Joe Otin

My wife and I are incredibly grateful to be in the wonderful and magnificent city of Melbourne. Please put your hands together if you agree that Melbourne is one of the greatest cities on earth. 

It is also one of the furthest places on the planet. So, we came early in order to overcome the jet lag and as we experienced the many delights of the city, we visited the Melbourne Museum. There, we came across then Sutr Santati exhibition that is celebrating 75 years of India’s independence by showcasing 75 hand-woven textiles that reflect India’s identity.

Sutr Santati means ‘continuity of thread’ in Hindi. The title is a metaphor for ongoing dialogue in culture and society which shapes its evolution.

The subtitle is the most powerful, and links directly to the conversations we will have today. 

Then. Now. Next. 

Then, now, next, reminds me that Rotary has been around for 117 years. We have seen two world wars, three pandemics, four technological revolutions, five global recessions, and during that time the world population has grown by six billion. This proves that we can adapt to change and resilience is our middle name… Rotary ‘Resilience’ International.

And as we approach todays subject that lays out the fabric of our culture and existence woven with the infinite thread of our continuity, let us reflect on the sentiments of George Bernard Shaw…

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

Then. Now. Next.

(This ‘thought of the day’ was presented at a luncheon during the Rotary International Convention held in Melbourne, Australia)