The holiday that couldn’t happen

I was fortunate to go to Umhlanga in the last week of November on a celebratory holiday after finishing matric. For the few days I was there, I walked on the promenade, saw friends, and spent time relaxing after weeks of hard work. Admittedly, my friends and I felt invincible although still quite shocked at the amount of people walking on the beaches without masks. Even so, our numbers were dropping, we felt safe, and things finally seemed a bit normal.

However, the week after I came home, things began to change. Following the general complacency that overcome our country, case numbers began rising. My friends contracted the virus, holidays were cancelled, and a lockdown was imminent. Our desired invincibility proved false. It was, for lack of a better word, a disaster.

It’s not natural for us South Africans who haunt the Cape Town and Umhlanga promenades for weeks every December to stay home. We are used to holidays filled with parties, dates with friends, chills on the beach, and a general social jaunt that goes on into early January.

Those plans were put on hold when the president broke down on television, announcing new lockdown regulations and begging South Africans to act responsibly in these life-threatening times. We were forced off the beaches and into bed by 21:00, with no alcohol or late-night takeaways to keep us going.

Those fortunate enough to experience a bit of a holiday before the implementation of the lockdown rules should consider themselves lucky to have been able to visit a beach or sit at a bar for sundowners.

Those who didn’t get to escape their homes remain bored, scared, and honestly, a bit jealous. And who wouldn’t be? We’ve had a hard year, the least we deserve is a bit of a getaway.

Unfortunately, our desire to escape reality for a bit left us in a desperate situation. Instead of hotel pools and lunch dates with friends, we have Netflix shows and FaceTime calls. Instead of walks on the promenade and braais with family, we have socially distant teas and early nights. New Year’s Eve was spent in our homes, many of us barely staying awake before the clock struck 12 to ring in what is hopefully a better year (it wouldn’t take much, really).

To ensure that 2021 is better, it’s imperative to act responsibly. As young people, it’s often in our nature to do what we want, regardless of the repercussions. We search for the next bit of fun, and are determined to get it, no matter what gets in our way. We can’t act that way now.

We must act responsibly to ensure that in December 2021, we can have a happy holiday.