I think I am here

but I really am not sure about it. The good news is that I do not think I have lost any data. My blog is still here - although that may be bad news as far as some people are concerned.
I surfaced very early (and I mean very early) and dealt with a backlog of mail so that I can get back to my normal routine today.
Most of the time, unless a major disaster has occurred, it would not matter too much. Right now it does because my father is making daily trips to the hospital to see his brother. He is going with my cousin who has travelled from the other side of the world to see his father. A week ago we all thought my uncle had very little time left. Now he seems to be improving again. We know it cannot last forever. He is a very sick man, much of it brought on by years of smoking. He has also refused to follow medical advice in other areas of his life and is now suffering for it.
My father is older by three years and in much better health. It is extremely stressful for my father and, in turn, rather stressful for me. I am providing meals when my father and cousin return from the hospital. I need to be here to listen to what they have to say. They need to be able to talk to someone.
All this set me thinking about how our behaviour affects other people. There was so much wild rejoicing in other parts of the world when Osama bin Laden was killed. I do not rejoice. I do not, cannot, and never will condone what he did but he was someone's son, someone's partner, someone's father. Someone will mourn him.
He was responsible for his own actions but he was also influenced by other people. They must also take some responsibility for what he did. The same can be said for those who planned the operation and the man who gave the order. There will also be many others who are influenced by his death.
Recently I mentioned a South Australian MP who has been charged with a vile crime, possession of child pornography. His name cannot be mentioned in the media and I do not intend to name him here although he has been named on other blogs. He is innocent until proven guilty. Despite this, his name has already been expunged from an official website. It is quite obvious which MP it is. He can be named interstate and overseas. The allegations affect his family, his colleagues, his friends and even his neighbours. They will continue to do so for years.
Even the actions of a hermit can affect other people. A hermit was once a child. Children do not, except in the rarest instances, grow up in isolation from all other humans. They once had contact with other people and influenced them. Just knowing of the existence of the hermit may influence someone to choose a course of action which may influence many others.
The bell tolling for them may be barely audible to most but someone will hear it. I wonder who will hear my uncle's bell toll? Who will my father's bell? Mine?