Happy New... Whatever

Here we are in 2013 and the world is still here. According to the “Mayan Prophecy” the world, as we know it, would end on 21^st December 2012. It hasn't though, which has led to lots of confused believers of the prophecy and much more boasting from those that refused to believe it. Personally, I found it disappointing.

Though it would be a one-in-a-lifetime experience to see meteors crushing mankind or the poles being reversed and causing extreme weather phenomena and the shift of the tectonic plates, like in the film “2012”, I am disappointed not that the world was not destroyed but rather that it has not changed. Part of me hoped that “the end of the world as we know it” would lead to some important changes in humanity, hopefully towards the best. But that was just a fool’s hope.

We live in a society where having the latest iPhone is more important than feeding the homeless person who lives round the corner. We live in a society where claiming equal rights means suppressing the rights of others and thus a vicious circle begins, with fingers being pointed in all directions, instead of owning up to our mistakes. We live in a world where models, footballers, (bad) singers and (even worse) actors are glorified and worshipped, not because of their talents, but because of their looks, their money, their fame. Loyalty, love and respect are being flushed down the toilet, since it’s more important to sleep around and score as many lovers as possible. People have no respect towards others’ beliefs or opinions; what matters is that they belittle others enforcing their own views, so they can feel better about themselves.

Our world is filled with hatred and prejudice and people are greedy, egocentrical, megalomaniacs. So I may be characterised as “grumpy”, “miserable” and “cynical” but it’s only because I see the world with its true colours and I see people as they truly are. Foolishly enough, I believed the world as is shaped today could perhaps change towards something better. But as the 21^st December 2012 approached, a big part of me was acknowledging that it would not happen, so perhaps the only way for “salvation” would be if the world was completely destroyed.

Then came Christmas and everyone was so busy sending meaningless wishes to each other, buying expensive gifts to those they like (or pretend to like) and re-enforcing the fact that Christmas is no longer a religious holiday or a period for “love” and “forgiveness”, but a time for over-consumerism to thrive. It’s ironic how blind we all turn during the holidays. We are warned about turning off our desk lamp when we walk away for 2 minutes so we will “save the planet”, yet during Christmas the Oxford Street shops have their lights on for 2 entire months! Throughout the year, we might give to charity or pretend to be experts by analysing the economic crisis and appear to be saddened by unemployment and poverty, yet when Christmas arrives it’s all about wearing Armani suits and carrying LV bags at glamorous Christmas parties and buying  our 5-year olds the latest iPad version cause all their friends have it already!

I decided to do something different this year and dedicate a little of my time and energy into helping others. I volunteered to work at a shelter for homeless people and this experience has been truly unique. I am not mentioning this so I can get any praise or credit for my effort, as it was the least I could do for those that needed my help. It was the least that any one of us could do. I am sharing this experience with you, so you can all learn what I learned. I was so humbled by both the guests at the shelter, as well as the volunteers. Part of me began believing in people again and witnessed what the beginning of a “new world” could be like.

If we are all stripped by our social and financial status, if race, sex, sexuality and religion mean nothing except identifying us, but not marginalising or distinguishing us as less or more superior than others, then we all truly become equal. I saw people of all ages and backgrounds, acting as volunteers, sacrificing their time, their sleep, their comfortable, warm houses and hot home-cooked meals, to help those who needed their help this year. The shelter guests though are the true heroes of the story. People who are struggling to get back on their feet, people estranged from their families, people who have lost houses, money, jobs, yet are still brave and noble enough to face this life. I saw people who have not lost their spirit, their hope or even their sense of humour.

As I was walking around the centre, I came across some hand-made Christmas cards that the guests made and I read the wishes they had written. All of a sudden, Christmas cards were meaningful again. They were wishing (to strangers) to have a “happy Christmas”, to be thankful for their families and homes, to appreciate the things they have in life and to thank God for keeping a roof over their head. So simple, so gentle, so honest. No bitterness there, no spitefulness, no “I hope your house burns down because I don’t have one”. Those few words were reminding us of all the things that we take for granted. And those words prove that we are truly and honestly at our best when we lose everything. The way I see it, the more we have, the more secure we become, then the more “evil” we turn. We become greedy, wanting more. We become selfish and only look after ourselves. We trample over men and gods, fulfilling only our own needs and no-one else’s.

Funnily enough, when we lose all the materials and goods that we allow to define us, that’s when our true character comes out. That’s when we become humble, honest and good. Ironically, at the edge of the cliff, raw survival instincts do not always kick in. Instead we recognise that by holding hands and embracing each other, we can survive or even avoid the fall. The guests in that shelter were truly remarkable and I congratulate them for having what I seem to be losing day by day: hope in humanity. It is a shame that “the world as we know it” did not come to an end. I would have liked to see humanity at its best.