It surely must be an age thing when all you really want for Christmas is some peace and quiet; well not all, but certainly not an extended overseas trip to some exotic pacific island retreat or a couple of weeks of all night booze fuelled parties.
Now don’t get me wrong, I would never call myself a wowser, but I guess the ‘been there done that’ factor has finally begun to outweigh the thrill and contemplation of places and experiences unknown.
In any event you would have to say 2008 has been a pretty traumatic year, no matter how you look at it.
And whilst the global financial meltdown has tended to overshadow all the other issues, it has in fact been a ‘biggie’ on the political scene as well with, in order, a new US President, a new Prime Minister in Australia and a new Premier in NSW.
On the personal side of things, the death of a sibling, a serious illness and major storm damage to the family home, have marked the past 12 months as a one of the worst I can ever recall… but still it did have its bright spots.
And that I guess is what we all have to consider when we reflect and ponder on the year gone and what the next twelve months have in store for us, because no matter what religion or philosophy late December and New Year are the time of year when, unlike the other fifty or so weeks we actually spend some time seriously examining our personal lives spread over time, i.e. take a good look at the big picture or helicopter view.
I hear someone say, yeah that’s why suicides go up at this time of year, and they would be right, but the point I’m trying to make is that for about 95 per cent of our lives we concentrate on just living. In business consulting circles they call this crisis management and, at Christmas time, the other 5 per cent, there is an opportunity to make some important decisions for your future… in addition to having a good time with family and friends, that is.
Perhaps surprisingly, when many of my friends are retired or at least contemplating it, I still have quite a Wish List. But, to be fair, the list does change… like, I’m not still trying to cross off items that have been on the same list twenty years or so.
I would like to think my new list is in fact more achievable than in years gone by, certainly accumulating ‘some’ wisdom must be about the only thing going for getting older.
Let’s face it, there’s nothing like a good cliché to sum up eternal truths. I’m sure we’ve all heard: life’s a journey… not a destination.
This works for me, since I believe ultimately we all end up in the same place, so just buckle up and enjoy the ride!
PLEASE NOTE: This is the final issue for the year.
We will be back online week commencing 19 Janury2009.
Have a great holiday break! | 
