If there is any person who truly knows the value of fraction of second, it is only athletes. Every second has meaning to them. In this respect, they always strive to improve their previous performance. No matter what their prior record is, all athletes always train their body and mind to hold a new record.
For every athlete tomorrow is a new day. Every New Year is considered as a year of better performance and record. New Year is not change of numbers to them. It has special meaning. When New Year arrives, the minds of athletes think new record and better performance on the track.
Ethiopian New Year (2012) is on its way. Like other holidays, the New Year has a special meaning to all Ethiopians. As a land of different cultures, New Year or Enkutatash has a special value to all Ethiopians and Ethiopian born Diasporas.
When the New Year comes, all Ethiopians prepare themselves for better and bright future. No matter what the grief or bad experience they had been through in the outgoing year, they do not compromise with the New year – Enkutatash. They mark the day with families and friends. They celebrate the day forgiving one another.
New Year is the source of courage. It is not simply change of numbers. It is a beginning new hope with new vision. The first month of the year – Meskerem- is a sign of hope. It is a new beginning. As the first chapter of the year, Meskerem ignites people with new hope. It is the month where one embark on a new journey imbued with hope and commitment. At the end of kiremt, Meskerem heralds the coming of a new season. It is a season when the sky becomes clean, the sun turns bright and people mind brim with full of hope.
Haile Gebrselassie, is one of those Ethiopians who long to celebrate the new year with a fresh mind and positive mentality. In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Haile said that, New Year has a special meaning to all Ethiopians. New Year and athletics have something to share. Like an athlete who prepares himself for new record, every Ethiopian also consider the New Year as a gate towards bright future.
No one can bear positive fruit out of the negative thoughts, says Haile. The past has already passed with all its challenges. “Hatred, fear and other negative thoughts cannot contribute anything for the future. If there is anything they can do for us, they will cripple our effort to do something better. If an athlete is discouraged by his previous experiences, he could not score better result.
Likewise, when we celebrate the new year, we should have to be open to new ideas and we have to value the culture of tolerance. We should not always mark the New Year with negative thoughts. We should clean our mind from all forms of negativity. We have to celebrate it with fresh and positive mind.”
Forgiveness is our culture. It is part of our holidays. Ethiopians are accustomed to forgiving others before entering the New Year. This is an old age culture for Ethiopians. This culture has to be nurtured. We should practice the value of forgiveness and love while marking the coming Ethiopian New Year. The new Ethiopia needs new mentality which is far from ravage and hatred.
In the winter season (kiremet) most schools and educational institutions get closed. Owing to this reason, it is common to see boys and kids playing football almost in every corner. Here in Addis Ababa, it is normal to observe cute college girls walking on the streets of Addis and crowded cafes.
In rural parts of the country, it is common to see smoke dragging skyward from thatched roof huts. What is more, in Meskerem, it is natural to see farmers abstaining from their daily activities, tide down by heavy rain, mud and flood.
As it punctuates the end of the three cold, rainy, cloudy and less sunny months of Sene, Hamle and Nehasie, Meskerm (September) ushers in a bright future. Following the rainy months of Sene, Hamle and Nehase, Meskerem will come with its bright and hopeful days and Ethiopians mark Meskerem 1st (September 11th) with fresh mind.
As it was mentioned by Haile Gebrselassie, every athlete has a secret behind his/her success. This secret is learning from previous mistakes and achieves better performance. Almost 15 days are left to mark Ethiopian New Year. All Ethiopians are preparing to celebrate the day with friends and families.
We may have bad experiences within the outgoing year. But they cannot be an excuse to score better result in the future. They could not be reasons to forgive our enemies. This is the basic teaching of great books-Love your enemies.
The Ethiopian Herald August 28, 2019
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
