Another glorious day and I’m on my way to London for an appointment. Most people are minding their businesses with their heads buried in their phones. I make a passing glance over the discarded ‘metro’ newspaper that’s lying on the seat next to me. The angelic face of a young smiling girl looks back at me. It’s the same face which adorns most of the papers this morning. She is smiling no more. Along with many other victims she is the youngest person to die at the Manchester tragedy late on Monday night. Usually the sunshine brings out the best in everyone, but today there is a heaviness in the air. A palpable sadness as most people try to make sense of the tragedy. A tragedy which seems to be occurring much too frequently these days. The newspapers and radio stations try to make sense of it all. We go through the same questions every time such an event happens. Each atrocity equally harrowing but this time even more so as it is the young ones who have been targeted.
Events of joy turning into places of carnage. As the train stations closed down that night with people struggling to get home, the community spirit took over. People opening their doors to strangers, offering them somewhere to stay the night, restaurants giving out free food, cabbies giving free rides. While strangers comforted those in need it is obvious that the good amongst us outweigh the bad by miles. Will it be enough to make our world safe again, I wonder as I make my way to my destination.
