Decisions

Decisions (11)

Between two words
choose the quieter one.

Between word and silence
choose listening.

Between two books
choose the dustier one.

Between the earth and sky
choose a bird.

Between two animals
choose the one who needs you more.

Between two children
choose both.

Between the lesser and the bigger evil
choose neither.

Between hope and despair
choose hope:
it will be harder to bear.

Boris A Novak
Translated from the Slovenian by Mia Dintinjana

I imagine what it would be like to be in Bangkok right now, I imagine the despair of the week, I imagine the clasping at straws, the sigh of relief at an agreed agenda, the seeming hope of today. And I imagine how many more times we will be here.

I can imagine these things because I can know them, but I cannot feel them.

Because today I feel the joy of the sun on my back, today I feel the thrill of summer just around the corner, today I feel the love of a picnic in a London park, a picnic shared with friends, contemplating our lives, living our lives, in the here, in the now, a million miles away from the bustle of nothing that is the unfccc, in the peace of a stolen moment away from our work, in the calm of the blue sky above.

But as I lie back on the freshly mowed grass and listen to my friends conversation float around me, I do think of the decisions the unfccc must face this year. I do think how truly close we now are to the tipping point, to the end of this road, or is it to being stuck on this road forever. I do think of why I am doing this.

And I think of the calm of the blue sky above.

The unfccc will meet again 3 more times this year, the unfcc will sit and rooms in squabble 3 more times this year, the unfccc will get stuck in endless discussions over process 3 more times this year.

But as they leave Bangkok, each person walking slowly out of the air-conditioned conference centre and into the stickiness of a South East Asian night knows, that even though this scenario seems inevitable, the heart of the matter is that the unfccc must make decisions this year. Decisions on the fate of the KP, decisions on putting their money where their mouth is, decisions on the sort of future they want to create.

And as they slowly walk, as they scan out their badges for the final time, as they make their weary way back to hotel rooms high above a city bustling with lights, with lives, with life. As their heads hit the pillow, they realise, they know, they despair, at how hard this will be.

We all know how hard this will be.

But as I think and as I feel, as I look at the blue sky above, my heart tells me the answer is really quite simple.

It’s a choice on the part of ever person involved in this process, from the bottom to the top and right back down to the bottom.

It’s a choice.

The biggest decision each person involved in the unfccc has to make this year, is to choose wisely.

choose the quieter one.
choose listening
choose the dustier one
choose a bird
choose the one who needs you more
choose both
choose neither

choose hope

When there is no soul for sale, when we choose wisely, when we choose hope, the rest of the decisions will come.