Lost for words

This is the time of year one attempts to sum up the past 12 months … but I’m lost for words. 

It feels like the past 36 months (or thereabouts) has cast a “pandemic pall”, blanketing something creative, so that putting words together seems somewhat inadequate ... even meaningless. No, not meaningless ... just inadequate.

On reflection, I think I know what it is. For anyone who (at their own risk) attempts to follow deeper trends in the global news cycle, there are such big and depressing existential issues in circulation, that writing about local issues seems to be of little consequence. But, “No, stop!” I tell myself … “you’re falling into that trap! Remember that adage ‘think global act local’” … or something to that effect. 

Also, there is that well-trodden path of stoicism, which points out that some things are in our control and others are not. The stoic’s mantra would be something like “work out what matters and focus on what you can control”. Sounds good to me.

Focusing on the positives, we are very fortunate in the inner north-west of Melbourne. We have good local government, we have good schools, and we have active and “progressive” local organisations. 

I want to add that we have some good media too! Not all communities are so fortunate. I have written before in this column that, as a consequence of our role (or our charter), we in the Kensington Association tend to focus on the negatives … what’s not so good, what could be better? I believe we need to be mindful of both – the good and the not so good.

Our federal leaders have been forecasting 2023 to be challenging on a number of fronts. The good news is that we have community “positives” to help us weather whatever is “served up”. On a personal level I think I’ll embrace the stoic’s mantra and hope I can break through the clouds from that “pandemic pall”. •