Well, what a day to start blogging.
I spent the evening performing and MCing at a cabaret in memory of my longest standing and closest friend, Derek Collins, unaware of what was developing in Paris.
Profits from the evening went to a charity that had given Derek a lot of help. That’s not why I took part in the cabaret: I committed to it before I knew that would happen, so I’m not going to claim any credit for my charity work. But the event raised a bit of money for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), which was a nice side-effect of what we – well, at least I – just did for fun and in memory of Derek. Hopefully it will help make someone’s life a little better.
All the news tonight is of terror and atrocity, which given the events of the night is completely right and proper. And of course, a little amateur cabaret in a cellar in London isn’t going to make the news anywhere.
But I wonder how many things happened this evening that made the world – at least somebody’s world a better place?
How many people dropped a few coins in a charity box?
How many people put their arms around someone who was hurting?
How many people made a meal for someone who was unable to do it?
How many people performed some random act of kindness?
How many people made the world better this evening?
If we add it all up, I’m convinced that the tiny acts of unreported good would far outweigh even the worst atrocities we see on the TV, read in our newsfeeds.
So while my thoughts are with those who have been injured, the loved ones of those killed, and those who will probably suffer in misdirected reprisals, I also remember this:
The news might tell me the truth, but it doesn’t tell me the whole truth.
Even in times of darkness, the good outweighs the bad.
digitig 
I too was performing at a charity gig which was raising money for a good cause. A friend’s family have recently been affected by a grandchild with heart problems, and has receiving medical care through Glenfield hospital, and this was the second year of raising money this way. We left the Hafla on a high after hearing that at there’d been at least £1100 raised for the charity on the night. Then as I caught up with the news on the radio as I drove home I felt deflated by the few who caused such sadness to do many. But as you said, in the grand scheme of things there’s much more good in the world… we have to make sure we don’t loose sight of it while paying our respects to those who have been affected by the few.
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