The Glorious Good Fortune of Being Alive …

As I peered out of my window this morning on to a (fairly typical) Edinburgh New Year’s Day scene of sleet, rain, a howling gale and broken tree branches, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour as far as my morning walk was concerned. Instead of venturing out into the cold and wet, I retreated to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, and to enjoy scrolling through many Happy New Year wishes. My family are experts at coming up with convincing reasons not to accompany me on my walks anyway, so I felt pretty secure that the decision not to perambulate was mine to make … and on balance, I felt that in a battle of wills between me and Mother Nature, Mother Nature was likely to come off better.

Nature often has a way of reminding us that the elements are more powerful than we are, and are worthy of our respect. The sound, feel and impact of strong winds and precipitation this morning were a timely reminder that as humans, we are actually very insignificant compared to the power of our planet .… even if a Scottish gale is hardly on the scale of a tsunami or hurricane or flood or avalanche, or any of the many other powerful natural events that befell the world in 2024 (and in years previous). Nature is in charge; and as Tim Marshall reminds us in his book, Prisoners of Geography, many of the appallingly tragic human-made disasters across the globe, such as war and conflict, have their roots in how land masses have been formed (not, to be clear, that this takes any responsibility away from the human leaders who permit and encourage these).

I and my family – and all the other people who live around us, as well as most of the people I know on this planet (a tiny fraction of the 8.2 billion) - are fortunate to have shelter, warm homes, electricity and water to make a cup of tea, as well as the choice not to go outside if I don’t want to. Educators, I believe, are charged with ensuring that all the children who grow up in this world with similar good fortune really understand and recognise what they have, and, moreover, become emboldened in their quest to make the world a more equitable one for all. We start on this journey by being grateful ourselves for our own existence, and by actively, consciously, appreciating the world around us, so that we can share this appreciation with others.

I know that, as I pull together these thoughts this morning, I have amazing colleagues and friends across the world, enjoying the beauty and grandeur of our planet, from San Francisco to Switzerland, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney and every stop in between … I know that they are genuinely appreciating their good fortune, and I join them in this.

We are alive, and we have a purpose in this world, namely to contribute to making a positive difference; let us renew our commitment to this task as we embark on the 2nd quarter of this century.

Onwards and upwards! Roll on 2025!