A NEW year, a new beginning – can we start everything on a new slate? Can we wipe out all the wrongs that have been done against humanity in the name of race, religion and politics? Can we make a loud call for action – loud enough so that the voice of humanity is heard near and far in a single voice that would unite the human race?
The world is riddled with crime, and lives are perishing in the most unthinkable ways. Can we reconcile our superficial differences and accept that at the end of the day we are all just one human race? The pain is the same for everyone when there is a disaster.
We have lost two years of valuable lives with too many restrictions and limitations, to the point that living itself has become onerous.
Our lives have been dominated by extreme fear, anxiety and pangs of worry and depression. Let us hope we have come to realise that nothing matters more than being human and showing concern, care and love to others. Let us hope we have learnt that money cannot be eaten in place of food, and it cannot even buy a hospital bed or an oxygen tank when there are none available. Money cannot get you to places or to safety when you do not know what is safe anymore.
We should have learnt that family and friends should not be taken for granted as they may not be there anymore if you waited for the right time that never came to call on them or to even pick up the phone for a chat.
We must have learnt by now that simple things in life, like going for a walk for fresh air, sitting under a tree to enjoy the shade it provides or walking by a lake watching the occasional ripple in the water caused by something that has dropped in would be hard to come by with all the money we have.
We have definitely learnt that money alone will not entitle you to walk into the fanciest shopping mall and pick anything you want or need – who would have thought that the screen on your mobile phone needs to show your eligibility and low-risk status to give you access to shop.
There is confusion, disgust and anger from people who have lost too much, for solace and things are not looking any better in the near future. Priorities have changed for those who are blessed to have options, and yet for those who have not, they are gripped by a deep sense of aimlessness.
For those who are adrift and feel like their life purpose is blurred due to the tumultuous change of things around us, this new year is a time to take stock of where our focus in life should be. There is no time to waste. Tomorrow may never come and it is not a desirable statement, but one that should be looked at as a reality of the world today.
We are after all forced to embrace a new normal, and what new normal is, is still being defined, discussed and deliberated upon. It may as well be living the moment to the fullest. It does not mean we should stop planning for the future, rather, in doing so, we should not be carried away and lose focus.
For example, capturing actions and events on your camera phone will allow you to remember the event years later, but you would have missed the irreversible and valuable opportunity to be in the present and have your emotions fully involved in the moment.
The devastating floods have wiped families of their homes and belongings and have left them with emotions ranging from one extreme to another. Was it human error or nature’s wrath, or a combination of both, we will never know as the people in authority hold the power to eclipse the truth with politically correct statements.
Suffice to say, future generations will be reading about the pandemic with awe and curiosity, and as for us, we keep telling ourselves that “this too will pass” and it will, only nobody knows the timeline. Was the timeline planned at the design stage of the pandemic, who knows?
Having said that, a moment spent in sadness is a moment of life lost. Happy New Year and let us learn to appreciate the simple things in life.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
