Lost Lives - Shirley McMichael

A short but important article borne from experience

My good friend Shirley McMichael posted this on Facebook and I sought her permission to repost here, which she graciously granted.

It's always important to listen to the people who “were there”. People like Shirley have a unique perspective and one which we as a society should heed.

Thanks Shirley.

LOST LIVES. I wrote this a long time ago but still relevent!

I was 17yrs old when ‘The Troubles’ started in 1969…..everything changed…! Us teens were just beginning to enjoy our wonderful nightlife in Belfast in places like ‘The Pound’ where the brilliant Rory Gallagher was a regular. No one cared what part of the town you were from, you felt safe no matter where you went for a drink! Then things changed.......

I sincerely hope that this generation will be spared what we went through. It may seem exciting now to have the News focus on your exploits and see yourself on Social Media…..but as others have said …This disorder can and will ruin your chances of that career you hope to have, also, you may end up in jail or worst of all ….lose your life.

One story that always sticks in my mind is of a friend who had a wonderful future ahead of him. He was going to be the first person in his family to go to university…..his parents were so proud. One evening we were having a good night in the Bridge Inn in Lisburn and he and his friends came in for a pint saying that they were heading around to the Orange Hall to hear big Ian Paisley speak and did we want to come. Well, my Mum was not a fan and as I respected her views I was not for going!

A couple of hours later they arrived back in the Bar and got stuck into the drink…..you could see the change in attitude….they were angry. Anyway we felt it time to leave. Sadly the next morning my Mum woke me with the devastating News that my friend had been arrested for shooting someone. I was in such shock and disbelief. Apparently, he was so riled up after the meeting and too much drink taken, he was offered a gun and a ‘Target’. As expected, he ended up in prison, lost all career and job prospects and also sadly lost ‘himself’. He never recovered from what he had done as a young man……drink and drugs became his way out, sadly passed now but a life lost because he listened to fools!

Please if you have any influence in these areas that are rioting, please help stop anymore ‘Lost Lives’!