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Writer's picturePeta Slocombe

Magic and Pain



Today it is hard not to feel the pain of being human.  


In the gym I watched the eyes of every age, gender and race, glued to the bank of screens depicting the Bondi Junction footage being replayed.  If it wasn't that it was Israel, Gaza and Iran footage or headlines of more women's deaths by domestic violence this weekend and a motorcycle road toll that is 500% higher than the previous year. 


I watched the shock and sadness on the faces of the people around me, mirroring the faces of people being interviewed.  There's something rare about humans all experiencing the same emotions at once.  In a world where we share pictures of what we eat for breakfast and track friends locations every minute, we rarely have any idea what we, or others are feeling.  But not today.  Today we did. 


Neuroscience can track the synchronicity of 50 000 people in the crowd rising at the same time to celebrate a goal, or 50 people at a funeral watching a loved one give a eulogy. It's like a rough sea that is suddenly one wave and it is awesome. 


They are the moments where every crappy worry, and all the people we compare ourselves to and the often ridiculous material things we seek, melt into nothing.  Humans can celebrate each other and hurt for each other like no other species can.  


It is what it is to be human.  We cannot experience the joy in other humans without also experiencing the propensity for pain.  


Be kind to people this week. Try not to doom scroll, nor keep your mind too busy to reflect.  And avoid trying to find reasons that are neat and tidy in a world that is anything but. 


Sending love and empathy to all those impacted.

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