Contest: My Year 2020/Sponsored by @xpilar, @steem-agora, @artventure, @stef1, @steemcurator02 and @nutbox//by exceptional20/100 percent power up.

MY YEAR 2020

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INTRODUCTION

31st of December every year is always a memorable one for most people. It's a time when new goals are set, and new year resolutions are made. December 31st 2019 was not an exception. We all welcomed 2020 with optimism, without any inclination on how it will unfold.

Taking a glimpse aback to the beginning of the year 2020, the vibe, the vision, the plans and motivation that was spurred up in me towards my goals, ambitions, dreams and achievements, but the state of things now leaves me with lots of pain and discouragement.

The year 2020 opened with lots of hope, and high expectations of a greater things to come. I crossed over into 2020 without any inclination of how my major plans and goals will be affected and delayed by the Covid 19 pandemic.

BEFORE YEAR 2020 - ACADEMIC DELAY ALREADY

As a Nigerian youth, who is passionate towards achieving his academic goals, I was delayed severally, I couldn't graduate when I had to, not because I couldn't pass my courses, but series of strikes hoarded my exiting the institution when due. That alone demotivated me towards my academic pursuit, but despite that bad omen, I refused to give up, I mount on wings as an eagle and kept soaring high. I finally graduated in 2017. A four years course lasted for five years (2012 to 2017).

From that point I made necessary adjustments on my short and long term goals due to the delay. By 2018 I went for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This is a one year compulsory service to our nation after graduation. My service year ended in JUly 2019. Don't forget that the delay has affected my plans already.

But sorry to mention this, the Nigerian administration and system does not have adequate job opportunities and structure that can absorb the many graduates been chorn out from her tertiary institutions. Every graduate is left to him/herself to fend for themselves. Having such knowledge, I didn't sit down waiting for a white collar job. I decided to create any coloured collar job for myself. To achieve that, I went through a seminar program on leadership during my service year.

YEAR 2020 IN FULL - HOW EVERYTHING TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.

After my service year, I came back in search for a job that can help me to raise the capital for my textile business, I became successful in February 2020 after the January fasting and prayers. January every year in all Nigerian churches is always a month of fasting and prayers. We prayed but never knew what this year has to unfold. But thank God we prayed, it could have been worse.

*COVID 19 EMERGENCE

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I was so excited to get a job in line with my passion. You want to know? It's a teaching job. I was committed to it, only for me to get to the month of March (barely two months on the job) precisely on the 24th we received a Nationwide shocking news of total lockdown, as a result of the confirmation of the Covid 19 pandemic in Nigeria which all started in China and spread rapidly across other countries like Italy, Spain and the USA amongst other countries.

What? Not another delay please.... How long will this last? was my concern, including the pain of the death tole of victims of the Covid 19 pandemic all over the world. I was glued to my TV set, receiving updates all around the world and I saw Pain and was always in sad mood over the rise in the death rate.

The year 2020 with the spread of the Covid 19 gave rise to 3 unfriendly word in the world, which are; self isolation, lockdown and quarantine. These words affected everyone regardless of status, age and race. Those that were inflicted by the virus were quarantined while others were self isolated and lockdown in their homes.

After a month, the lockdown and stay at home order was relaxed a bit to enable the masses get essential services. I was discouraged because my textile business I started in the month of March went on lockdown and has not resurrected or reopened up till now, because during the stay at home order, I spent the capital and the profit on food and self maintenance, because no money was coming from any where including my workplace. The pallatives shared was not equitably distributed, so I couldn't receive any help from the government.. How I survived this period is still a mystery to me.

My freedom of movement was restricted, I became home sick, but I had to encourage myself and resorted to make good use of the time.

AN OPPORTUNITY

Despite the pain, delay and discouragement, I had to put my writing gift to practice. I created a blogging site theseedofchange.wordpress.com and uploaded lots of my articles. It was this period that @talktofaith introduced steemit to me which I didn't oblige because of finance.

I started an online Bible study on my WhatsApp platform CHANGE AGENTS EMBASSY INT'L where we built our faith and encouraged ourselves in the Lord to stay strong in our faith amid the challenges at the moment. I succeeded to write and publish my book titled "The Tool of the Cosmos"

you can get it on Amazon, other books yet to be published includes, De-Addicted, The Mystery of Spiritual Growth and 7 likes the devil told you.

By September, there was a release of fresh air and we started breathing the fresh air of hope when the Nationwide lockdown was released and schools were allowed to resume. Oh! I was now set free from the prison of self isolation, I can now go back to interract with my students and do what makes me happy.

*ENDSARS PROTEST

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We felt relief as things were gradually returning to normalcy only to step into the month of October which doubled to be my birth month, with another disheartening Nationwide protest of the reports of police brutality at the hands of the special Anti Robbery Squard (SARS). The protest that started peacefully, which attracted recommendations from the international community was brought into a violent scene in many states and finally led to a massacre on 20/10/2020 at the Lekki Toll Gate.

The Nigerian youths were massacred by their own government through the Nigerian military. It's so sad that the Lagos State governor denied ever having or recording any death casualties despite numerous videos on the internet to prove the event.

Although the IGP ordered the dissolution of SARS on the 11th October, to introduce a new unit called SWAT. It was not accepted by the youths because they felt it's just a change of name with the same set of people, hence they insisted on reforms in the police.

After the Lekki Toll Gate massacre, the protest took a different turn with the invasion of the thugs that were released, there was a massive vandalization and burning down of a car stand at APO Abuja, 30 government buses at a bus station. If you have watched the movie "Prison Break", then you will understand this trail of event because there was a season of it that was acted within this protest saga, most correction centers were broken and prisoners escaped. The once peaceful protest turned violent which led to the death of both civilians and police officers in some places like Ekiti, Edo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Enugu etc

PALLATIVES DISCOVERY

The pallative discovery first in Lagos made this seasonal movie (2020) a tragicomedy. The pallatives that was donated by EU and other agencies to help causion the effect of the lockdown was hoarded by the government reasons best known to them. After the warehouse housing the pallatives was discovered in Lagos, it became the order of the day in different states of the country.

MY DAD'S HEALTH

Indeed this year is filled with sad event, at a point my dad was diagnosed with prostate and there was no finance sufficient enough to treat him. We had to rely on God through prayers while we managed the little money to get drugs and food. It was not funny at all.

*OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Aside from the Covid 19 and the protest in Nigeria, the year 2020 also witnessed the protest of Black Lives Matters (BLM) following the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer.

A massive explosion erupted at a Beirut Port, by the accidental detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which killed at least 190 people and injured thousands of others.

CONCLUSION

Although 2020 is filled with pain and sad experiences, I thank God am alive to tell the story, it's just by His Mercy.** And I pray that the soul of those departed rest in peace. Amen.**
Despite I didn't meet up my goal of getting a house and starting my business again, i believe good things will rap-up this year in our lives.

This was how the trail of event this year has affected me, but I have to arise and keep moving. Forward we move.

Thanks for reading through my post.