The World We Are leaving Our Children Terrifies Me 

About ten days ago I was in Manchester for a blogging conference over the weekend. When I woke up on the Tuesday morning spread all over social media and news programmes on TV was the terrorist attack at  the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester arena.

It was quickly reported that 22 people had died and approximately 60 injured, many with life threatening injuries and many in a critical condition in hospital, all with families that will have to live with this atrocity forever. That’s something I wouldn’t want to deal with.

My initial reaction was one of total disbelief that somebody would detonate a bomb at a pop concert where people were just enjoying a concert by their favourite performer, and of course so many of those killed or injured were very young. The youngest just being eight years old, which is just a few years older than my five year old twins.

I have to admit I am in awe of how Manchester as a city pulled together in such a tradegy. Nobody including myself expects this to happen in their home city. We all tend to live in a bubble that this could never happen to us, the truth is so very different, it could happen to us anytime anywhere.

My thoughts and heart go out to all those killed and injured and all their families. I would not dare to imagine how they are coping with such a tragedy. I hear stories of young people who have travelled miles and in some cases going to their first concert. Heartbreaking.

One part of all of this that does bother me, is the constant talk of standing together and not giving into fear and terrorists. This of course is right, sadly though it won’t stop the next terrorist attack. Terrorist groups have people in place all over the world to carry out further atrocities. Unfortunately they will also succeed. Security services as good as they are and they are very good won’t stop every single terrorist attack. I heard once during the IRA attacks of years ago a security person say. We have to be lucky every single time to stop a terrorist attack, they only have to be lucky once. Sadly nowadays they are getting lucky more often in terrorist attacks.

I have heard we should not show any fear be defiant and ok that’s fine but we have no control over where the next attack hits, they random and could be absolutely anywhere. Of course if you are one of those affected by this you will never get over it you will learn to live with it but that will time. As for me well standing together being defiant is great but I know from previous terrorist attacks this will wane, and we will continue to live our lives as normal.

So yes I do feel fear and I’m worried we are travelling to Paris in a week or so and France has been a main target over recent years it bothers me that I am taking my five year old twins to a place that could so easily be a target.

The terrorist aim is to strike fear and uncertainty in us and in my case it’s working, anywhere is a target as Manchester arena proved, what did the terrorist gain from this attack other than the fact that they can strike at will and without notice. Very worrying

My children are 21,19,18 and five year old twins what is their future in this world are they going to grow up being conditioned that terrorist attacks happen at anytime, well most probably, that’s not a world that I think is a good one for them NO! Can we do anything about it NO! It’s here to stay. This is world that my generation is leaving to our children and it terrifies me.

Would love to hear your thoughts, are you fearful of travelling or going to major events for fear that you could be hurt, or worst still die.