Do we interfere or look the other way ? Who's responsibility is it anyway ?

Ever witnessed mistreatment, or heard words that made you turn your head ?  Ever walked on as if what you witnessed was something normal- pretending like it never happened- that it is not up to you to stand up to what was being said ?

Do you ever think who else might have heard it, who might hear it again-by the end of this day ? How they thought that it is accepted- to be talked to this way. 

Have you ever thought who`s business it is to teach our youngsters not to call each-other names, have you ever let it continue, blaming the parents for their ways ?

It is not our place to interfere, it is not our problem so why should we care, and god forbid- if we decided to say something- what if someone stared ?

But what if we could change the current, help the river shift its stream ? What if we could end a vicious cycle even if it was "just a badmouthed kid who does not understand what it means". 

What if we could change a life, or even just a day ? What if this was the moment we stopped looking the other way ?

What if we worked together, interfered, showed an example- instead of allowing space for hurtful words to be thrown and grow as seed ?

What if we- the people- were the difference.
What if we really understood what that means. 

*to a school morning bus-ride on 210 towards Brent Cross, And to every person who ever stood-up to change the hurtful words and their source.