February 2003

Houston, we have some problems

Can you recall waking up in the morning witnessing some bad news being shown on TV? Here are some events that has left some impact so deep that I can still vividly remember well.

One event was the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The news came while I was staying at a B&B in Vilhemina, Sweden. An Arab leader was killed because he was working for peace and co-existence with Israel. Despite getting the news in Swedish, I was still able to comprehend what happened.

While I was on assignment in our London office in 1989, I recall the massacre of Chinese dissidents (students) in Tianamen Square. The impact on me was so huge I was compelled to participate at a protest-vigil at the Chinese Embassy in London.

In 2001, the event with the biggest impact (to everyone for sure) was the September 11 attacks against the USA. The carnage showed the vulnerability of the U.S. home front and proved that the fight has now been brought to home turf, my home turf. Sad to say, there are now and still have terrorists in our midst.

Once again, I felt some sadness when I awoke to video news clips of the Space Shuttle Columbia breaking apart as it attempted to re-entered the earth's atmosphere... with seven unaware astronauts doomed.

This left me to ponder on why these events happen and what it really means. What is the purpose for all these? Are we and is our world really doomed?  Even complex computer calculations cannot comprehend  what is going on. Perhaps, Nostrodamus is rolling over in his grave and his prophesies really are true. 

Well... maybe not.

Despite all the adversities and all the craziness in the world - we eventually overcome and, in time, made the world a little better. But we must continue to try harder to change the bad with the good. 

We are just human beings. From above the skies, the earth is just a ball... all earthlings - are all the same.

The Shuttle Columbia astronauts pursuits were of something more noble, something that should be emulated. We need to open our minds and really make the world a better place to be... The world is ours but it is very fragile... and so is each and everyone else.