In the old days there was this tradition of always making some plan or wish for the next year whenever we are in the eve of saying, “Goodbye!” to the old one. The last days of the outgoing year are times of looking forward to brighter times ahead. Especially in times when hardships, and trials and tribulations are common denominators of this world of ours looking for brighter days is only natural. You wished better days ahead not only for your family, your relatives or your country people but the whole of human kind.
Remember the days of the early and mid-teen years when we wished for those glamorous and almost mythical professions; you know like medical doctors, engineers, airplane pilots, scientists, university professors and what have you. Wasn’t that wonderful! You know what the real catch here is? In almost every profession there are people on the other side of the equation who would be benefitting by the person’s wishes coming true. I mean one doesn’t have to be brighter than anyone else to figure out that an additional doctor in the community would mean hundreds of patients would have someone to care for them; and additional engineer mean that modern architecture would really be developed and thousands of menial and professional workers would be employed and enjoy their daily bread as the construction industry would bloom, at least in conventional wisdom sense of the whole thing that’s what we hope to witness. An addition commercial pilot means a lot as it goes a long way in ensuring self-sufficiency in the airlines industry.
Well this brings us to the question which we can’t evade however much we try. What about now? I mean is there any significant difference in the wishes of yesteryear and those of the present? That, believe me, is a question I’d have chosen not to be asked. You know what, as we’re not very enthusiastic in doing researches, and as we seldom come across people committed to do researches, many times we lack past documentation which we could use to compare and contrast things, to find out what kinds of changes have taken place in specific professions and undertakings. Here too what kinds of professional or other changes people want to make to their lives and such things sound hollow on the surface. “Anybody talking about such things must be someone who doesn’t have any serious thing to do!” Don’t be surprised to hear such comments.
Back to the question and I have to say while it is difficult to come up with any definitive narratives or commentaries it might be safe to raise a couple of points. One thing is that you seldom hear such things being discussed in the wider population except in graduation magazines. Now here is where stories that at first make you smile and later make you a little uneasy. There was this graduation magazine of fourth graders of a certain school. (By the way, graduations these days could happen at any level! People seem to enjoy all the stars and sparkles of graduation ceremonies and the initial photo-ops and festivities that seem to have become compulsory!) The wishes of the kids were sometimes humorous, at other times all the way hilarious and you can’t suppress your smiles. You wonder how they came to have these wishes. There was this kid who wanted to become a traffic policewoman. I don’t have any idea where these traffic people are on the economic ladder. The kid wasn’t probably thinking in economic terms. (If you think a fourth grader wouldn’t think ‘in economic terms’ I have to tell you that you’ve some homework to do!) But you have to admire this kid because what she was saying was she wanted to keep traffic law and order and help people in going about the daily errands! Of course this kid was the exception in many ways than one. Most of them chose being a musician, being a football player, being an actress and the like. Now it doesn’t mean there is any problem at all in choosing such professions. But there was one who chose to be an engineer and another one to be a doctor. That’s it! A lot to think about, wouldn’t you say!
Of course it doesn’t mean that this world is fair enough to give all of us what we wished. No, it isn’t. A guy who thought his favorite tool would be the scalpel ends up a mechanic. Many times than not you wish for the mountain peak but life sends you all the way to the deepest of ravines. Maybe you’re already thinking of a bottle of the best wine in town as a reward. A few sips wouldn’t hurt a here and there especially when you’re rewarding yourself for some luck or for something well done. Victory is knocking on the door and, I hate to say it, it would be some knock that wouldn’t last! But contrary to your wishes and aspirations someone messes it up!
I don’t know what but it seems we see a lot of arrogance even in situations where it is uncalled for. Wait a minute here; did I sound like I’m saying where arrogance is expected and it wouldn’t raise eyebrows! No arrogance while there is a lot of it around all over the place it is one thing we would have liked to throw all the way into the deepest of oceans for it never to surface. Wouldn’t that have been one of the nicest things that happened to this world in a long time? Now the world where I could be anything, but it is nowhere near anything nice.
In this vile world of ours your wishes could be messed up by theirs. There‘re many who would love to pull the plug on you even for no reason. Look if someone has a grudge on you for some wrong you did to that person you would ever expect that person’s reaction. If the person is on the brighter side of things and doesn’t take things to the edge he/she might say, “Well things happen that tine. I can’t manage holding grudges to everyone who does make me wrong or just doesn’t like me. Life seldom gives that luxury. You might get off easily. But if the person happens to be one who’d never subscribe to the belief of letting the bygones be bygones well you’d be for some serious trouble: You’d want the new year pup the more humane genes into us and clear out the bad ones who force us to see only the darker sides of things and people’s behaviors.
I crave for the days when New Year meant new wishes, wishes that don’t benefit only the person but society at large! New Year, new wishes! That sounds very nice.
BY EPHREM ENDALE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 15 SEPTEMBER 2024