It’s time for saying goodbye.
As I sit here—waiting for the floodgates to open, not knowing how to wrap up this column—I fault myself for not having a bombshell to drop on you, or some breakthrough headline that will change the course of American history in its tracks. I think we’re so conditioned that we expect all endings to mimic the cliffhanging drama of television season finales. But that’s not the world we live in. Sometimes, things just end… with as much or as little pomp and circumstance we choose to lend the situation.
The cruel nature of endings will often force us to examine the beginning, the prompt, the driver. When I’d made up my mind to write this column at the start of term, I knew I’d have a hard time changing peoples’ minds, never mind changing the world. But every week I sat down and shared my experience with you, in hopes that my perception would enlighten your own. That’s the writer’s drive: we think we see something that you cannot, we think we have something to say. Clearly, that’s not always the case; it also involves a healthy dose of ego.
Whatever the case, I wanted to share with you my plight—my inability to change the world around me. I wanted you to orient yourself to our situation, rather than have you levy judgement in passing. I felt then, as I feel now, as if I were alerting your attention to a baited trap whose existence I’d only discovered the hard way. Who knows whether I was successful in this endeavour.
Looking back, as the end draws ever nearer, I want to be clear that despite all the gargantuan obstacles and crippling shortcomings, I can honestly tell you that I’m hopeful. I have faith that we will weather the storm and come out cleaner on the other side. I have faith in humanity, for no other reason than, at the end of the day, I am humanity… as are you.
We are the product of our collective actions. We may destroy ourselves, our planet may wither away under our negligent stewardship. It’s only then when we’ll realise what’s important—when survival becomes the main objective. Sadly, we’re known for having to learn the hard way. But we’ll adapt, we’ll cling together, and we’ll make it through.
But till then… we continue.
And so I leave you. My deepest thanks and best wishes to you on your journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I have.
Warm regards,
Andrew Mendes