Do you think time is racing past? I do, and even young children are commenting on it. What is going on?
Each year seems to get faster. Because of the pandemic restrictions when we were confined to home and not to mix socially, one would have thought time would be slow, but the opposite seems to be the case.
Somehow we are approaching the final quarter of the year, and what a year it has been!
It highlights the X factor, that is, something that wasn`t anticipated which radically alters plans that have been made.
The country was hoping to claw back some degree of what life was like pre pandemic, when along came a financial crisis to throw everything into disarray again.
We all thought the days of conflict in our part of the world, was over. Little did we know that a brutal war would break out on our doorstep, and whilst not actively engaging in combat, our country would commit itself financially to provide military hardware and expertise for as long as necessary.
Added to that we had change of U.K. political leadership, the proof of its success still to be quantified and alongside that the death of much respected monarch, which has thrown the future style of the monarchy into debate.
Each of these things would have been significant in its own right, but the fact that they all happened within the year, certainly sharpened the senses.
In my humble opinion, it has made the public sit up and take notice. It has made people look around and realize that everything has a sell by date, and we cannot assume that life will go on in a certain way.
Hopefully it will make people more aware of their own destiny and perhaps look at old fashioned things like values, integrity and trust and consideration for others.
Part of the current downfall has been a mixture of lack of integrity and trust handed out from political and large institutional stand points, both at home and abroad, and part of the success of the long reign of the late monarch was how these qualities were upheld.
It speaks for itself that whether people make the conscious decision to replicate these traits, it is something that we all appreciate in our day to day lives and perhaps now we may question many of the superficial lifestyles which were considered to be a popular sign of success but based on very little substance.
It was noted that during the pandemic, an almost war time attitude was present amongst the populations.
Instead of commuter rush hour where no one communicates with anyone else, people were rediscovering their neighbours and offering help and support to others.
A similar situation was present when people queued up to pay respects to the late queen. Friendships were struck up between strangers, and cooperation and consideration were widely experienced.
It seems that when people are thrown together without material trappings, they relate to one and other in a way that they may never have experienced before.
It could be argued that there is plenty of social interaction on social media platforms, but by their very nature they do not involve face to face conversation and very often are loaded with hidden agendas which are not always positive.
There has to be a message in there somewhere. Could it be that the secret to dealing with the huge mental health issues caused by stress and anxiety could be helped by simply having a bit of real interaction with others?
Aspiration is indeed a great thing, and we should all try and be as good as we can be. Many barriers have been lifted which have helped to make that happen, but there is a difference between aspiration for the right reasons and the need to sacrifice mental well being for the latest must have.
If I am not mistaken, the government is holding a very high bar to everyone.
Whilst commendable, the message appears to be that wealth and success is the goal and should be the aim of everyone in order to create a successful economy and therefore country.
This will easy for many but not so easy for many more. Education and a good work ethic is the key.
Whilst the able and ambitious bulldoze their way to the top there will be casualties along the way.
There may well be an increasing number of well paid jobs, but there will always have to be individuals who will be required to carry out what would be considered menial but altogether necessary tasks, so let us hope that there will not be a widening socio economic divide where self esteem is inhibited due to perceived lack of aspiration.
Life is indeed a jungle where the so called civilized successful beings are on a par with the most wild and brutal animals within it.
For all their aggression, these animals often become endangered, which is indeed food for thought.
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