Factoring Better Times Ahead?

Do you know anybody who owns the future?

We seem to live in a society where blaming others and defaming their character is becoming acceptable.We have seen this in the US Presidential campaign and also around the world. Everybody is not what he or she claims to be? We should not attack the person,we should deal with the issue at hand. Instead, of dealing with the issue, we attack their character.

Character assassination does not accomplish anything.positive. It leaves only anger,resultant bitterness and shame. The question that pops out, is why?

There may be many issues, many reasons. We all know there are no such thing as a certainty in the future. As we become able to access knowledge, anything you need, any time,anywhere.Yet we live in incredible times where the only constant is change.The future we are told is better than what we think?

Life in Sri Lanka and life abroad

There seems to be a disconnect between the life lived in Sri Lanka and  life abroad. If that is such an issue why do many want to come here in the first place and why do they want to stay here? Why on earth are many desperate to leave Sri Lanka and live in London? I may guess, the grass is always greener on the other side. But what do I remember of my youth in Sri Lanka?

As a small island we were used to a close knit family life.When I was in Sri Lanka I got to experience many different environments all within one small island. Sri Lanka had a hot,steamy climate, when it rained,it thundered and when it was breezy,it was balmy.We had a variety of landscapes, hills,rivers, beaches and wild life sanctuaries.

Everyone knew everyone else down the street, There was a parochial feel,perhaps to coexist in a more harmonious way to nature. We thought of our homes as wellness generators rather than isolated residences. Quite naturally,we came to be very inquisitive.Hardly, would we think,"Oh,that is not my problem, as everybody's problem, was our problem." What an interesting predicament?

We thought of mother nature, our ocean,our earth ,our environment as something tangible.We hardly can be accused of not being close to nature in more ways than one.. 

The most noticeable difference between life in Sri Lanka and life in UK is the completely different spatial experience. I live in a suburb of London, yet close to the city and I do have to commute. By coming here I have in some ways expanded my creativity. 

What do I want for Sri Lanka in the future?

My vision for Colombo,the capital of Sri Lanka, in the future is a dream city designed for humans and not for cars. There must be places for people to walk down the street, to cycle to work, to be able to interact with people. Regrettably, autos and three wheelers have commandeered too much living space. Much of the City as seen from the air has changed There is too much concrete,asphalt, the flow of goods and people has changed what I used to know. 

When I visited Colombo a year ago, I walked from Bambalapitiya to Kollupitya to Green Cabin to sample the food I used to taste when I was a young lad. I walked the length of Marine Drive parallel to the railway lines, mainly to experience a stroll down the beach. 

How can we enhance the quality of life?   

Cities, if not parts of cities need to be planned to be greener and more open,more walker friendly.We need to plant more trees, more flowering trees. We need patient grooming of these roadside shades. More than most we need to integrate water and wind to produce cool air in our homes and in our office spaces. 

As we are bound to see an acceleration in the rate of change as Colombo becomes a megapolis in the years ahead, let us not forget what made our city, nature's paradise in years past.