Quiet on the bus.
A solemn feeling enveloped the office.
People staring with hollow eyes while walking down the street holding flowers.
An eerie feeling is around, the city buzz is lost.
I don’t know what I am achieving by this post. I am just trying to make sense of it all. Some things I guess you just can’t explain why they happened.
I by chance, had the day off yesterday, deciding to extend my leave by one more day.
The Husband was driving in the city. He called me and told me to turn on the news.
I could not believe what I saw. Facebook was going rife, there was talks of bombs, of explosives.
The Daily Telegraph was posting shit about a cult, and ISIS, then I had to stop reading their feeds. (Thank you sensationalist journalism.)
I called The Husband and told him to get out of there.
The Premier relayed the facts calmly to me via the TV. He remained calm and put his faith in the police response.
I tried to sleep but I could not, imagining those people who were not in their beds, that didn’t go home to their families for dinner, who didn’t get to cuddle their children or feed their pets or talk to their mum or their daughter. Who didn’t get to take their lunch break, or finish their coffees or buy their chocolate… or whatever.
And all the people sitting up all night waiting for news of their loved ones.
My rational mind told me that people every single day lose their lives to violence, every single moment somewhere in the world. Somewhere else.
People are blown up, schools bombed and lives are lost every single day. This doesn’t make the international news.
Why? Why is it okay to be used to this in some places?
This doesn’t happen in our peaceful city. In our harmonious melting pot of culture, religion and communities.
This does not happen around the corner from my office. This does not happen to people like me, on an early lunch break. Yes. It. Does.
Today we woke to the news that there were two people, like us, who would not be going back to their families this morning.
The sad reality is that government cannot protect us all from the individual people who may chose to do others harm. They are not mind readers. But they can base decisions on facts that are available to them. I was devastated to hear about the history of this man’s offences, abuse and irrational beliefs. These are the movements of a person who is clearly a psychopath whom should have been contained for the safety of the wider community. This is not a religious offence and faith cannot be blamed for the failures of our justice system. Kudos to the amazing police involved in the last two days, who also risked their lives.
And so this morning we hugged our loved ones a little closer, put on our shoes and went back into our city.
Flowers were left, tears were wept by strangers, anti racist sentiments flooded twitter and facebook in support of our Muslim brothers and sisters.
I am reminded that most of us are good people on the inside.
Let’s remember Tori Johnson & Katrina Dawson and their families with light while the memory of Man Haron Monis fades swiftly into the darkness.
Sending a little extra love to everyone tonight.
XXX Note: Image above courtesy of The Conversation.
