Thank you for letting us know you are safe Andy. Your daughter and Horrie Hasting’s sister were the first 2 people I thought of when my friend across the hallway messaged me with the news late yesterday afternoon to see if I was home. Ironically, you were all the ones who always went out of your way to come and keep me company in my shop after I was assaulted at Charing Cross in 2009. You have no idea how much it meant to me back then to see familiar, smiling and trusting faces and that is something I will carry with me forever, no matter what. I’m feeling deep gratitude for the safety of you all. The last time I cried 24 hours straight was when Mum died.
I’ve seen a lot in my time over the years, having worked at the bank in Westfield back in the 90’s and colleagues being taken hostage and locked in the safe at our Edgecliff branch, the boutique next to mine being held up by knife wielding teenagers..dealing with my own fears…many more incidents from those days, but never ever has anything on this level of devastation been seen in our area. I was 800m from the Lindt Cafe siege and I remember chatting to some of you including Andy on here back then too whilst we were in an office lockdown. This stuff stays with you forever.
All I can now think of is the younger generations who have not only just come out of 2 years of on and off lockdowns, now having to deal with a place they should all be able to go to freely and often without fear, being the scene of such sadness and grief. Our community has a lot of healing to do and it will not be easy to bounce back emotionally from something on this scale. It’s the 6 degrees of separation for those of us who have called this beautiful part of the world home for decades. We all know someone who knows someone effected..The Roosters released a statement too via email but I was too busy crying to read it properly. Maybe someone else will post it.
Waylander, thanks for starting this thread and it’s given me some comfort to check in on people who mean a lot to me. I haven’t read all the comments but I’m sending lots of love and healing to those affected directly, like Thirteen and Red. They are lucky to have strong friends and family like both of you to lean on.
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