Stand Out

chapter 1

We’re only human

We just need a wake-up call

Pre corona virus and social distancing I am on the Jubilee Line in London heading to work, the carriage is packed, and people are standing desperate not to invade each other’s personal space and avoiding eye contact. The only sound is the oscillating whoosh of the train, no one is talking to each other. This is the norm on the underground; it’s part of our survival instinct to protect ourselves in these situations (even more so since the pandemic). The tube suddenly comes to a sharp stop and all the lights go out. It’s pretty dark and then people start to turn on the torches from their phones, and there is a magical moment as the carriage lights up, but what’s even more magical is people ...