Dear 2016,

I really cannot wait to bid adieu to you. In the annals of my 42 year old existence, you top the “horrible years I survived” list. Personally and historically for the world at large, you have been a battering ram of a year.

The very same two score and two years have taught me that things are never as black as they seem and to appreciate the happy moments in life and cherish them. To invoke their joyful comfort when our worlds seem hopeless and shrouded in dark grey gloom.

This year however, even that ability has been stretched to such a limit that I am ready to snap. The happies are so few that they are super easy to remember. However, they are so closely followed by the saddies that one wonders if they did ever happen or were they a figment of one’s imagination. And anyway, how long can one last on re-runs when we want fresh positive episodes in the saga of our lives and are constantly striving to do so. Idiomatically, have been hanging by a thread to the feeblest of hopes, scraping through tough times by the skin of my teeth and grinning and bearing much muck. As for the phrase, “this too shall pass”, I felt like the teachers in Bihar who must have said this for each unworthy they gave glowing grades to, while collecting much grease for their palms. Having gained neither grades not grease, I harbour a grouse about being put through a wringer of a revolution around the Sun.

Every attempt to ride out the troughs and crests in the graph of life with equanimity and patience has been an uphill task to the tune of scaling the Everest on an escalator coming down. Physically and mentally exhausting and mostly fruitless. The occasional triumphs feature in the all too small list of the “Spirit Survival Kit”. Your Bond-like attempts to shake us up Martini-esquely have stirred hornet’s nests galore and the earth and its peoples are battered and bruised. In fact, you managed a couple of physical ones on my knee via a well placed trip on the stairs!

From man-made to nature’s wrath, you have been chock full of disasters, bad news and negativity. Wars, air disasters, fires, murders, referendums, disastrous election choices and close to home-almost continuous disharmony followed by an enforced cash crunch which is chewing the common man to bits while the culprits are still rolling in the lard. A seemingly endless and ever growing list of punches delivered swiftly and speedily, in a volley of blows that left the world reeling. Distributed lemons with such a heavy hand that the world has turned sour!

What happened 2016, to make you so angry with us? Of course as humans (though often in-human) we are flawed. But as an older, wiser and experienced entity, surely you had methods to show us the error of our ways? Could we not have talked about it and found a solution? Maybe we could have hugged away some of your unhappiness. Or held your hand to soothe your angst. Had some coffee and doughnuts and cried about it. Felt better. The solution might have been in communication. Did you have to unleash your unfettered fury on us?

Then again, perhaps you did communicate with us and we were not willing to listen. So hung up were we on “right” and “wrong” and black and white that the wholesomeness that exists in rainbows and definitely in the various shades of grey eluded us. We chose strife and closed doors. The peace of acceptance and love passed us by. The few who did try were trampled over by the multitudes that didn’t.

Dementors everywhere.

The skies have a dull cast.

Dismal.Despondent.Disappointing.

The world at large.

War.Crime.Apathy.

Drowning out peace.

Bigotry.Prejudice.Anarchy.

Abounding hostilities.

As before often

Mankind learns no lessons.

Just repeats the horrors

Changes not from its past.

The smiles are stitled.

The lights too bright.

Festìvities seem forced.

Fakely determined to find a good side.

Is there one but?

Fear.Restlessness.Mistrust.

Disquiet.Disgust.

The world is stuck in their rut.

Fearless. Happy. At ease.

Is it a possibility please?

While I hold on to the handful of happy times with all I have (because for 2016, they ARE all I have), I let go of the rest of you 2016. You will not be forgotten in a hurry and the messages and lessons you conveyed possibly never. Hopefully 2017 will be kinder and heal the wounds you heaped on us.

Your’s painfully,

A harrowed human.

P.S. 2 days for you to go….take a break ?