As we are thankfully picking ourselves up and attempting to dust off the dust dirt and grime of the horrific economic ravages of the near past, it is with immense gratitude that we are able to get some fuel, have shorter power cuts and see a bit of stability come back into our lives. This is also a time when we look with renewed hope as our beautiful country is highlighted as a safe and tourist friendly destination again, which would herald the coming of brighter times for the tourism sector as well. 

Seemingly improved situations however does not mean that we should develop selective amnesia and forget the trials and tribulations that have given us such distress, that the nation seemed to crumble before our very eyes. Having some semblance of much needed normalcy creep back into the lives of our people does not mean that everything is perfect and as such we should remember to minimize the strain’s we each sometimes so haphazardly put on daily quotas of resources. 

How many of us see chauffeurs sitting in idling vehicles with air conditioning on icicle inducing blasts, because their bosses would absolutely collapse if they were to get into a vehicle that did not have the temperatures of Norway in November? Yes, I do understand that the humidity in our tropical isle may not be the most comfortable at times, and yes for those who were born and lived in the climes of Norway, this weather may take a little getting used to, but for someone originally hailing from the backwaters of some hamlet in the deep south of Sri Lanka, or from some nook in the dry zone, seriously, stop being ridiculous. Yes. a bead of sweat may appear on a makeup caked brow, or a strand of hair may frizz, but nothing truly dangerous would take place if the vehicle one gets into is slightly warm and balmy! These usually ‘crinkly’ well-off folks, as new money makes a crinkly sound, seem to relish in their delusions that “waste is the new black!”  

We see folks who are determined to flaunt the fact that fuel lines mean nothing to them, that regulations are for ‘the others,’ and quotas are to be scoffed at! How could a family of four be expected to all travel in the same direction in the same vehicle? I mean if they have the vehicles at home should they not be each in a separate one? Perish the thought that the imaginary onlookers think that they had only one car! So it’s with glee that they watch their carbon footprint soar through the stratosphere because the priority here is to simply prove that they have more than the next person. I sometimes wonder if they with their gas guzzling tanks realize that fossil fuel is truly limited and that no matter what self acclaimed social status, they may believe themselves to be from, unless they have a direct pipeline to some yet undiscovered fuel reserve somewhere on this planet, fossil fuel is not going to be on a never ending supply! 

Those who have the ‘smarts’ to have the smart cars and the means to get them are few and far between because as a nation we are still not at that point of consumer driven availability. So for many folks their choices are a direct link to what will happen in the future. We all are guilty of wasting fuel, behaving like we were nieces and nephews of the King of Saudi Arabia and driving around with irresponsible abandon. 

As we evolve and our knowledge and understanding of not just situations that are fluid in Sri Lanka, but world crises deepen, we need to edit our choices and behavior in order to align with our own future survival. I know for a fact quite a few people who, like us have re-evaluated their day-to-day consumptions, and done so successfully where they have seen results in absolute positivity. From giving a little thought to routing oneself to get more errands completed in one go, to realizing that planning purchase etc. can also reduce the need to constantly visit the stores, the outcomes have been wonderful to see. On the flip side we have those who think that walking 25 feet to get to a location would be hazardous to their health and those who drive to a favored socially viable location, in order to walk or run. 

Many of these same ‘delusional divas’ also need their homes maintained at near arctic temperatures that would make a polar bear beg for some hint of warmth. Yes, global warming has thrown our climates into a state of change, and yes it can be warmer than ever before, but that does not mean that these folks need to parade around their ‘ice castles’ channeling Elsa from ‘Frozen.’ Maybe they should be singing ‘let it go’ when it comes to their air-conditioning remotes! So happily they over-use electricity because after-all since they sometimes resemble Santa’s helpers with their clothes and makeup, why not actually live like them, ensconced in the cold winds of the north pole. If one is born and raised in Sri Lanka, and not counting the short vacations overseas, one should be, I should think, somewhat acclimated to our temperatures. It could also be that many of these ‘wasters’ have never ever seen or paid a utility bill, so why bother with worrying about consumption. In their cavernous minds, that would be something for ‘the others’ to worry about. For those with their solar panels, and also those who realize what is happening around them and have controlled and intelligent use of their household appliances, bravo I say, and more power to set and lead by example. To the other snow-bunnies and snowmen, I would suggest a touch of reality with a healthy dash of responsibility. 

As we very slowly maneuver through these uncertain days, keeping a sharp eye on the compass of reality is a must, in order to simply survive. Everyone is entitled to their luxuries and more the merrier as long as those luxuries do not drain the ‘shared resources’ that we all depend on. When we have limited electricity and the overall is shared by school children desperate to have illumination in order to further illuminate their minds, we in our social responsibility, need to know the meaning of ‘shared’ and also behave accordingly. It is the actions that each of us takes that shape not just tomorrow but the days and years to come. Keeping mindful while enjoying our own lives is no longer a catchy phrase for a tee shirt or a meme, but a process that could, and would shape the future direction of our beautiful nation.