Saturday, December 31, 2011

Annus Horibilis? AGAIN?

Another year nearly done. Hectic revelry will commence soon and run uninterrupted through midnight and into the wee hours of January 1, 2012. There will be much slapping of backs and hugs and handshakes and at least a few drunks well past their imbibing capacity. Yup, it will be a night of partying exactly like many other nights of partying.

There's plenty you really don't want to remember of the past year. Way back in November 1992, dear old Elizabeth II Regina gave the phrase 'Annus Horibilis' popular currency, and not withstanding the evident scatological punning that it continues to attract, every subsequent year has been thus labelled by someone or the other.

Once you set yourself the task of numerating misfortunes, any year should, statistically, expect to have a fair smattering. Just like business budgets, it is always this year that is bedevilled by problems and the next when the sun will shine and the hockey stick will turn upward.

Seen this same script play, again and again ad nauseum.

Live the moment, I say. Forget worrying about the year that lies ahead. A 13 year old child in the neighbourhood lost his life in a stupid motorbike crash early yesterday. Surely he had plans for the night of 31st too? Of course, it isn't imminent mortality that should cause you to live the moment. There are plenty of other good reasons. Starting with this: it is the ONLY moment in which you are actually alive. All the rest is memories and hopes.

So before you head out tonight, listen to Asha's 'Aage bhi jaane na tu, peechhe bhi jaane na tu, Jo bhi hai, bas yahi ik pal hai'.

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