Am I a bad person?

[redbird]

Someone on london_070705 said they'd find it easier if they just knew whether they were going to live or die, then observed that 'if we carry on as usual, things will get back to normal. Hopefully.' I answered

Oh. You're going to die.

What I can't tell you, any more than I could have yesterday, is whether you'll die tonight, next year, or in 2053.

Things will get back to normal. London has survived worse, both natural disasters and human attacks.

Comments

[annafdd.livejournal.com]

As long as you don't urge people to get a perspective, or point out that more people die every day in car accidents. Grrrr.

[kate_nepveu]

Do you mean Tim Hall rather than Tina over on Making Light, or is Tina commenting elsewhere?

(Haven't been on Usenet in ages.)q

[annafdd.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I admit that mixing him up with Tina didn't help - but that was not the main reason I got mad. Mind you - on usenet I wouldn't have posted, probably. One of the reasons I loathe that we're no longer having this conversations there.

[kate_nepveu]

I admit that mixing him up with Tina didn't help

Is it horrible of _me_ to shudder at the idea of a situation where that would help?

I wish I had time for Usenet still but I really don't.

[annafdd.livejournal.com]

LOL

You got to admit, it was the kind of sensitivity and cluelessness that Tina used to display.

[redbird]

Gods, no.

I may urge them to take a few deep breaths and a walk, or have a cup of tea, because those are generally good ideas. I'm inclined to agree with Douglas Adams that the one thing humans cannot cope with is a sense of perspective.

[sneerpout.livejournal.com]

My sense of perspective is telling me that - if there are no more attacks at this time - we (London) have got off reasonably lightly in terms of fatalities. Certainly when compared to the Madrid attack.

However, my office is at Moorgate/Liverpool Street. I'm probably still in shock and keep touching my partner (who alo works in the City) as though I can hardly believe that I'm still lucky enough to have him with me.

I am all in favour of the walks and cups-of-tea therapies. especially tonight. The weather was beautiful. I love my city.

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

RB: You're perfectly sane. As if!

SP: I'm probably still in shock and keep touching my partner (who alo works in the City) as though I can hardly believe that I'm still lucky enough to have him with me.

Please squeeze each other and, if need be, say it's because I asked you to. I'm v. glad you're both okay.

[sneerpout.livejournal.com]

Thanks, K. Much appreciated :o)

[annafdd.livejournal.com]

I got very very angry with a couple of people on the NH's blog because they were saying things like "This isn't the London equivalent of 9/11" (as in, you know: *just* 37 dead) or "that's how many people die in road accidents every day".

I admire the British for their stiff upper lip but I admire quite a lot less people who tell me not to overreact when it's "just" four minor explosions with a few casualties.

[sneerpout.livejournal.com]

Thanks. From my point of view, the few hours I spent not knowing if the situation was going to get very much worse were very stressful indeed. And yet I'm aware of the seriousness of today's events in relation to other attacks (IRA) on Britian, and extremist attacks worldwide (as a journalist who has specialised in post-conflict societies).

What has happened today will have severe psychological implications for many Londoners. I wish them all strength. And thank you for your thoughts. I've seen you talking a lot of sense on many Friends' journals, so thank you for doing so here as well :o)

[sneerpout.livejournal.com]

Hear hear. London will adapt. Indeed, by 5pm this evening, the only sign that something was amiss was the pinched brows of passersby, the closed stations and the newspaper billboards.

that's what i might have said

[(Anonymous)]

All things considered I am just as happy not to have been all engaged with this discussion until now. And glad to find out my friends are well. As we used to say endlessly in carpetland, we appreciate your attention to this matter.

More light, less heat.

[maryread.livejournal.com]

oh, that was me. forgot to log in.

[redbird]

Thanks for identifying yourself, but I do unscreen sane anonymous comments (the screening is mostly an anti-spam thing).

[rainliver.livejournal.com]

There was a bomb at or in the subway many years ago when I lived in London - I was so surprized at how casual everyone was about it. The attitude was "That's the way it just is here - you can hide at home and never live because you might get hurt, or go about your business, or move somewhere else."

[brithistorian.livejournal.com]

I would think that if anyone would be in a position to offer perspective and comfort in the face of an event like this, that you, as a New Yorker, would be.