Jordan. Al Ordon. So much comes to mind at the mere mention of the word. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. I love it, and yet hatred has been filling my heart as of late. Our relationship has had its hurdles in the past, and this might as well be yet another. This post, dear readers, is another attempt at jotting down those thoughts that have been a persistent nuisance. Perhaps the act will relieve this mounting frustration of mine.
Growing up, I now realize that my thoughts had always been selectively in favor of the nation (or two) that bore witness to my early years. Ignorance was bliss. The world seemed so merry, blessed, and at peace. Now, maybe not so much. Now, my days are lined with selective avoidance of gloomy news that keeps making headlines. Death. War. Religion. Political, economic, and social woes. The list goes on. Maybe the days have had me grow a greater affinity for such happenings. Maybe I ought to give more importance to all the good (if any) happening. Maybe, just maybe.
It does seem that the more we are exposed to, the more our expectations are bound to rise. Indeed, the key to happiness, as noted by many philosophers, is to lower expectations. Expect the worst, hope for the best, they say. But I wonder, how am I to do so after seeing what the rest of the world has accomplished? How am I to restrain from being selfish? The selfishness that makes me want the same for the country that gave me my first years? Is it wrong I wonder? To have the same expectations for us, as I do for the peoples of the "developed" world.
One day, I would love to wake up to the realization that many, if not all, of these expectations have been actualized. That the people of this country, in additional to their advertised hospitality, have grown a maturity that no longer judges based on ancestral past. A maturity that has put aside differences, and now collaborates to achieve the greater good of the nation. A nation where religious texts do not dominate school books in every field, whether scientific or otherwise. Where a civil court has now assumed the full responsibility of providing equal rights to the people of the nation, regardless of gender, religion or origins.
On this same day, I would step out onto a balcony and admire a view complete with lush greenery, solar panels, and pedestrians occupying vast sidewalks. Sidewalks complete with pedestrian streetlights, street vendors, and a bicycle lane unobscured by motor vehicles. Travelling by public (bus rapid) transport is now the norm among the country's cities. I would indulge in the fact that Jordan is now almost energy independent, and take pride that we have made use of our renewable sources to their fullest. Our status as a water poor nation has been reversed, due to policies highly regulating water consumption, and requiring the construction of private water wells by every household with government subsidies provided. These policies were put in place by our now-esteemed and well-regarded parliament.
The newspaper, or e-paper, is now dominated by reports of peace, collaboration among the nations, scientific achievements, and advancements in healthcare and higher education. Jordan has been contributing actively to global research and publishes a record number of peer-reviewed papers each year. Freedom of speech and a lack of self censorship is now evident by the numerous articles delivering constructive criticism to policy makers, who now hold open-access weekly press conferences, at the plentiful public libraries dotting the governorates, to highlight their achievements as well as areas of weakness. These libraries have expanded rapidly in the past few years as a result of the nation's high literacy rate being converted into bibliophilia, the love of books that has been enforced among our population through public and private schools alike, as well as the emphasis on extracurricular reading in both higher education and the workplace.
Issue is, dear readers, I love my country, I do, but this reality is too far from the truth. The reality today is that the above does not exist and is a mere figment of my imagination. You may call me a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. (Thank you Lennon) These frustrations have been expressed by many. I love my country, but I am selfish. I want more, at a faster rate. I love my country, but it can do more. Much more. I love my country, but it cannot provide what I strive to achieve. I love my country, but it puts too many obstacles in the way. I love my country, but maybe leaving for a while is inevitable. I love my country, but...
Growing up, I now realize that my thoughts had always been selectively in favor of the nation (or two) that bore witness to my early years. Ignorance was bliss. The world seemed so merry, blessed, and at peace. Now, maybe not so much. Now, my days are lined with selective avoidance of gloomy news that keeps making headlines. Death. War. Religion. Political, economic, and social woes. The list goes on. Maybe the days have had me grow a greater affinity for such happenings. Maybe I ought to give more importance to all the good (if any) happening. Maybe, just maybe.
It does seem that the more we are exposed to, the more our expectations are bound to rise. Indeed, the key to happiness, as noted by many philosophers, is to lower expectations. Expect the worst, hope for the best, they say. But I wonder, how am I to do so after seeing what the rest of the world has accomplished? How am I to restrain from being selfish? The selfishness that makes me want the same for the country that gave me my first years? Is it wrong I wonder? To have the same expectations for us, as I do for the peoples of the "developed" world.
One day, I would love to wake up to the realization that many, if not all, of these expectations have been actualized. That the people of this country, in additional to their advertised hospitality, have grown a maturity that no longer judges based on ancestral past. A maturity that has put aside differences, and now collaborates to achieve the greater good of the nation. A nation where religious texts do not dominate school books in every field, whether scientific or otherwise. Where a civil court has now assumed the full responsibility of providing equal rights to the people of the nation, regardless of gender, religion or origins.
On this same day, I would step out onto a balcony and admire a view complete with lush greenery, solar panels, and pedestrians occupying vast sidewalks. Sidewalks complete with pedestrian streetlights, street vendors, and a bicycle lane unobscured by motor vehicles. Travelling by public (bus rapid) transport is now the norm among the country's cities. I would indulge in the fact that Jordan is now almost energy independent, and take pride that we have made use of our renewable sources to their fullest. Our status as a water poor nation has been reversed, due to policies highly regulating water consumption, and requiring the construction of private water wells by every household with government subsidies provided. These policies were put in place by our now-esteemed and well-regarded parliament.
The newspaper, or e-paper, is now dominated by reports of peace, collaboration among the nations, scientific achievements, and advancements in healthcare and higher education. Jordan has been contributing actively to global research and publishes a record number of peer-reviewed papers each year. Freedom of speech and a lack of self censorship is now evident by the numerous articles delivering constructive criticism to policy makers, who now hold open-access weekly press conferences, at the plentiful public libraries dotting the governorates, to highlight their achievements as well as areas of weakness. These libraries have expanded rapidly in the past few years as a result of the nation's high literacy rate being converted into bibliophilia, the love of books that has been enforced among our population through public and private schools alike, as well as the emphasis on extracurricular reading in both higher education and the workplace.
Issue is, dear readers, I love my country, I do, but this reality is too far from the truth. The reality today is that the above does not exist and is a mere figment of my imagination. You may call me a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. (Thank you Lennon) These frustrations have been expressed by many. I love my country, but I am selfish. I want more, at a faster rate. I love my country, but it can do more. Much more. I love my country, but it cannot provide what I strive to achieve. I love my country, but it puts too many obstacles in the way. I love my country, but maybe leaving for a while is inevitable. I love my country, but...
