Articles

I love finding new words, although at my age I'm beginning to wonder if I'm losing them faster than I'm finding them, anyway here's the new offering - Symhedonia, yep never heard of it before and what a word! It means sympathetic joy, gaining vicarious pleasure or happiness by celebrating someone else's success.

OPINION - JOHN SELLWOOD We Kiwis don't particularly like show offs, maybe that's connected to our sense of fair play and fondest for sports. We lionise our sporting heroes avidly following their careers and celebrating their success, but it's approbation with strings attached and etiquette required. Truth is, we expect our champions to respond to public applause with displays of contorted humility.

OPINION - JOHN SELLWOOD. Yes, it was all somewhat unexpected, balaclava or masked talk and poetry, my first thoughts were that social media algorithm responds to shock tactics - but I know this young man and to my knowledge he's not one who's swayed by affectation or self aggrandisement. There was going to be another reason, the answer he said was simple, "if people can't see my face they aren't judging me by what they see on the surface, instead they have to listen to what's important and that's comes from the inside."

OPINION - JOHN SELLWOOD It was beautiful to see, a new generation taking to the streets to yell 'this matters please listen'. In my day it was the 81 Springbok tour and the anti-nuclear protest movement. At one time or other, both seen as fringe issues, led by extremists intent on challenging the status quo and upsetting the powers that be. But with time comes perspective, and what was once thought extreme has a habit of becoming mainstream consensus. The future of our environment is the issue of our time, and whether you see it as emotional contagion or political action, climate change protests have ignited our youth with a sense of political purpose not seen for decades. It's democracy in action, the wild and uncomfortable belief that ordinary people, and not just policymakers or power brokers, have a legitimate say in the events that are shaping their lives. What is extraordinary of course is that the protests are led by a vanguard of school children. It's everything a young Bob Dylan wrote about fifty-five years ago when he rattled a post-war generation with his protest inspired theme song 'The times they are 'a-changin'. For parents who took part in the march, it seemed as much about supporting their children as chanting for climate change action, but then the motives are really one and the same. If we truly care for coming generations surely we must do everything in our power to sustain a thriving environment; why take risks with the wellbeing of your children? Personally, I wanted to stand alongside our young people and say well done you're not alone. Yes, I know your fear, because I can still recall my own cold war dread as a teenager. But in my day the threat of nuclear war and mutually assured destruction was only ever an imagined possibility, so how much more terrifying for today's young people? They are grappling with overwhelming scientific evidence that the day of reckoning has actually arrived. My world then and their world now are a lifetime apart; the issues and geopolitics have radically changed, but sadly there seems to be one constant that remains - a deeply held fear of a world unravelling. This is not how our children should grow-up; worried for their future. You know it, I know it, they know it, and that is why 'The times they are a-changin'. If you want confident children then gift them some hope. Video 422 10bit - using Panasonic Gh5s handheld at 50 frames for frisson. Video available to all. Music copyright and protected. I have used music for non profit education purposes only and have my fingers crossed.

OPINION - JOHN SELLWOOD What defines Christchurch beyond a shadow of a doubt is our people and their experiences. We are people of kindness and compassion. We are people who have looked each other in the face during times of crisis and seen our shared humanity. We are a people who have chosen love over hatred, collaboration over competition. We are a diverse city of many people and many needs, but we are a city that cares.