When Malaysian Air flight 370 vanished, I was on a boat in the Andaman Sea and did not know about it until I returned to shore. Since then, I have followed the news, not obsessively, but I check in every few days to see if anything has been found. I saw something this morning about the black box, but don’t have details yet.
What is it that is so compelling about 370’s disappearance? Planes have gone down before….but in recent history, not without a trace. Over a month, and no definitive evidence at all. The best clue yet, they say, maybe they have a ping consistent with airline flight boxes in the northern part of the search area. At over 14,000 feet deep. That’s almost 3 miles down. And “encouraging”, but not definitive.
Every time I travel and get on a plane, or a boat, or any vessel, I do ponder the possibility of losing my life. My basic thought, which is fleeting, is what are the odds? In my favor. Someone on flight 370 probably thought the same thing as they buckled in. Just that sudden, quick thought of what if? And they probably said, how likely is it? 1 in 11 million. That is correct. 1 in 11 million that you would die in an airplane crash. The odds of getting into a car accident are 1 in 5000, so we are all much more likely to die in a car than on a plane.
What is so compelling about this story? Well, it is a mystery, so far, and mysteries always get our attention. I think, though, that many people project, “that could have been me”. To see the families so devastated has been just awful, and because we all have family too, the thought of “it could have been me” is present, even if subconsciously. The thought of those people…is frightening, and sobering. People just like you and me. Gone. Disappeared. Vanished.
Scenarios have played out in my head…and I’m sure, in your head as well. I don’t want to go into detail on those thoughts, but I think it is reasonable to believe that the people on board flight 370 have left this world, regardless of what happened to the plane. In the days ahead we will hear more, much more. All I can think about are the people so closely involved in this…and my heart goes out to them. I cannot tell them I know what they are going through, because I don’t. Not many people do. But the passengers, crew, and families are in my thoughts, and I hope they can find a tiny bit of comfort knowing how many people hold them in their hearts.