As with everything else, it is only right that this year starts off with a greeting. A greeting that brings warmth, kindness, and love to all humankind. A greeting that comes as a reminder to rekindle and recalibrate our minds and hearts for a better world.
The greeting that brings and resurfaces the compassion that does not only brings hope but, even more, the will to commit ourselves to a dignified co-existence for all that is living.
As we salute the new year of the Gregorian calendar, we ask for a renewal not only of our minds but also of our spirits. We ask that the source that gives all, grants us the spirit of courage to be authentic, to say what we mean and mean what we say. We ask that this year become a year of letting go of everything that is corrupt. We ask that this year be a year of living intentionally, because only with deliberate intention do we act with purpose.
Moreover, we must remember that we come from a year of many ups and downs. We come from a year of scandals and significant attrition. We come from a year of loss and pain, as the mental illness crisis has robbed us of many wonderful souls.
Therefore, it would only be wise that we enter this year not with hope, but with wisdom to do, say, and live differently. It would only be fair that we review how we carry ourselves and be mindful of how our words and actions may, directly or indirectly, affect others.
This is even more important, especially to those who may have been entrusted with positions of influence in our homes, community, and workplaces.
It does not mean that we must create an environment of entitled snowflakes, but that, even in our corrective actions, we are guarded by the general principle of treating others just as we wish to be treated.
As much as we ask for a renewal in our individual disposition, we also ask the same for our nation’s leadership as a collective. We ask for renewed leadership that is honest and transparent in its dealings.
Leadership that shuns pomposity and entitlement but genuinely commits itself to the betterment and dignified life of its citizenry. A leadership that discourages inspirational speeches yet inspires with actions and results. We ask that, as every donkey in the northern part of the country gets a reflector, every child in Okahandja Park, Havana, and every informal settlement in the land be dignified with a basic flushing toilet and a roof safe enough to protect against heavy rains.
As we greet every loving citizen and pay homage to those whose blood waters our freedom, we ask for a renewed nation that collectively condemns every social evil more than it condemns Nicolas Maduro’s capture.
*Uncommon Sense is published in the New Era with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka. YouTube channel: Karlos Lokos.
– karlsimbumusic@gmail.com
