On the occasion of Bahrain's 38th National Day, as I sit down to write this, I find myself hoping that I am not just going to write the same old fluff that people write on national days. I am not sure how to do this, but I think the best way is to be honest; to maintain a balance by not painting a far prettier picture than reality, whilst also giving Bahrain the credit it deserves.
Once upon a time, when we were kids, National Day meant singing and dancing in the school celebrations, and also a few days off school. Whilst we still get a few days off school - or work, for us "grown ups" - which perhaps makes us a little bit more excited about this annual date, its useful to also reflect on the current state of Bahrain.
Sure, we've come a long way: big, shiny buildings, nice(r) roads, and international events like the annual Grand Prix. For a country the size of Bahrain, we’ve certainly outdone some of our neighbours. However, having said that, and at risk of being accused of not being patriotic enough, I think there is still a lot of work to be done. I say this because no country is perfect, and while a utopian state may be hard to achieve we should strive for it. While considerable developments have been achieved in health, education, business and of course political reform, there is so much more to be done. I am optimistic, however, that by 2030 all that we want to achieve, and more, will be reality; just as the Vision sets out.
What I hope is clear, however, is that I am not talking about big shot businessman and the people we see pictures of in the papers. Call me naïve, but I truly believe that by striving for excellence in anything and everything we do, we are either directly or indirectly helping build the Bahrain of 2030. Whether its in your job as a PA to so-and-so, or the guy who pumps the gas (yes, Bahraini’s do actually work in gas stations here), or simply obeying traffic rules (after all, Manama is starting to sound more like Beirut because of the excessive use of horns), if we do things a little bit better than usual, we are already closer to 2030.
On the occasion of Bahrain's 38th National Day, as I sit down to write this, I find myself hoping that I am not just going to write the same old fluff that people write on national days. I am not sure how to do this, but I think the best way is to be honest; to maintain a balance by not painting a far prettier picture than reality, whilst also giving Bahrain the credit it deserves.