Stan’s Stuff

A column by Stan Stewart, who owns The Informer with his wife, Pauline

In Auckland, I rode the bus four or five times a week. Usually there were only a few passengers.

We observed social distancing and no one talked.

One Thursday morning was different. Two older men sitting on opposite sides of the aisle started

a conversation, the protesters at Parliament.

The man on my side boomed out, “I don’t believe that people should lose their jobs because they

are not vaccinated.”

“Right,” the woman across from me called out.

“People should be allowed to have their own opinions,” her partner interjected.

“Agreed,” the other older man boomed out. “But these people with tents and placards went too far.

I think they really wanted a riot and have an excuse to throw rocks at policemen.”

His companion replied, “It was fun for them.”

Then the one on my side had a question. “Do you think this conflict in Ukraine will lead to the third

world war?”

His friend on the opposite side replied, “If it does we will be the lucky ones - down here at the

bottom of the earth.”

Pause.

In my mind surviving at the bottom of the world while the rest of the planet was burning, was a

gloomy thought.

The friend boomed out again, “I know what will end all life on earth. It seems that these days we

all have fixed opinions and we think we’re right. And we won’t listen to others.”

The older man on the other side replied. “It’s like those protesters with placards. Everyone is

shouting at others saying, ‘I’m right and you’re wrong. Agree with me or I will throw rubbish

over you.’

The man who started the conversation said, “That is how the world will end. People, nations all

believing they are 100 percent right and the others are completely wrong. Leaders who believe this

will push the nuclear button.”

His friend replied, “Believing I am totally right and everyone else is totally wrong is very dangerous.”

“This is the way the world will end” the man on the opposite side replied.

There was no more conversation. A sombre mood had overtaken the bus.

At the terminus, the man who started the conversation paused and turned to all of us, “Have a nice

day” he said.

I felt gratitude toward him. He had said something nice.