The Mind Boggles

Shell Petrol Station near my flat where one of the stabbing incidents took place


The part of a person that enables a person to think, feel emotions and be aware of things: the mind.

I was in the midst of work, attempting to wind down for the year when Joanna came running into my office shouting,

“There’s a madman loose on Green Lanes stabbing everyone!!!”

Green Lanes is a very popular and busy street that connects Palmers Green and Wood Green and intersects the North Circular Road. My flat is about three minutes walk from it.

“Is that right?”, I replied calmly. “It’s a good thing we’re all here then!”, I added.
“Yeah but my Dad works there and I’m worried about him.”, she exclaimed.

“Oh, I see. Perhaps you should give him a call then and tell him to be on the lookout”

“I did. He said that the madman should be the one to worry if he crosses his path.”

“Hehe, yeah I’m sure your Dad is capable of taking care of himself.”

“I guess so, but they still haven’t caught the madman yet! Hey, don’t you live somewhere there too?”

It struck me that I have a prior engagement with the roofer at my flat at precisely lunchtime. That would mean I would be in close vicinity to where the stabbing actually took place, and the possibility of getting stabbed myself seems very very likely. I began to worry unnecessarily.

“Well I’m sure the police are scattered all over the place”, even I didn't believe my own words.

She nodded and walked back to her desk, while I frantically launched a web browser to check the news.

To my horror, I found this news article.

I got even worrier. I did not at this time take a second to assess what was going on in my head. I just let my emotions took over the better of me.

Why was I thinking like this? What was really going in my head? What was going on the knifeman’s head for that matter? What made him go berserk like that? Why did he drive around and randomly stabbing people? What motivated him to perform such an act?

Could he be in so much anger or rage, such that he could care less for the lives of others, in fact, take them away with his own hands?

Could he be in such a frustrated state, that he saw no point in others living and thought perhaps everyone should just drop dead?

Could he perhaps be so unhappy or miserable that he thought stabbing people would provide a bit of amusement?

What was going on in his head?

What would provoke a man turn so violent?

Why oh why? Those innocent people.

I’m bewildered. Can anybody shed some light on this?