Elsa, Week 11 - The Power of Death
Two weeks ago, a passenger airplane collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, DC. Everyone on both aircrafts were killed, with this crash being considered the first major U.S. commercial flight crash in 16 years. Among the 64 civilians that were on the flight, 14 of them were U.S. figure skaters returning from the National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas.
As a figure skater myself, this situation really shook me, especially since I was familiar with some of the victims on the flight, with many of my friends also being at the same camp as them just a day prior. Having skated in the same rinks and participated at the same competitions as these skaters, it felt so unreal to think about how I would never be able to see or hear anything about them again.
I think that this plane crash serves as a reminder not just to the skating community, but to the nation as a whole, about the true power of death. Regardless of our advances in technology, our wealth, or our knowledge, death still remains beyond our control as something that we can never fully prepare for. It can happen to you anywhere at any time, no matter the situation, where anyone can just completely cease to exist at any given moment in our lives.
I think that this truly is the most terrifying aspect of living. It scares me to think about how I’ll never know what will happen to me in the future, even with everything that I have done and built up for myself already. We have found numerous ways to empower ourselves and gain influence in the world, yet in the face of death, none of this matters at all--we all meet the same end eventually.
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Hi Elsa! I can’t imagine how you must be feeling! I would also be terrified if people I was familiar with suddenly passed away like that. It really caught my eye how you immediately led in with the incident because it took me by surprise and captured my attention.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what religion people stand by, I believe your claim that death is the most terrifying aspect of living is truly accurate. As someone with family members who have passed away relatively young because of health issues, I myself have feared that I won’t live long enough to meet my grandchildren, but even if I did not have my family history to blame, like you mentioned, it would still be out my control and something that can happen at anytime. However, our fear of death is important for our will to live and motivation to make the most of our lives. I feel that that fact alone should be considered more than attempting to no longer fear death.
I thought your blog was really interesting this week Elsa! It can be extremely difficult to talk about dark topics like death, so I was intrigued hearing your perspective on it despite the troubling subject. Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Elsa.I’m glad you spoke about the D.C. Plane crash. I’m sorry you knew some of the victims. Coming from a sport like that, I can imagine how disturbing it must feel to lose your colleagues or competitors that you might have even looked up to or felt inspired by.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking from experience, I’ve seen this tragedy all over the news. I’ve seen news reports of statistics from the NY Times that allege on average more than 300 near-misses happen every year. The situation has brought more attention to the flight sector but regrettably has produced political sentiment.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen much political discourse that has stemmed from questions about the tragedy. It shouldn’t come as a surprise but what is disheartening is to see the president himself imply or even slightly lead on that this wouldn’t have happened if he was still in presidency or if DEI laws are to blame for it.
No matter the circumstances that preceded the tragedy, these were real human beings that had families, friends, and aspirations. Putting aside politics and all, I’m sorry this was the news you had to hear last week, Elsa. Thank you for providing an opportunity to provide my insight into this controversial situation. My family and I have and will continue to keep the victims in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you, Elsa. See you Wednesday. - Rafael Montes Barrera
Hi Elsa! I have been thinking about the D.C plane crash as well and it really is so scary with the amount of plane crashes that have been happening lately. I appreciated how you provided information and data about the plane crash early on for some context, as well as your personal connection with figure skating. I would be just as shaken if I had found out that people I knew or interacted with had just passed away in an instant. I think this incident is one of many that shows how fleeting life is and the power death has over everyone. I agree with what you said about death being something we cannot control no matter what and we can never fully prepare for it. I believe that is all the more reason to live life to the fullest. While it will always be terrifying, it is important to make the most of our lives until that moment comes. Overall, this was an extremely tragic incident and I am really glad you spoke up about it. It was interesting to hear your perspective, especially because of your connection to the victims and I am truly sorry that you knew some of them. Death really is the ultimate power over human lives and you discussed it beautifully in your blog post. Thank you for sharing and great job!
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