WHAT NOW?

WHAT NOW?

A quarter of a century into the second millennium and where are we at? Where are we headed? What’s the plan? We are living in a world we could never have imagined 50 years ago. 50 years!

Watching the world as it came off the rails, just as it seemed we were on the brink of something great was tragic, after a century defined by wars, struggles and sacrifice. What was it all for? We had it all, including the ability to improve the quality of life for everyone, everywhere, if only ‘the powers that be’ really wanted to, but it doesn’t look like that was, or is, on the agenda.

We needn’t go that far back. The changes humanity and civilization have had thrust upon us since the start of the second millennium are mind-blowing. These changes are euphemistically referred to as progress, development, innovation etc. and I don’t deny that in many ways they are.

Anything and everything you ever wanted to know but never expected to, and a lot more besides. Music, literature and an abundance of knowledge that only those of us who had to fill scrapbooks with information for projects in the 70s can truly appreciate. Th internet; the new frontier. Every site is like your virtual property online and it’s natural to want a space all your own. You can connect with like-minded individuals and immediately you have affirmation, validation, the opportunity to learn more about your interests, not to mention the support to set yourself up doing anything you choose!

Anything and everything we want is available to us, any time, any place. We should all be filled with a sense of wonder at such luck. We could have been born in much less comfortable times, in fact many of us were. So what’s the problem? Why haven’t we been able to pick and choose the best of every age, learn from past mistakes and not let history repeat itself?

The turn of the century started off badly. 9/11 traumatized the collective psyche, together with a missed opportunity for stronger international relations when the dust settled, both of which were ignored. The World Trade Centre wasn’t a random choice, it was a declaration that christians everywhere are fair game, and there is no need for one country. Instead of banding together in a show of force and creating one online to remind them that Christianity is a force to be reckoned with and we are everywhere — that chapter, which we all wanted vindication for — was dealt with in such a shifty, odd manner, it made me think — and I still do to this day — that he is still alive. But that’s just me and I am not into conspiracy theories, just facts.

After that it was one mess after another with no one taking responsibility; outrageous behaviour was never dealt with, conspiracies got swept under rugs, things that weren’t broken to begin with got ‘fixed’, or something else that starts with an f and ends in d, while those crying out for attention were ignored. .

It’s no surprise that the piling on of distractions is relentless and that people are so easily seduced by empty promises, reinforcing the illusion that the more you have the better you are; a notion creating a bunch of clones with a warped world view, going through the motions of a meaningless and misguided existence and expecting to get away with whatever they do, just like everybody else.

Standards and values are circling the drain and so much that is unfair and unacceptable keeps happening, yet nothing is done about it. Before you know it, another scandal or drama unfolds in a convenient and timely fashion and we act as if it’s been forgotten, but the truth is, every time something you perceive to be wrong isn’t addressed, it takes something away from you and threatens your stability and security.

Every influence, every encounter, everything we experience affects us, one way or another. Many of these are not immediately important to process, but some are, and learning the difference is one of the first steps in learning to taking control of the only thing we can control, our behaviour — the way we react to situations we find ourselves being tested — what we do and say when we are faced with something for the first time, is no fun, but it’s a rite of passage and the way you handle it, counts.

To paraphrase Einstein, “The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the way of thinking that created them”, and we all have something unique to offer. If we understand our sense of purpose, we have what it takes to achieve it. Therein lies the power of the individual and now, more than ever, the age of the individual is upon us.