A Passive Aggressive Protest

A Passive Aggressive Protest

 He was a senior business man who looked quite distinguished in his light grey suit, grey hair and crisp blue shirt. It was a warm January morning and he strode out across the pedestrian crossing with his suit jacket casually slung over his shoulder.

 We were all on the way to work so the street was full of commuters as they poured off busses and out of train stations like lines of ants soldering from their nest.

 He walked straight and with purpose. His eyes locked on a much younger man who meandered across the pedestrian crossing with is attention fixed on his phone. The bustling crowd moving past and around this younger man; adjusting their path knowing he was not aware of who was moving around him. He walked with the slow expectation that all the other pedestrians will adjust their path and allow his un-attentive preamble to continue.

 The senior business man did not alter his path, fully aware of the pending collision. In fact he walked with his head upright and with strident purpose into the fray. At the last minute they both stopped inches away from one another. The senior man stared through the younger man in a steely unwavering manner.

 Startled, the younger man looked up from his phone, saw what confronted him then quickly looked away, adjusted his path and moved on.

 The senior man continued his purposeful stride.

Craig Buller

12 01 2017