Goodbye, thank you, be kind

It was the great Boyz II Men who sang ‘‘It’s so hard to say goodbye’’, and gosh those RnB legends were right. The original goodbye dates from the 1570s and was actually godbwye, a contraction of ‘‘God be with ye!’’

But I digress. This will be my last column for Sunday News and Stuff.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to former editor Lee Umbers who asked me to join the Sunday News team.

Being a former newspaper journo, I was keen despite worrying that I’d run out of things to say after only a couple of weeks.

Eight and a half years and more than 450 weekly columns later, this gig is up, another casualty of the economic crunch that industries everywhere face in this new Covid-19 world order. Still, it’s been an absolute privilege.

While I never managed to file my column on time when the editors wanted it, I’m chuffed to have never missed a week, regardless of where in the world I had to send it in from, which has mostly been Te Atatu North, but has occasionally included far-flung places like Zanzibar.

Sunday News is New Zealand’s oldest Sunday paper and dates back to October 20, 1963.

Back then, all the pubs had to close at 6pm, this country still used pounds and shillings, and the immigrants du jour, who were at the dawn of the influence they’d have on New Zealand, were from the Island nations of the South Pacific.

With blue-collar grit, Sunday News has survived the tumultuous decades that followed and continues to serve its loyal readers, some of whom have been kind enough to say what’s up when I met them.

Such as this Niuean guy in his 50s who was working in a hi-vis vest on the streets of Parnell one time. Often when I would despair of what to write or whether anyone read it, I’d remember him and realise that there was an audience who appreciated the words.

Still, to quote John F. Kennedy, ‘‘change is the law of life.’’ Plus, at least you won’t have to see those cheesy pictures of me in a suit looking earnest.

This being my last chance to opine on such an extensive medium, here are a few parting thoughts:

By all accounts, the National Party’s new leader, Todd Muller, is a decent bloke. If he is really serious about being a PM for all New Zealanders, he needs to lose the red Maga hat in his office.

I’m sure he’s not a racist, and probably doesn’t associate that hat with anything hateful. But around the world, the red Maga cap has become a symbol of prejudice and discrimination.

I hope New Zealand votes ‘‘yes’’ in the forthcoming referendum about the legalisation and control of cannabis.

I can’t say I’ve ever tried weed. After all, it is illegal and comes with criminal convictions, and who needs that?

But I’ve been impressed by the reasoned, healthbased argument for ‘‘yes’’, advocated by Green MP Chlo¨ e Swarbrick.

And as former PM Helen Clark told media recently: ‘‘The referendum is not about whether cannabis should be available in New Zealand, it is about the terms on which cannabis should be available in New Zealand.’’

And finally, I hope that New Zealand continues to ‘‘be kind’’. That was the mantra that got us through our various lockdown levels and it should be the motto on the national coat of arms.

For all the myriad problems our country faces, I think that’s a lovely quality that will continue to serve New Zealand well as we face them together.

Tofa soifua New Zealand, and as Gandhi once said:

‘‘There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you are always in my heart.’’ Alofa atu.

‘After more than 450 weekly columns, this gig is up, another casualty of the economic crunch.’