Another Year -Let's hope it's a good one.

I've waited till today 2nd January, to write a blog about and in, this new year of 2013.

Not because I haven't any thoughts about anything - for a change, lately - but because I wanted to refrain from using all those more than well used phrases like "it's that time of year again" and "standing on the threshold" and "new beginnings" and all that stuff. There's been more than enough reviews of the old year in the media too over the last couple of weeks. The 100 best songs, books, films, tv progs, plays, E readers, Smart phones etc. Just name something and it will be in a list of "best ofs" I can guarantee. Then there's the lists of "famous" people who have died, and notifications of ones soon to be born.

It's natural I suppose to want to put the last 12 months to the back of our minds are rally forth with predictions, expectations and hopes for this next year. Mankind as a whole surely can not afford to continue with the destruction of ourselves and our world as we are doing. And yet new technology, different ways of thinking and different views on governing continue to emerge, as they have done since the beginning of time. (I was going to say, different ways of killing each other, but it's difficult not to sound sanctimonious by doing so).

This past year seems to have seen more bloodshed and more tears than many of us thought possible. We don't need to specify individual situations here - I think we all know where they are around the world.

Or maybe this is the point. 

Maybe we do have to discuss individual situations more than we already do. Maybe in the process of making this world global, multicultural and inclusive we are becoming less able to recognise that peoples and situations are different. Trying to make everyone and everything the same in the guise of inclusiveness, more than likely does not work. Treating different ailments with the same remedy is not always successful.

We can sympathise with the appalling situations in Syria, in Palestine and in Israel but we can't empathise unless we are personally involved. We look and listen today in horror to the stories coming out of Pakistan, India,  the Ivory Coast, the US and also Europe. But when all's said and done we can turn off the news, not read the papers and go online less ... we spend far too much time on the internet anyway, don't we ?

So what to do ? I make no pretensions to be able to answer that question. Many great people have and are currently always aiming to put and end to the bad and to restore and implement the good. They need our support in whatever way we can.

I've just watched an episode of  Nature's Weirdest Events. As well as exploding toads and plagues of insects it showed some very hungry polar bears coming onto land while they wait for the sea to freeze over. These bears, which would be expected to have immediately killed sleigh dogs they come across to eat, in fact changed their predatory stance and began playing with the dogs. Not only that but the polar bears return each year to meet up with their dog friends and play for hours on end. 

I'm not suggesting that we humans go out and play with polar bears (though swimming with dolphins and living with wolves is done often) 

Just that as always, nature has a way of showing us that often, animals have a better perspective on how to live life than we have. 

Here's hoping that this year takes mankind forward in our development and understanding of others and all that is around us. Perhaps, even if we don't make it 'happy', we can make the year peaceful and pleasant to live through.

Best wishes for 2013