pandemic
Pandemic
Gerard Hoog from Wainuiomata
Imagine
You are born in the year 1900
When you turn 14, World War I starts and ends when you are 18
With a balance of 22 million dead.
Shortly afterwards, a global pandemic, The Spanish Flu, kills 50 million people.
Luckily you are still alive and 20 years old.
If you are 29 years old, you will survive the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York stock exchange.
That caused inflation, unemployment and famine worldwide.
Meanwhile, at 33, the Nazis come to power, albeit in Germany.
When you are 39, Germany invades Poland and World War II begins.
You will eventually be 45 years old when World War II ends
Balance: 60 million dead.
6 million Jews die in the Holocaust.
Fortunately you are still alive .....
When you are 52 years old, the Korean War begins.
When you are 64 years old, the Americans start the Vietnam War.
You will be 75 years old when this war ends.
Luckily you are still alive .
Now.....
A boy born in 1980 thinks his grandparents have no idea how difficult life is, but they survived several wars and disasters, not to mention the restrictions during the first oil crisis in the early 1970s
Today we find all comfort in a new world, but unfortunately in the middle of a new pandemic.
People complain that they have to stay home for weeks.
While they have electricity, cell phones, food, hot water and a secure roof over their heads.
None of that existed then in these times.
But .... humanity has survived those circumstances and they have never lost their joy of life
Today we complain because we may soon have to wear face masks to enter supermarkets.
A small change in our thinking and mindset can work wonders.
We are going to thank you and me who are still alive and we are going to do whatever it takes to protect and help each other.
Originally posted in Dutch
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: Are you still heading to your local for your caffeine fix, or has the $$ changed your habits? ☕
Wellington’s identity is built on its cafe culture, but with costs climbing, that culture is under pressure. We’ve seen the headlines about recent closures, and it’s a tough pill to swallow along with a $6+ coffee.
We all want our favourite spots to stay open, but we also have to balance our own budgets ⚖️
We want to know: How are you handling the "coffee math" in 2026? Are you still heading to your local for a chat and a caffeine fix, or has the cost of living changed your habits?
Keen to read more about "coffee math"? The Post has you covered.
-
40.5% I avoid spending money on coffee
-
48.3% I still indulge at my local cafe
-
11.2% Irrelevant - coffee is not for me
Loading…
