We move on. We grow. We get better. While this is true I know I for one am a firm believer that part of us doesn’t. Depending upon what it is we are attempting to move on from, part of ourselves, our souls and minds are left behind at that place. How we separate ourselves from that piece of ourselves is how we learn to grow and to move on.
On this day, the tenth year since the atrocities of Thursday 7th July 2005 we stand together and remember. We will never forget and we stand as a people with on this matter one voice.
I could tell my own personal story of that day being a resident of London at the time but I don’t think I need to. Those memories will remain private to myself and only I. I am comforted by the public show of support for the memories of the 52 people killed (56 including bombers). But I will add that more than 700 people were injured on that day and many thousands even millions of residents suffered the loss of a part of themselves this day. I remember the time in London around then, there was a buzz in the air, a happy care-free buzz of London Life. The Capital had the day before been awarded the 2012 Olympic Games and all around there were parties and celebrations, people out in the streets having a good time and enjoying life.
To say that all changed is a slight understatement, but it is more the way it change, what the world has witnessed since and the cause and effect element. To see London as a City effectively Closed afterwards was an event of monumental consequence. It was sad to see and it is sad to think of the City, which in itself is a Living Organism, wounded, reeling with pain.
London is a part of me and through these events I feel a part of me is still there, drawing me back constantly. It feels like my true home, where I am destined to be and where I am destined to call home once more. Even now 10 years on, this is for me an emotional day, and I am glad it is drawing to an end at least for another year. But that is not to say the hurt and pain goes away on the other days, it doesn’t it is always there and, barer of bad news, for me and I am sure many other people, that hurt, that pain will always remain.
What people tend to forget is the attempted repeat of the attack on London and its people on Thursday 21st July 2005. After what had been an atmospheric edgy two weeks in the Capital, the fear that surrounded the City was incredible. Mistakes were made that day and an innocent man lost his life. But that day is also the day I feel London started to shake off the oppression of the past two weeks and stand tall, defiantly against this cloud of fear that had been looming since 7/7. People don’t talk of the fear, they talk what the media talks, the ‘standing strong’ and the ‘this will not get us down’ attitudes the Western World media places on us in times where rallying around the support of the nation is supposed to aid our resolve and recovery. What they forget to mention is that it is perfectly acceptable, understandable and frankly ok to feel affected by the fear. Many people were scared following 7/7, scared to look at people, scared to talk to people, scared to go out of their homes and be on the street and most definitely scared to use public transport on the Bus or Tube network. I remember for a long time after 7/7 if I used a Tube I would only use them above ground. I would get nervous if travelling through a tunnel and I would effectively plan my travel to avoid doing so. People were scared, it should be ok to stand up and say that too.
But together we stand and we stand strong against Terrorism of all kinds. We will never forget that day, we stand together with those worldwide who have been directly and indirectly affect by the acts of Terrorism we as a humanity have witnessed. We will continue to pass on the tales and stories to the younger generations so they too can recognise the importance of the phenomenal events here in our United Kingdom 10 years ago today.
Terrorism must simply be ended. Period.
