Hope - breakfast? Or supper?

Greetings,

It's the time of the year that I try to recall notable events of the past 12 months, goor or bad and how we've responded to them as a race and add my own take to these events.

We're nearing the end of another year, one precipitated by turmoil in so many areas of our lives that we begin to wonder what we did wrong. Two decades ago, we welcomed the end of the Cold War and hailed the fall of the Berlin wall as victory of democracy and capitalism over communism. “It made the most sense,” we all said. Capitalism is the reason we're stuck in mud today. No, make that quicksand.

Early in the year, I watched “Juno” on the plane and later learned that it won several awards. It also won several followers and it suddenly became fashionable for teens to become pregnant, most notably Bristol Palin and Jaime Lynn Spears, whose sister was her role model. The sister lost custody of her 2 kids to her ex-husabnd this year because she was judged unable to take care of even herself.

Still on celebrities, I was teaching my son on electricity and we discussed the workings of a light bulb. As encouragement for his independence, I asked him to google Thomas Alva Edison and do some research. Big mistake -- a different Edison showed up, more popular than the inventor of the light bulb and a thousand other stuff. Why would people keep naked pictures of themselves and others as collection?

A number of celebrities left us this year. The earliest movie I can recall watching was Ben Hur starred by Charlton Heston. And many mourned the passing of Paul Newman. In Singapore, the original Mr Opposition, JBJ left behind an idelible legacy of his brand of politics, fighting until almost his last day.
Earlier on, we were captured by the tenacity of Randy Pausch, who literally delivered the “last lecture” as faculty of Carnegie Mellon. Following that great fight against his terminal illness was the profound message of living his childhood dreams -- you must want it badly enough. His lecture was all over YouTube and many social network sites. Go watch and be amazed and learn.

Some deaths are fated, some masterminded. Simultaneous attacks in Mumbai reminded us the threat of terror recognises no limit, individual, geography or timing. A reminder that Singaporeans will scarcely forget when thousands of hours were spent on trying to find and recapture a wayward detainee who purportedly went to take a leak. For someone who drives to Malaysia frequently, I've been fingerprinted more times than a petty thief. “Selamat Datang Ke Malaysia” now has a new meaning.

We cringed while waiting to see what sort of havoc Ike and Gustav will wreak, it was a fortunate outcome. But in Myanmar, Nargis destroyed everything. Then came heartbreak in Sichuan for a country readying herself for the Olympics. As in most disasters, heroes emerged from the China earthquake. It shows the resilience of the human spirit and the grace of God working together.

Beijing Olympics marked many firsts -- Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz's record haul, the opening ceremony captured 5,000 years of history in one presentation, China showed the world how well they have been practising with gunpowder since they invented it. Today, we can hardly remember who took the 100m sprint silver or who was third in 10m diving or who fell badly from the “horse”. That's what the Olympics has been reduced to.

This year can also be known as the year of water-shed elections. Notably in Malaysia and Thailand, stranger things could not have happened. While Thailand just elected her fifth PM in 6 months, Malaysia is reeling from internet-driven awakening that removed the ruling coalition's 2/3 majority in the Mar 8 elections. The soap opera didn't end there as Anwar Ibrahim resurrected his political fortunes and one RPK was detained without trial, all around one murdered Mongolian lady. But those in Zimbabwe will think all these are child's play. Good ol' Robert.

But the biggest milestone of them all is the election of an African American to the highest office of USA, by default the most powerful position on earth. While Americans wait to shoo Obama into Amercian history, Bush ducked a farewell shoe into ignominity. Based on the former's acceptance speech, I'm keenly awaiting his inaugration speech early next year. Yes we can, boleh?

Like a dark storm cloud threatening to rain all of last year, financial turmoil poured and devastated everything and everywhere. Perhaps it's God's way of redistributing economic power and with it, real power. $1.2tr of US's bonds are owned by 2 Asian countries, the Arabs rejoiced when oil reached $147.27 a barrel, then on Sep 29, Dow tanked 8.8% - biggest ever single day drop. The Feds responded with a rate cut down to 0.25%.

Familiar names became fish bait -- Lehman Brothers are no more, Merill Lynch now belong to Bank of America. Bear Sterns were swallowed whole. Then the worms began crawling out of the woodworks. When Nick Leeson bled Barings of $1.4b, it was big news a decade ago. Societe Generale's $7b rogue trade made him look like pussy-cat. Then came grand-daddy Bernard Madoff's $50b fraud. I guess I've seen everything now.

In the thick of all these, scientists tried to replicate the birth of the universe by building the LHC (large hadron collider). It took 20 years and $10b and gave fears that we might create a black hole on earth with catastrophic consequences. Thanks to faulty magnets, the machine was shut down until next year. God was not about to reveal certain parts of history, not yet.

Personally, the year was a big milestone for me too.... I parted from the only company I worked for and the ensuing freedom was initially unsettling. But it worked out fine, only to show that when you know that Someone is in charge, let Him be in charge; things will work out. So in spite of what is happening, I want to bring a message of hope. Francis Bacon said that hope is a good breakfast but a bad supper.

Well, it's an attitude thing and it's your lifestyle too. Where do you place your faith? Yourself? The World? We've let ourselves down many times, so has the world. Won't you try something different this time? Over 2,000 years ago, Hope was sent to us and we ignored, rejected and persecuted Him. The gracious Hope still waits for us today. “.... but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15b

As I walk off in a new direction, I look not at paths before me that I should take but rather I would choose to create a trail that others could follow. Is it my time already? Have a hopeful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

the quiXote