The hardest things

After almost five years of writing a weekly column in The Jordan Times, only interrupted when I joined Dr Hani Mulki’s Cabinet, I say farewell. A Moira Rogers quote says, “the two hardest things to say in life are hello for the first time and goodbye for the last.”

I still believe that this may not be the last goodbye. As Robert Frost says in his famous poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”: But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

The sleep here is not the big one, but rather a warrior’s rest. This warrier sticks to the Paulo Coelho quote, “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”

My story began in the early days of The Jordan Times in the mid 1970s. I started a weekly column titled “Econoscope”. After four years, I became a minister for five-and-a-half years. Once free again to write, I started a new column called “Red and Black”. Then, I resumed writing in the early days of the new century.

It was fun writing my nameless 400-word columns. My target audience was foreign readers, diplomats and Arabs who are well-versed in English. The response of the readers and social media users to my writings was mostly favourable, or respectfully opposed to the ideas expounded in them.

I have been quoted by many media outlets in both Jordan and abroad. The Jordan Times has been part of my career life, and I am indebted to all its editors-in-chief, starting with Rami Khouri, Ayman Safadi, Samir Barhoum and last, but not least, Mohammed Ghazal. Other people who worked diligently to edit my writings and to whom I owe a debt of gratitude, I say thank you.

It is not goodbye. But I have a heap of fixed commitments to which I must give one hundred per cent effort. Thus, I say, “until we meet again”.

Until then, I will not be a stranger. I may write sporadically on issues on which I find my opinion to be relevant.

Thank you, readers. It has been a joyride.