When unexpected problems arise, it is natural that they are given special attention and that emergency measures are taken to counter them. This needs to be done but doing it should not be taken as all there is to it.
The factors that have led to the emergency need to be understood. It cannot be taken for granted that they will not be repeated. If they do recur, they can no longer be considered as emergencies arising out of the blue but as occurrences for which appropriate safeguards neeeded to be put in place. The most obvious instances of this latterly were the pandemic and the crises in the supply of electricity and energy during the hot summer months.
Still there are other emergencies about which we must focus: like the way by which the age structure of the “Maltese” people (meaning those born in Malta) is changing; and the way by which the number of non-Maltese residents are multiplying. One could also refer to the traffic problems; or the laws and regulations applicable to construction projects. When and if crises erupt in these sectors, surely they cannot continue to be considered as “emergencies”.
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POLITICS AND FOOTBALL
Frequent comparisons are made between politics and football. In both, a succession of competitions take place which must come to an end with the victory of one side and the loss of the other. Winner takes all, loser loses all.
Still this is a distorted comparison. In football, the win is really and truly all there is. In its wake, only other competitions will follow. By contrast in politics, victory is followed by a period during which the winner gets to govern a country. And needs to show skill not just by way of winning but also by way of running the its administration.
Similarly, I was struck by the contrast to which my attention was drawn not so long ago, just after I had compared the business of insurance brokers to that of travel agencies. The latter have been badly hit by the rise of the internet and of low cost air travel. People are taking direct personal charge of their travel plans. Not so, I was told: the service that insurance brokers provide is more complicated and has a much longer duration than the holiday service provided to consumers.
The victorious party must run a country. After clinching a contract, an insurance broker must continue to monitor it.
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TOMORROW
I would guess there is nothing more tiring after having worked hard to help organize the village feast than having to prepare for what needs to be done on the day after the festa. Even less so if the whole occasion has been a roaring success.
While all the others will be going back to their everyday life or staying at home to nurse the effects of what has been eaten and drunk to excess, one needs to ensure that the cleaning and the clearing of streets from all obstructions have been or will be done, and that all decorations are going to be dismantled. True, such chores can be postponed for some hours, perhaps days too, but the fact that they need to be carried out will continue to weigh one down. And then, one hardly gets any recognition for having taken on such an assignment. Which is why I have always admired festa organizers for the enthusiasm they continue to display year in, year out.