The 2020s, new horizons and new hope.
The 2020s are but a hairsbreadth away. New horizons and opportunities are fast approaching.
As the clock is ticking down, I reflect upon the dying embers of this decade. The dreams were realized and what opportunities were lost...
This decade was met with many personal achievements, two Engineering Degrees, travelled the world, worked on wonderous Space projects, was on TV & even a movie, ran animation projects, got a Cat, fell in love & even had my heartbroken.
One of the final 'Space' animations that I helped to commission
Despite that, for a few years, I had contended with ISIS. Their ignorance and malice had to be countered, and at that time no one in the UK seemed to take the threat seriously. I contacted politicians, charities, universities but my calls were met with silence. With great difficulties, I became a PMC (Private Military Contractor) and spent several years in the Middle East, bringing and supporting education and STEM to Iraq, Syria and Turkey. The only cure to ignorance is knowledge however to do so required a stringent hand.
"A Harmless Man Is Not A Good Man. A Good Man Is A Very Dangerous Man Who Has That Under Voluntary Control" Jordon Peterson
My PMC training as featured on France 24
It is said that "If you wanna make enemies, try to change something." Of which I can attest. Whilst I was running the Aid & education projects in the Middle East, I made many enemies. Not just the Jihadi type but by the hate-filled vacuous ignorant fools who spout hate & ignorance, without thinking. Those type of "well to do" morons who cannot contemplate life outside of twitter, let alone the harsh realities of life outside of the West.
When I spoke out about ISIS, I was branded as an Islamaphobe. Despite my partner being a Muslim, and myself being welcomed throughout the Middle East.
When I spoke out about the danger of mass migration of migrants from the M.E to the E.U, I was branded a 'racist'. Despite teachers in Iraq expressing their fear of losing the few good students to the E.U and how this robbed their communities of Doctors & Engineers.
This 'barrage' of ignorance cost me friends, clients, and work in the UK. Of which, that money would have funded projects that would have helped thousands of Syrian refugees... Yet, with limited resources, I continued despite the damage that ignorance caused. I cut my cloth to suit, I bought second-hand clothes, slept on floors, taught lessons to refugees and kept moving on despite the troubles I faced from the UK.
Regardless of my experiences in the M.E, I lost people whom I loved. It's the curse of getting older, the older you get the more of your loved ones you leave behind. It is important to remember how fragile yet, how wonderful life can be. The small moments you spend with someone can be the best moments of your life... And the moments you miss the most.
In the dying months of this year, I was diagnosed with a chronic long term illness. Surgery may help, it may not. But such is life. We win some, we lose some, but we gotta keep moving on. No matter how hard life hits us. I have two choices, to go in the corner and cry or to drag myself up and fight my way through this illness then hopefully get back on with my life. Every ounce of success in life comes with a struggle and this struggle I will fight.
The 2020s will bring us many new opportunities, new technologies, cures, and friendships. I hope for all of us it will bring us happiness, wealth, and some bloody good memories.
No matter what you do, I hope that you enjoy yourself, appreciate the small moments in life but also have a larger vision of yourself. We all have great potential, potential that can be unlocked with a greater vision of ourself and hours upon hours of hard grafting. You can achieve your goals in the coming decade and I hope that you do so.
Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be.”
To all of you, I wish you all the best! May the future bring you hope, joy, love and success.
Take care,
Dave.