Time to Ponder

And it’s the year end again. Time to ‘past forward’, lie back as the sun sets for the last time in 2002, and reflect on how the year had been for you. On the personal front there hasn’t been much, as all relationships went downhill with an increase in professional responsibilities, appended by an ever growing sense of guilt for not giving enough time to my family. Professionally I reached a landmark as the 2nd of April 2002 marked my first successful year as a journalist. After frustrating administrative hurdles and failed contract renewals, I had to move on and join another publication as Asst. Ed. Apart from the salary package that was offered, the job title also had a nice ring to it and so the shift. It also meant mending spoiled habits and erratic work hours for the more respectable albeit mundane work hours, i.e., 9-5, or in my case 10-6. But that too wasn’t enough to keep me glued to the post and come another opportunity, I jumped in at the chance to work as the section head of a new and exciting TV channel. That was exactly two weeks ago from the year end. So far it hasn’t worked out well, as this blog could testify. Still to settle down, make friends (survival without whom is unthinkable), and win the respect of those around me enough to win a breathing space (the atmosphere is quite stuffy right now)…and most of all, find out what are the terms and conditions of my employment! Idiotic as it may sound, I was so excited to join this place I took a headlong plunge into the unknown, untested waters – without even donning a life jacket and without the slightest idea whatsoever of swimming! And that was three jobs in a year, each move for the better (I hope:)). Globally the happenings have ranged from the bizarre to the most hopeful of times, murders and killings in cold blood, violence, gore, impatience, dogmas, paranoia, and just when you believed that the world was necessarily evil, an innocent child’s charming smile brightened up the day. If God hasn’t given up hope with these species, supposingly Ashraf al Makhlooqat, who are we to pass a judgment on the its hopelessness? Each child that is born into this world signifies God’s love and belief in the Mankind and it is with this belief and the knowledge that God loves me a lot and is forever looking after me that I sit down and look towards the sun on its final journey to the West this year – 2002.