Postscript

A New Year's Package Deal

Aasha Mehreen Amin

It is the first day of another new decade and automatically we are in 'optimism' mode despite all the debris of the last year remaining unresolved. Human beings are hopeful by nature. No matter how bleak the future looks (my pathetic attempt to write a column on my cell phone being a case in point) we just can't let go of that nagging bit of hope that things will work out after all. That you will exercise more, eat better and much less, that you will definitely win that lottery, that your child will suddenly become an A grade student.

Then there are less selfish hopes, dreams that will affect humanity. The hope that nuclear weapons will be eliminated for good, that developed nations will reduce their pollution so the developing world can survive, that terrorism will not take hostage our peace and sanity, that fewer people will die of hunger, lack of healthcare, neglect. That's the beauty of beginning a new year. We can pretend to start on a clean slate and plan for great things.

The problem is all the sludge from the past has clogged up the arteries leading to that pot of gold. The greatest challenge as we enter the new decade, is to be able to clean up our act. We have many things to realistically look forward to.

This decade will surely be the decade of unheard of innovations in technology. Medical science will come up with amazing ways to combat deadly diseases and life threatening conditions. People all over the world are also waking up. They are realising the devastation of their actions, whether it is polluting the environment or ignoring the less fortunate. Yes we do have a lot to hope for on this brand new year. But with this hope is a huge burden of responsibility. We have a lot of spring-cleaning to do and this is not just about adopting cleaner, greener lifestyles. This has a lot to do with cleansing our minds and souls. The coming decade will be one of unprecedented highs in scientific innovation. But while we may be a more techno savvy society, are we a more humane one. Ultimately that seems to be the secret formula to making the coming decade something to write home about.

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