So what are you doing on 31st?

This is the most asked question this time of the year. It is de rigueur to be doing something on 31st December, read partying. Over the years on the 31st, I’ve been away from home on business trips, been abroad with family, partied with friends, but never at home not ‘doing’ anything on 31st. This year, call it getting wiser or what you may, I want to be home on 31st. I don’t want to be bringing in the new year screaming my new year wishes to people that matter, over the party din, I want to bring in the new year on a meaningful note. I want to convey what I want for my loved ones in the new year in a way they can hear, clear and in the tone it’s meant to be heard in. I believe that at the end of the day the true meaning of the word enjoying is doing something that brings you joy, it’s not about letting the world know that you were at XYZ’s party or aboard a yacht or at this hip club. Do what brings you joy. Do what makes you happy. Do what will go into your life’s scrapbook in that mellow shade of gold, after all every new year deserves a fresh start.

So what are you doing on 31st?

What next?

Like the rest of the world I too watched the news about the killing of innocent children in Pakistan, in shock, rage and grief. I can’t even begin to fathom what the parents of the slain children are going through, what kind of pain and trauma the survivors are going through, what the helpless dead children went through when death came in the form of uninformed, ignorant, evil fiends. Militants who are a blot on humanity.

What kind of a world do we inhabit? What kind of a world are we leaving to our children, our future? We are leaving behind hate, hurt, anger…We’ve always been taught that good triumphs over evil, truth finds its way and shines brightly through the darkest lies…when will it all happen? After half the human race is wiped out?

The need of the hour is for the world to shun borders, differences and political agendas and come together to fight evil. Millions of dollars are poured into advancing technology, improving gadgets, conquering space, but if you ask me, I would say that all that money should be spent on eradicating evil from the face of earth. The world can do without another hi-tech cellphone, but it cannot do without its children!

What we need is world peace, at any cost!