Hopeful life portrait

I saw real life today, captured like an incredible portrait in a gallery. It made me feel joy.


There was a lot of traffic on Victoria road this morning. 2 lanes this way, 3 back the other. It was drive, drive, stop traffic. Multiple red light traffic. Not crawl along steadily traffic. The stops are extended, then you drive on a while and stop again. One of my stops was epic.


To my left was a bus stop bench, it was perfectly framed by the steel tray of a working Ute. Right angles, shinning metal and scuff marks. On the other side there was a silver/grey SUV style mum rig. Both vehicles stopped to block out the rest of the world from my view and leave only the bus stop and 2 teenager waiters.


One boy sat with his bag beside him, a private school uniform (shirt, tie, shinny black shoes). He looked to be in grade 10 and was lethargically plonked onto his half of the bench. The boy was paralysed by his phone. The only movement he showed was the rhythmic scrolling of his right thumb, every other part of his person sat inert on the bench.


Next to him was a slightly younger student, end of year 7, but big for his age is my guess. He wore a public school uniform (sports shoes, PE shorts and polo shirt), his bag was on his back and he sat with chin on hand and elbow on knee. Everything about this kid shouted “I AM BORED”. He looked down the rows of cars for his bus. His right toes pivoted on the ground as he noticed a chunk of gravel or loose pavement. His head turned to the other student, he looked at his face, then flicked down toward the screen before turning away.


This young guy was not stimulated, not animated or carefree. He was just waiting, fairly patiently, for the morning bus to school. It was not fun.


I watched with a steady feeling of joy and elation for the kid and for his family. He could have been in a phone, reading a book, catching up on homework or listening to music. None of that was happening, and the space around the young person seemed to me, in the living art gallery moment I was having, to be glowing with golden life. Normal Tuesday morning life. No phone!


Listen, the internet isn’t pure poison, social media is not single handed destroying a generation, technology and a habit of constant distraction is not the mortal enemy creativity and human kindness. But, I was very grateful to see one bored kid waiting peacefully for the bus.