Smell the air. Count the clouds. Kick a ball with the children. Call that friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Take the time to watch the sugar settle on the foam of a coffee before it sinks.
If Sunday is Sydney’s best chance to breathe out, to spend more time with family, friends and loved ones, then the city needs to exhale today.
Tributes at Bondi Junction Westfield.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
The city is barely starting to recover from the heartbreak after the peace of a Saturday afternoon at the shops was shattered. Six innocent lives were taken in Bondi Junction, the attack only ending with the killer’s death, and many others will carry physical and psychological injuries for years to come.
Monday’s alleged terrorist attack in Wakeley in Sydney’s west, when a bishop was struck while at the pulpit, only added to the city’s sense of horror. Close to the scene there is rage, anger and fear, but unease is everywhere. That the accused is a teenager compounds the shock.
Even events far away add to the concussive feeling of dread; war in the Middle East resonates deeply in our multicultural society. It hurts because it is close to the heart; in this ever-connected world we know people who live there, or it reopens memories of conflicts and traumas past.
The sense of suffocation is not helped by the ubiquitous nature of social media, where horrific images can be spread at terrifying speed. Lies and untruths spread fast, too, and can be shared both innocently and by those with malevolent intent.
Death, wounds and war can happen in an instant but healing and peace take time. For Sydney, part of the long journey began on Friday with the reopening of the Westfield mall and continues with a candlelight vigil. It will be held at 5.30pm on Sunday to give the community a chance to gather and honour the victims of the Bondi Junction tragedy. Supported by Waverley Council and the NSW government, a minute’s silence will be held and attendees have been asked to bring their own candles for the vigil.
No one has been left untouched by the events of the past week. But the potential effect on children and young adults is particularly concerning. Many of those caught up in the chaos at Westfield were shoppers enjoying school holidays or young, casual employees. Of those sharing or exposed to violent images on social media, a significant number have been children.
After a week of horror, remember what matters most
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20.04.2024
Smell the air. Count the clouds. Kick a ball with the children. Call that friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Take the time to watch the sugar settle on the foam of a coffee before it sinks.
If Sunday is Sydney’s best chance to breathe out, to spend more time with family, friends and loved ones, then the city needs to exhale today.
Tributes at Bondi Junction Westfield.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
The city is barely starting to recover from the heartbreak after the peace of a Saturday afternoon at the shops was shattered. Six innocent lives were taken in Bondi Junction, the........
© The Sydney Morning Herald
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