Sunday, January 1, 2012

There's hope for humanity yet

When I went to Disneyland in 2008, I was leaving the park at night, and one of the attendents said "Have a safe journey home". Maybe it's a sign of my middle-age, but I thought that it was the best wish that anyone could make to me at that time.

In these times when the economy is looking very rocky, everyone is suspicious about the integrity and competency of politicians, company directors seem to be raking in more than their fair share, China may or may not have a hard landing, and countries are overburdened with debt, it's worth reflecting that being human is a very precious gift, and that it is our basic intelligence, goodness and morality, however imperfect, is what qualifies us to be called "human".

As the monk Sumedho said: "Gladden your heart, and put a smile on your dial".

What gives me hope for humanity is that when the new year arrives, we say "happy new year". When you think about it, this is the very best wish that you can give. We don't usually say "may profit margins improve". Humans have more of a heart than you think.

So, I wish everyone a happy, healthy ... and indeed prosperous ... new year.

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