what are you willing to give up for a life more meaningful? for a world more equitable?
Reflections for the new year
It’s been a while since I’ve felt optimistic about the beginning of a new year. Time passes, and years end, and we don’t magically get a fresh start once the ball drops. This year, we are carrying over a live-streamed genocide. I heard the fireworks when the clock struck midnight and thought about the privilege of hearing explosions and yet knowing you and your home and your loved ones are safe.
I thought about this passage from Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam,1 a book I started in 2020 and just picked back up to finish at the end of 2023:
"You told yourself you'd be attuned to a holocaust unfolding a world away, but you weren't. It was immaterial, thanks to distance. People weren't that connected to one another. Terrible things happened constantly and never prevented you from going out for ice cream or celebrat…
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