various reasons. The previous year proved to be the toughest with 12 months filled with events that brought us to a point where things seemed incapable of getting any worse.
Right? Whether listening to the perspectives of those living in slums or the narratives of the affluent everyone has experienced something that made them curse the entire year. Similarly, I have my reasons for doing so.
Months ago, I wrote that 2023 is the jinxed year, and I believe it’s worth mentioning once again before mentioning what positive aspects this year brought into my life.
2023, the Jinxed Year!
Since the beginning of the previous year, I have had doubts about whether it would be a good year or simply proceed as normal like previous years. However, each passing day seems to reveal new tragedies and mysteries. 2023 is incredibly pernicious that forces or compelled one to carefully consider their actions multiple times over.
From the first of January until now, all I hear and witness are instances of people harming one another, engaging in acts of violence, cases of rape, unexpected deaths, robberies, brief yet fatal illnesses, recurring earthquakes, public telecasts of pornography, peculiar fashion trends, a significant rise in the LGBT community, and the general disregard of incest as a taboo and what not?
Many incidents occurred that you may be unaware of, and in fact, you may find them difficult to believe once you become aware of them. I have never felt so frightened by any year before, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2023 is appearing to be jinxed year, as if under the influence of an invisible force that conspires to bring about misfortune at every turn.
Opportunities slip away, and unexpected obstacles arise with unsettling frequency. I struggle to find the right words to express my sentiments but I do have a small piece of advice for you “Watch your steps, take frequent breaks, and proceed responsibly.
These days, every step forward seems to be met with two steps backward.
Even if luck has accompanied you since birth, it may abandon your life. I am not kidding at all. Think about the unfortunate fate of those five fortunate individuals who recently went to see the wreckage of the Titanic. They had everything one could desire in life, they were wealthy and healthy.
However, luck deserted them this year and resulted in the loss of their precious lives beneath the depths of the ocean some 12,000 feet below. One might question the necessity of seeing the remnants of a ship that sank many years ago. What compelled them to book a security less designed and tightly confined submersible controlled by a gaming controller? Within just one hour, they were consumed by the gloom and depths of the ocean. The ship claimed five more lives long after taking the lives of thousands. As someone once said, if God has decreed a person’s demise beneath hundreds of thousands of fathoms of water, that individual would spend millions to arrive there on time.
This year is remarkably unpredictable, and you are advised to stay cautious and carefully contemplate more than five times about any action before proceeding.
That was the statement that I composed a while ago, and believe me, I feel terrible after reading it once again. These were my reasons that compelled me to hate the year. And guess what? Right after some months of composing that paragraph, I lost my beloved aunt, which completely knocked me down. I couldn’t resist as I lost the strength to stand still amidst the storm. Hence, one more reason to hate 2023 was born! Now, you will say, everybody has to die either today or tomorrow, but tell me, why did so many unbearable, unacceptable incidents take place in this year only?
If that is not enough, let me tell you more. You all know me for the columns or poems that I write, right? Well, I lost my focus, and I couldn’t see anything as if I was paranoid. I lost the ability to express myself or my musings through words. I was no longer interested in writing as a result, I wasn’t ready to study or to read books. I did purchase some books, but [How should I say this] I had no time to read one even after doing nothing, yes, literally nothing.
I got distracted and lost my way. I used to make videos as well. In those videos, I used to share something that would benefit everyone, but alas! I stopped it too! And I got diverted to things that I was against. I got involved in unhealthy relationships, mean friendships, cheap acts, and whatnot. There is so much that I want to say, but I think I should keep some things under wraps.
So what did I learn this year? What benefits did I get? Well, this list may be limited, but every single thing carries great weight. Everything I learned this year is going to help me navigate life in the coming years.
First of all, I think life is the teacher and a student itself. It teaches bit by bit every second and learns bit by bit every second. The biggest lesson that I learned is ”Unexpected challenges can reshape our lives” because unexpected challenges can force us to reevaluate priorities and somehow push us out of our comfort zones, and teach us new skills or develop coping mechanisms.
Life is unpredictable, and there should be no fear of facing and dealing with the challenges it brings to the table. Whatever happened, happened, and whatever is going to happen will happen. So fear not. I learned the necessity of cautious decision-making, as hasty actions can lead to unexpected consequences.
There is an emotional resilience that I also learned from the loss of my beloved aunt that taught me emotional resilience that highlighted the need to navigate through grief and despair in life. Everybody has taken these lessons in 2023, mostly I guess.
And then 2023 taught me ruthlessly the consequences of losing my focus and succumbing to distractions like unhealthy relationships and so on. And the positive consequences of avoiding the impact of negative influences. Though I had the intention to study, I read not even a single page, which taught me how worse things could get if I carelessly continue to waste my time around people who are not worth it.
Most importantly, it helped me in self-discovery! Here is how? It enabled me to discover aspects of myself and my life that needed more attention and improvement.
Overall, the year taught me the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. Besides these things, I learned that attraction is taken here as affection, friendship is made for personal benefits by everyone nowadays, money speaks louder than skills, and people judge by the attire you wear. Making a fool out of people is easy as everyone is greedy and nobody understands that nothing is free here and earning money is not as easy as it seems.
In summary, 2023 taught me about the fragility of life, the need for careful consideration in actions, and the potential consequences of veering off my chosen path. The year served as a harsh teacher!
(The author hails from Ganderbal)
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