It is now quiet
The big exercise on the Plain has now finished and there is an absence of noise and military vehicles and personnel. Over the last few days I have been aware of the noise of guns and helicopters, none of them has caused me to be afraid but they have caused me to think about what it must be like for those for whom the sights and sounds are not benign.
I never been in a place where there has been armed conflict nor have I ever served in the military and so have no idea of what those who have or are may feel. So the following may not be correct but I did try to put myself into the shoes of two people.
The first was the civillian who tried to live their life in manner that was respectful and caring and who was involved in the conflict because they lived in the place, it was their home. I couldn’t find the words to express my thoughts and realised what a strain it must be to live under such conditions, alwasy wondering if that day would be your last, if your home would survive, how you will feed the family and provide for every day needs.
The other was the child who was growing up in a place where nothing was safe, where you are being told by your parents not to trust anyone, a place where you see things beyond your understanding. How do you cope? No wonder children who live in this environment can become violent and see no other way of behaving.
It made me more aware of how lucky I am to be in an area where these sounds and sights do not make be afraid or stressed. It also made be realise how flippant we can be when thinking about events in other parts of this world, some not too far away, and the people involved.
