The Between Times

So, we have survived the End Times and are now traversing the Between Times. It's between Christmas and New Year, where the hype and commercialism of celebration are followed by the manic stampede to the sales and then the sudden realisation that life is not made happier by things and possessions. As a bolt out of the blue it hits us - a new year is upon us and what have we done? What have we really achieved? What is yet to be done and achieved in the year ahead?
Reviews are not a bad thing although too much rumination on the past can be unhealthy, particularly if the path is strewn with regret and unresolved issues. Alternatively the Between Times can be put to good advantage by listing what it is that produces zest in one's life. Who has added in a positive way to your experience? What has given you joy and a feeling of contentment and satisfaction? Following the doom and gloom of the prophesies of the End Times we have been given a second chance since we are all still here and the world goes on around us.
Dates are totally arbitrary, based on calendars which have superimposed a system of time measurement upon the turning of the clock. The Gregorian calendar of the Western cultures does not comply to those followed by Islamist or Judaic year cycles. So why celebrate Christmas and New Year in the deep mid-winter? The traditions go far back in time. The celebration of the winter solstice as the shortest day in the yearly cycle gave great encouragement in times of darkness as the return of the sun promised lengthening days and an imminent increase of light and warmth. The return of the sun / son is of course what Christmas is all about.
In post modern times the return of the sun / son has taken on new meaning. We have electricity which powers light and sources of warmth for our own personal use as well as for growing foods throughout the year whilst the emergence of a saviour is now considered to be a joint effort. We all have the choice and chance to raise our conscious awareness of what is happening around us and to stand up for what we believe in. 2012 has seen revolution spread across the globe alongside an exponential rise in organised community projects on both local and global scales. I believe 2013 will further anchor this energy into a positive zeal for cooperation and mutual understanding. That is my wish and what I shall strive towards.