No more than anyone can I say with any certainty when the many current crises that envelop the world will pass. Even though our leaders and politicians try to tell us things will get better, they don’t know when that will be. Looking back at history, all crises have passed; wars have ended, pandemics have faded, and famines, floods, and other natural disasters have been alleviated to a more or lesser degree. Today’s many crises may seem apocalyptic, but I believe man, our ingenuity and instinct for self-survival will win out, and things will get better. History’s on our side, and man’s intelligence, knowledge, and problem solving just get better. Gloom hides out the positive, but pain is always followed by better times, like sun follows the rain.
On the climate crises I’m less optimistic, but believe today’s climate catastrophes all around the world – intense heat, extreme floods, severe draught, and water shortages will drive leaders and politicians to act, the result of inaction basically untenable. We’re not too late. Taking action, however unpalatable, will mitigate and slow down the effects of climate change.
~
New book: I’m just finished writing Revelations – how tragedy and a man’s search for his unknown father reveal the sad truth about his parents. Available soon.
My recent publications
Otto and Frankie, my latest novel, about a dying man’s fight against injustice, his wife’s unusual affair, and the love from his long-lost daughter.
Otto and his daughter Frankie could not be more different. He’s rich, an acclaimed author, human rights activist, and lives in England. She lives in New York, just about survives from one pay cheque to the next and hasn’t seen or spoken to her father for twenty years. Dutifully reunited by his impending death, she’s amazed to find him a kind and noble man who, while grappling with his wife’s bizarre affair, champions for the world’s forgotten and dispossessed to his last. After Otto’s death, Frankie’s admiration for her father leads her into a dangerous and life changing pursuit.
Life in four stories
Four shorts: two about life, love, and death; one a poignant and disturbing memory that dangles a question unanswered; and one a wild fantasy – plus the first chapter of my latest book, Otto and Frankie.
All proceeds of this book go the INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC), who help the most vulnerable communities fight COVID – 19. Thank you to all who have bought it.
Nick Wastnage 