2012 has arrived. A time for reflecting on the year gone by and looking forward to the year yet to come.
According to some people, the Mayan calendar says this will be the final year before it all ends. I hope they are as accurate as some other apocalyptic predictions about 2011. The year is likely to be dominated by the economy whether it be the rise or fall of the US, the BRIC countries coming to the fore, or even if the EU can save itself.
However, there are some major events to look forward to, for me at least. The Olympics are coming to town, London to the rest of the world and the Queen should be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee. In the USA, the election for the World's most powerful person, the POTUS, will take place. I'm sure there are other of importance around the globe.
But to put this into perspective, these are ephemeral events, their impact will last maybe a decade in the case of most, a century for other. But still fleeting by comparison to some. Near to where I live, there is a church, just a small church, still used, still open and nearly a thousand years old. There are other places like it up and down the country, reminders of things gone by. Just to look on them is to gain a bit of perspective about what these events can mean, and in reality, very few of them mean that much.
The problems we have nowadays are not unique. The are unique to us, because we are living through them for the first time. But most of them have happened before, in one form or another. The human race got through them than, and it will likely get through them again. At some point in the future, it may even learn not to do the wrong things in the first place and then its future kin will thank them for it.