By Monsi A. Serrano
“Tough year, eh!” Canadians would say.
The truth is, tough is an understatement. For me, it was a soul-breaker year as many lives were lost, many people lost their jobs, and many leaders still remain groping in the dark on what to do with the coronavirus pandemic.
Last November 5, The Washington Post hailed Australia for almost having eliminated the coronavirus by putting faith in science. Yes ladies and gentlemen, science — not on their retired generals! And this is something that fanatics do not understand in our country. Why give key posts to mostly retired generals, along with competent sounding titles like “czar”?
You may assign them these titles – testing czar, treatment czar, tracing czar, isolation czar and vaccine czar, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. How have they been performing? Have they contributed to the abatement of the coronavirus?
The number of cases speaks for itself. If the cases of COVID19 continue to rise, then it means these czars turned out to be nakakaa-czars (annoying), and their titles are but curls on the tails of the pigs. It doesn’t serve the purpose, but somehow it tickles the ham.
I am not saying I am better off than them. Neither am I trying to be condescending. But I believe their mental framework and execution of plan is more of tactical than strategic. This is what makes them different from how other countries deal with the pandemic.
But you do not apply tactical approach in dealing with the uncertain and lingering problem like the pandemic. It is a long-term issue that needs to be dealt with carefully. That being said, it therefore needs a strategic approach with long-term goals and objectives based on where you want to see that state of your country in the midst of the pandemic, given the fact that lives are at stake here. These are lives of those who will be infected with the virus, and those who will lose their business, jobs and die of hunger.
As of this writing, the Philippines has 474,064 COVID-19 cases and 9,244 deaths. To be alive is something I have to be grateful for as we reach the end of 2020, and this should also be the attitude of those who are reading this. You can still read this, regardless of your visual acuity because you are alive.
In a few hours, we will be welcoming another year, and perhaps, the best way to welcome 2021 is through a PRAYERFUL attitude. For almost a year, we were deprived of going to Church or House of Worship to pray. But the best way to deal with the unknown or what lies ahead of us is through prayers.
For us Catholics, we often hear the prayer, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Yes, we all need the prayers and supplications for a better year. Let’s turn away from the agony brought by 2020, because no matter we do, there is no way we can turn back time and start all over again.
That year is now gone, and we are heading to another chapter of our life, and the best way we can face it is to welcome 2021 with HOPE.
HOPE springs ETERNAL, and as we welcome this 2021 with the vaccine on the horizon, let us welcome what the great Soren Kierkegaard said and I quote, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
Let’s not forget to be GRATEFUL, PRAYERFUL and HOPEFUL.
Happy and Blessed 2021 to you and your loved ones.
Carpe diem!
