Friday, July 27, 2007

Real or surreal?

There wasn't anything unusual about the day. Woke up really early today and without arguing too much in my head, I just followed the mundane routine and went to work. Drive was beautiful and thanks to AZ weather of late. Its been blessed with some overcast, thunderstorms and rains, unlike the usual cruel sunshine.
Wasn't too hungry during lunch so ended up doing some aimless browsing instead of eating. I heard a thud and just overlooked it as somebody loitering outside the huge office window which faces a busy road, till I heard a person in my office screaming , "oh my God!'. I casually turned to glance the cars, but little beyond that there was huge mass of black smoke engulfing fierce fire flames. I saw the fire growing touching the heights of the adjacent building. What did just happen? I couldn't move my eyes after that...there were cop cars siren restlessly running to reach the spot. The panic was disturbing. Everything else came to a standstill. But what really happened? Two news choppers collided, while covering a car chase by cops, above my office building and finally fell in a park across the road. Four people died in it.
Hearing or reading leaves a very different impact on our minds. It was horrifying and I felt some nervousness in my head and some inexplicable restlessness. My stillness and numbness was real. I was thinking of our small presence in grand scheme of things. We are so minuscule in the system and yet we run for power driven by need to get more. I was trying to imagine the aftermath of 9/11 and how atrocious it must have been for people who witnessed it. Life takes over us within a blink. Yet we still condition ourselves to run, to fight, to compete, to beat and sometimes forgetting the important "why"? I was trying to evaluate the worthiness of reporters attempt to get a coverage on the chase.
While walking to the garage after work I saw two cops standing around where a helicopter slice had fallen and they were collecting all the possible debris for the post analysis. I walked away with a heavy heart and a debating mind on series of emotions. I made home after a long struggle with jams. But here I am, still hurt with what I saw and pray for people who lost their loved ones. I wanted to go the gym today but I think I won't be able to!

10 comments:

Sudipta Chatterjee said...

Yes... these things touch us hugely at times, don't they? Go and meet friends and family: you'll feel better.

Bharat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bharat said...

That was a close encounter...n hope u got over it!

Parth said...

Worthless loss of life

Keshi said...

whoaa that was close! Im glad ur ok.

I saw it on news. SO SAD.

Keshi.

Twisted DNA said...

Very sad indeed. The competition between news networks is reaching ridiculous levels.

Whenever I hear traffic news on the radio, I keep thinking I don't want to end up in that news. Similarly news choppers should be making sure they don't end up in the news

Pallavi said...

sudipta- yes it did, and it wudnt have made so much diff if i had not seen it so closely.thanks!!

bharat-yes, am fine now.

parth- yes i agree! imagine what were they trying to capture n who would gain by watching that chase.

keshi-yes, thanks!

twisted- you are so right! we shud not crave for such coverage.

Life Lover said...

read this post only today and think it is a little late to comment, but, nevertheless...hope you are feeling better now...yes, these things do affect us in a huge manner..when stupid competition leads to death, it is almost an unexcusable mistake.

Unknown said...

Long time, havent seen u around in the blogosphere!

- Pilgrim

The Daysleeper said...

This incedent leaves me wondering about many things. I guess i dont feel as bad for the news team as I ought to. Two choppers crashing is like ships running into eachother, they have the 'whole sky' so to speak . Leads me to believe the 'feeding frenzy' of the media industry here in the US (which is catching up in outher countires). I cant help thinking if it's just human error that caused this accedent? where they soo deep in getting the perfect shot of the chase below to sensationalize some DUI case that they neglected their own safety?

One has to admit that news, especially local news thrives on such stories, sensational videos of cars crashing, of people in gun fights, etc. The car chase instantly became like a celebrity and the paparatzi just could not get close enough.