Limelight: Comes the dawn By Lubna Abdel-Aziz As the melancholy wind of the dying year whistled away, vanishing into the gloom, it evoked a last view of the falling images of dreary days, past beyond recall. In its place a sliver of light, a sparkle of sunbeam, in the deep dark silence that follows a storm, assured the imminent coming of the dawn, with its promise of a better tomorrow. We have miraculously survived cataclysmic disasters and crashing defeats, but because of that shining tomorrow, even dire cynics acknowledge the resilience of the human spirit, to meet the new dawn. There are questions to ask, issues to settle, decisions to make, and if we consistently depend on digging within, to find our inbred humanity, we can do no wrong. An incident of the Great War (WWI, 1914--1918) comes to mind, as a strong indication of our human bondage. In the trenches of the German/French border, a sudden truce springs up on Christmas Eve 1914, when a German soldier stages a concert for the German troops. Suddenly, spontaneously, they are joined in the dark of night by the Scottish bagpipes, part of the British forces. The beautiful refrain of "Silent Night" was carried out to the French contingent, who gladly joined in. The French, German, and British forces take time off from killing each other, to celebrate Christmas together. That moment, their lives were changed forever, as the men are drawn together, as men not warriors, wishing each other peace, joy, and goodwill. The spell cannot last, and soon the shelling resumes. The comrades all face possible severe punishment for their moment of humanity on Christmas Eve. This incident, depicted in a French co-production, Joyeux Noel (2005), written and directed by Christian Carion, received general acclaim, was nominated for an Oscar, and won several international awards. It is one of the better pieces of filmmaking, with a powerful message of peace, joy and especially, our shared humanity. As we peruse our destiny in 2007, let us learn a lesson from them. They were able to embrace their humanity with all its elegance and nobility, if only for a few hours, before a darker dawn set in. With our new year upon us, offering the hope of a new beginning, we have hard tasks to undertake, and we have been handed the best tools with which to undertake them -- the knowledge of the ages, the wisdom of our forefathers, the perspicacity of our experience, and the sum of all the scientific acumen of our civilisation. Are we not then the luckiest generation of all? Was man's state of health ever better! Advances in medicine and nutrition, allow us the best quality of life in our future, but how long will that future be? We have moral and ethical subjects to fathom; we have solemn and crucial issues to ponder. Despite a genetic life span (which does not exceed 120--130 years), often curtailed by diseases, mankind is determined to defy all the odds and live forever, and medicine is right there, helping all the way. With the new dawn, "stem cells" will loom larger than ever. As soon as one organ fails, stem cells will rush to the rescue, regenerating and invigorating said organ, until the next, and the next. With brand new hearts, livers, brains, kidneys etc, then what? Do we drop dead at 120 in perfect health with perfectly functioning young organs, or do we continue to live forever, beyond our genetic allotment? Moreover we constantly seek the fountain of youth, we nip and tuck, stretch and strain, and if we finally look young and feel fit, why die at all? Would we not choose life? But life forever -- what a horrific thought! We are reminded of Jonathan Swift's classic epic, Gulliver's Travels, where in his last book, he conveys the terrifying nature of old age through the "Struldbruggs". These immortal creatures are presented as ugly, senile, and thoroughly miserable. Gulliver describes them as the most mortifying sight he ever beheld: "Not only possessing all the follies and infirmities of other older men, but many more which arose from the dreadful prospect of never dying." Is not life greatly overrated, or is it simply the only life we know? Do we then embrace stem cells, and let the chips fall where they may! These are choices we have to make individually and collectively. Modern medicine has held our hand so far, taking us from a lifespan of 35- 45 at the dawn of the last century to 70-80 today. Good nutrition and exercise are high on our list of obligations for a good life; medicine has been indefatigable in aiding and embellishing it. Diabetic patients will soon inhale their insulin; a new electronic device will "zap" away migraine pain before it starts, and for the first time, a tiny new brain sensor will allow a quadriplegic to control a robotic limb, or more, a computer cursor using thoughts alone. Scientists may have even found why some men go bald, prematurely -- what a break! Nutritionists believe a glass of orange juice a day helps prevent the recurrence of kidney stones; cherry juice may prevent muscle damage pain; a small sweet pill may be the potential cure for epilepsy. Fat is still the enemy, clogging arteries, hurting organs and spreading disease. By all means avoid the sat fats -- trans fats! Should we not take advantage of our privileged position in history in 2007! The horrors of death and war can be pushed far away in the spirit of the moment of goodwill. Our sense of humanity, our code of honour, should lead us through a better tomorrow, a brighter dawn. Let us conquer fate with a delicate heart and tender soul, however weary or sullied, like the soldiers of WWI. Lost in the arid deserts of disillusionment, can we find our way back to faith, hope, and charity? Will the new dawn witness a human race as compassionate as God intended it to be! So many worlds, so much to do, So little done, such things to be "In Memoriam", Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809--1892)
