Cheers, Tears and Fears

Currently Listening To :: Mr. Man :: Alicia Keys feat. Jimmy Cozier

Someone said to me the other day that they couldn’t wait for 2004 to be over. It has been a tough year, but some have been doing it tougher than others. Personally, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but honestly, I can never say I’m completely glad to say goodbye to any year. Learning that time is increasingly precious, I just hope that I have used this year well.

With the impending New Years celebrations, it’s impossible to not pay some mind to the devastation in the wake of the recent tsunami that has rocked the SEA. With over 1 million people displaced in Sri Lanka alone, and a death toll that has reached over 100,000 people and rising, there is indeed little to be celebrated in certain parts of the world. Even worse, UNICEF estimates that one-third of the dead are children, most of whom would have been unable to save themselves from the waves that came at their family, friends and homes relentlessly.

Some people feel that the world hasn’t done enough to help. People are looking for scapegoats, anger and grief needs to be directed somewhere. Blame. As cynical as I am towards the politicisation of every newsworthy story, this story is just too large to be pointing the finger at any one person. Blame the US, blame John Howard, blame the development agencies, blame God; hell, blame the guy down the hall. It doesn’t matter…we should just do what we can to help. Donations, prayers, whatever you can do.

So to everyone, everywhere, if you have a glass clean water to drink, a family that cares for you, and a roof over your head, it doesn’t matter whether you have a great night tonight or not. On a scale of disastrous to delirious, we should all feel like we’ve won a Nobel Prize.

Happy New Year, and bring on 2005.