WE ARE NOT AFRAID

We're not.

Manchester has had a couple of alerts and scares over the weekend - has it bothered me? NO!
(It's stopped me going to Manchester though, for the time being... well.. no point going there if there's nothing I really need/want from there is there? heck, the KFC in Piccadilly Station can wait too...)

We're a tough nation. It takes a lot before we're truly in the soup. Take weekend for example. Londoners all out celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the end of the second world war - all packed down London like nothing had ever happened. I'm proud of that. It brought a lump to my throat - and I'm (Strictly speaking) not the sort of person who is easily brought to tears for whatever reason. Seeing those flypasts sort of kicked it in for me. I wondered just HOW defiant we could be as a nation... and yeah, I think we did well on Sunday as the Mall heaved with people.

Of course, all the other necessary groundwork has to go on - my thoughts and prayers still rest with those who have someone missing or killed in the atrocities, but as a nation as a whole, our 'dust yourself down, get up and get on with it' attitude makes us a breed apart from others. Take heed America, we're used to this sort of thing, we've had decades of experience thanks to the IRA and several UXBs' from WW2.
We're outwardly calm, our exterior belies the fact that underneath, we're seething with rage, anger and the need for a 'nice cup of tea' over all this, but as things go, we're a breed apart - and need to be.

Ok, so the terror alert status here is still on high - I can live with that. It's not a problem for me. I'm vigilant, I'm cautious without being TOO catious... I know the limits!

I have a hospital appointment on Thursday. It will be at noon - the time when, for two minutes, we'll be stopping and thinking and reflecting on the events of the past week. Of course, I'll be joining in with that silence, as I did for Dunblane, 9.11 and every other 2 minute silence there has been. I'll just be in a hospital doing it rather than being at home for once and I'll be able to feel the full effect of that silence and it probably will get to me because for once, I'll be able to hear that silence. I know it sounds strange saying 'hearing the silence' but it makes sense. There's a saying about silence being the loudest thing you'll ever hear and I'm hoping I go almost DEAF.
I urge anyone who is anyone to stop and reflect for that two minutes outside of their homes. Stop everything.. don't drive, don't work, don't eat, don't drink. If you're in a car - pull over! If you're driving a HGV - PULL OVER!! It doesn't matter what brand of religion you support, what colour your skin is or ANYTHING - stop and think for those two minutes PLEASE.

That two minutes silence is another way of showing how we as a nation, as a planet, opposed to this awful type of disaster - regardless of where it is, can stand in silence for 2 whole minutes as a mass act of defiance against the perpetrators behind this kind of unwanton aggression and violence.

Granted, there's going to be more alerts and the likes for the forseeable future. Unless you got something to hide, it's not a problem.

As responsible people, (and I'm talking to all responsible people) just be more alert and aware if you're going anywhere because if you leave something behind that could cause suspicion, you're just only going to endanger others and make yourself look stupid.


Its not so much as 'we're not afraid' we're all MAD (Massive Act of Defiance).

And there's none happier than me for saying I am MAD!