“The Railway Man” – A huge lesson in overcoming Hatred

Having read of the death of Eric Lomax recently, at the age of 93, my first thought was that He had lived to a good age having lived through some difficult times.

He was a Scot who found himself in the Signals Corp in the Second World War.

He was captured by the Japanese and spent two or three years being incarcerated in the most Inhuman of circumstances.

The 1940s was a shameful time in history for the Japanese.

There is no doubting they were cruel with a “no surrender” mentality.

A far cry from the kind and thoughtful people of today.

Of course, horrors were forced on the innocent of those times when Hiroshima and Nagasaki paid a heavy price for those for whom War seems a power game.

Eric wrote a book about His experience called “The Railway Man”.

I decided to read it.

It was a terrible story with an Inspiring lesson.

It was remarkable that he survived such horrors, never mind reached such a fine age.

It is testimony to what the mind and body can cope with, but only just.

He spent 50 years of deep hatred of His Interrogator.

His second wife, Patti, then sets in motion events that hold you spell bound with emotion and testifies to all that’s possible when we look beyond our inner struggles and tendencies.

The book is an easy read that raises many emotions and reactions.

What is obvious is that Eric was a remarkable Man but likely too humble to know how remarkable.

He was much Loved and Respected and rightly so.

I recommend this lesson in goodwill.