Bit of a long day today.
I had agreed to take some good friends to the airport, Gatwick.........bit of a long way but they are proper humans and so more than deserve it.
We spent four or five chatty hours making our way down there, catching up, gossiping, having a laugh with the kids, stopping in scruffy lay-by's to indulge in the male sport of al-fresco urinating, etc.
After walking them to Departures, I returned to my car, turned on the radio, and was instantly battered by the news of the terrible aircraft accident in Madrid.
I nearly went and dragged my friends and their kids out of the terminal. How irrational. I KNOW that's not how it works. I KNOW how safe air travel is. (Statistically). I KNOW that the chances of two fatal accidents on the same day are almost beyond calculation........but I instantly threw a pink one.
All the way home the radio kept updating the story, and I kept trying to not think about how the ripples of grief were spreading outward from Madrid, and how my friends and their children were insulated from this tragedy, sitting in the airport waiting to risk their lives in the pursuit of better weather.
Much later, from home, I rang my friend at the airport. I had said I would tell her that I had arrived safely. I didn't mention the Madrid crash, neither did I mention how frightened I was in regard to their safety.
Apparently their flight had been delayed, she didn't know why.
6 comments:
it's nasty isn't it? Any air disaster immediately seems horrific because of the numbers involved. But you're right, statistically it's not so dangerous. I still worry whenever the plane moves unexpectedly tho...
Anyway, great picture today. Glad to see you throwing in some artwork for us to look at again. Shame it's a girl ;-) ha ha.
Hi TBNIL, more art to come soon I hope......but I have not painted a bloke for ages, so you might not be THAT impressed !
Much as any plane crash is a tragic accident, Simon Calder does set aeroplane safety within context.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/simon-calder-our-fears-are-irrational-its-more-dangerous-to-cycle-904106.html
Glad to see you are 'blogging again' with words and paintings. I think we are more likely to die of frustration in an airport than any crash - statistically speaking. You dont mention the charming lady - is she a new creation??
Glad to see you're up to your old tricks KP, nice pic.
Hello Joan, the charming lady is the friend in the tale.
Hey Sweary, doing my best luv ! x
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