You know, we humans have a life span of how much? With the aid of modern medicine, 60 ? 70 ? 80? By 40 onwards we are already experiencing the early onset of age…physical and mentally mostly but it is quite the opposite for our emotional aspects. With age, comes ripening and often wisdom. (Hence why elders are asked to lead the people in the hope they know better. But it is easy to question this today, do they really?) By 50 our systems start breaking down gently as though preparing us for our eventual transition into death. And then we are gone. 100 years from now, we must have done something really significant in order to be remembered or something truly great to be honoured. Otherwise, we are as good as dead.
Religions, races and other external differences aside, we are basically humans inside. Whether a tribesman hunting in the jungles or a corporate man sitting at a board meeting or even an MP sitting in parliament.. we all have the same basic needs. Survival. We only need much to survive, the rest all is wanting…which does not seem wrong in this world that we have all created. We seek privileges. We all want to feel special. But is it worth trampling on each other to achieve this? Is having foie grass and truffles for dinner at the latest restaurant in town instead of just plain old nasi goreng biasa at a road side stall really a validation of who we are? Yes, we have all heard this sermon before but is there not some truth in it? It is a superficial world, yes, we are all well aware of it and we are involuntarily/voluntarily contributing towards itt. If there ever is going to be a chance in our perception of material achievements, it might take a few more generations. But that's another story.
But meanwhile, why can’t we all open our minds a little? Look at the bigger picture.. as humankind surviving on this very small planet… that is not even visible to from the next galaxy. Earth takes a year to circle the sun while Neptune and Pluto takes 160 and 247 earth years respectively. None of us humans will ever, ever live to see either one’s full rotation. Are we really that big a deal? One shift in earth’s plates and we are running helter skelter like ants for protection…does it matter then what race or religion we are. Wouldn’t we turn around and help each other? Why does have to be only in moments of despair that we become humane? Why is it so difficult to stay humane, honour each other’s differences and respect every one’s equal right in life?
Bigger nations have screwed up. Suppression and injustice of any kind will finally find a way out and rear its ugly head. There are unhappy people whose government is condoning wars and killing of the innocents. Do we need to tread by those lines? We are an intelligent nation, we know that. There is something about this land that is blessed…peaceful, we know that too. But why are we so bad at learning lessons of past?
as posted on The Star blog.
