Happy New Year

Three new year greetings that were sent to me - three perspectives:



http://www129.123greetings.com/card/12/31/05/37/FP21231053755510.html



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I wish I could wish you all a very happy new year.

I cannot because both this region and the world today faces an ominous future. There is political instability, public policies bordering on the insane, public outroar, hegemonistic activities of the powerful, an impending climatic catastrophe, not too happy changes in the geological activity of the planet, and the sighting of a comet that may, hopefully, miss us by a whisker. Not to mention the old enemy, religious intolerance.

There seems to be no ray of hope.

Probably the only ones those would be happy are the ones who like to play and thrive in troubled waters. That includes politicians, policy makers, greedy scientists and social workers. There is more work now for all these groups.

I am not happy, despite my nomenclature these days as a social worker, because I tend to identify with the planet and its inhabitants. I realise that it is my house that is burning. I realise that I cannot rush out because there is nowhere to go. You cannot, as the saying goes, step out of the world.

There was life in Mars. Perhaps science could find a way out to recreate earth's climate on that planet. Perhaps a lucky few, we know who they are, could just make it. A lot of money has been invested into the process. Much more is needed and hence the desire and the subsequent implementation of plans to milk the planet dry.

But there are some of us who would not rush for a ticket even if it was offered for free. We love this natural world of ours too much to act like rats. We would rather go down with the sinking ship.

I have discussed many options with my friends. The size of the coming storm makes such ideas seem like a paper boat in the face of a tsunami. But it is ideas translated into action that save in the end. If we are prepared we need not start from scratch.

Let me end this note with an appeal to prepare sincerely for the future.

Let 2008 be an year of selfless action.
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I identify with the last one, but despite the miseries (around us), life is a mystery and wonder and I try not to be one-dimensional about it.

So... I also add : have a happy new year 2008.