We are now counting down the days to Christmas Day and another new year.
Perhaps this is an apt time to remind ourselves about vigilance and being proactive.
We are in the festive season.
A couple of things can be expected at this time of the year.
The movement of people around the country peaks annually around this period.
We may not be anywhere near the massive numbers associated with the annual Chinese Spring Festival for instance, but we still have our own logistical nightmares.
The annual Spring Festival is arguably the world’s largest movement of humanity and the largest seasonal migration on the planet.
There is more than 4000 years of history tightly linked to it.
While the movement here at home is on a smaller scale, we still have large groups of people moving around the country.
Many people will visit family and friends around the country.
With children on their annual school holidays, families will take time out for holidays, picnics and to attend family functions away from home.
This is an opportunity for families to organise functions, ranging from weddings to fundraising for special projects, and to visit villages for traditional events.
Our roads are going to be busy.
Inter-island ferries are expected to brim with passengers and even the fibre-glass punts are expected to make brisk business across our waters.
The festive season cuts through every imaginary demarcation line in our nation because Fijians have many reasons to celebrate.
As we look forward to our trips, let’s be mindful of safety issues.
Let’s not forget that we are well into the cyclone season.
This calls for vigilance.
Let’s embrace the festivities, but still keep a tab on the weather.
We each have obligations to meet, and things to plan and do over this break.
There are gift ideas to ponder on, school stationery to consider for the students next year and fun ideas to plan for.
There are meal plans, clothes to wear, decorations to put up and just generally embracing the hype of the festive season.
So as we look forward with great excitement to the festivities ahead of us, let’s do the wise thing and plan our journeys well.
Let’s plan to arrive at our various destinations on time and alive.
Let’s plan to celebrate with our family and loved ones.
