Oh my Gosh, Squidgy. Paris is just so international, there could have been anyone from anywhere that any of us knows. I pray your Helen friend pulls through this ordeal. The Marie listed is not Marie Mazur. She doesn't attend the events, etc., but has been to some Stateside concerts, but nothing overseas that I'm aware of, though I could be wrong in that. The Marie mentioned is Marie Nolan. She's the wife of Albert Noonan, who has done incredible videotaping of Leonard concerts.
I have an indirect connection, as well. When I stayed in Paris for Leonard's concert, I stayed at an airbnb. It was an apartment complex behind a locked gate, with a lovely courtyard in the middle. My host loved Leonard, too, from many years back, but had never seen him, and wasn't able to that time, either. She's an interpreter and does a lot of travel in Europe and abroad as part of her job. When I wrote to see if she was okay, I learned that she was inside the stadium that night. She responded with her own personal account, which given the many inquiries she's received regarding her safety, she composed an account to send to everyone at once. It was compelling to where I asked her permission to post it on my wall on Facebook. This was her exact permission, and following it is her account.
"Yes do so,even,if I hate the social,network
People must know the individual,cases..
Thanks."
"Thanks a lot for the message. I am very impressed to see that I receive so many calls & mails & texts to ask about me & Family & french people . We must fight. I am under stress & schock as I was at the football stadium working with the german football team. First & last match in my life I tell you. I did not want to see the match but my client told me to,be there. I had to behave myself, control my émotions in front,of my clients...lot of stress after the 3 bombing shots. Then the gates locked... We were prisonners. The match went,on. Surréalist !!! Only 3 gates opened for so many people...we waited till 1 am for quietness. No,battery on tel to secure friends & family...then we moved all 50. Till someone in the front,shouted : All down, kalachnikov kamikaze, down. Whole crowd on the floor, people shouting. I really,thought it is our end, end of my,beloved life. After 5 mn we gathered inside but lost 3 clients. (we got news yesterday that they walked to airport to fly back asap..). After one hour, we walked around stadium in countryside...one client had lost her shoes..after 2 km we found our bus parking P4. But there was a barrier. People broke it. Then a wall we had to jump ...we found the driver (maroccan) in tears because one of the kamikaze exploded 150m from bus & pièces everywhere, took us 1 hour to get out the traffic with,police, ambulancies, firemen, volontiers. A nightmare. Then we heard really what was happening in the concert hall. I had to trust my clients crying. Arrived in their hotel where we had had a bomb alarm at lunch time !! (évacuation 250 german football team..& sponsors etc..) the clients discussed about the situation...
At 5 left the hotel for airport, spécial chartered flight came from Germany to pick them up. I was left alone with my stress & sadness. Took a cab home & phoned the whole day to evacuate the stress. Still inside me, went to the pharmacy to get tablets. Slept a little, now on the train,to Lille to lunch with my mum, go & see my dad at hospital for his 85th Birthday...back tonight
Next week work 6 days in Berlin. Last group of the season. Anyway tourism is finished, only cancellations...
2 of my collègues of university were to go to bataclan to the concert. One had the flu, they cancelled!
2 of my collègues were locked the whole night in,the congress center with 1000 clients
A nightmare
I still have no news from,some young relatives. It is so sad, unfair, crual, injustice
I will dévote my time to fight. I will have time as there will be no,work, no,tourists. We must go on, fight all together
I always thought the WWIII would be atomic, it will be terrorism
I know you are with us.
I am depressed, so deeply injured. I will not leave Paris, i will show them we are not afraid,
Vive Paris my beloved city
Vive la France
Let us fight to keep our freedom please
All these messages of friendship are coming deeeply,in,my,heart
I love you all. I love the world. I hate these bastards.
Long life to liberté égalité fraternité
Sorry for the long,message but,it,must come out....my heart is injured by injustice
All these Poor people dead. A nonsense. Let us pray for them, for a better world. We had a nice one, but we cannot live,only on souvenirs.
Tomorrow i give my blood & try to help as much as I can,
Love xxxx
[I've withheld her name on this line]"
Just as holydove has said, people can't experience something like this and not have residual effects from it. It's not only a loss of 'innocence,' but the reports are that Paris understandably is nervous regarding more possibilities of attacks.
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde