Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Air plane crash victim wonders: am I dead or alive?

Most interesting was the story I saw two nights ago on television about a man in an airplane crash. He described how the plane crashed into the surf off some island in maybe the Indian or Pacific Ocean. Then he further described the passengers' attempts to free themselves from the aircraft after it sank. Many did not make it, and they died.
This man, however, said he found himself on the surface of the ocean and he wondered: "Am I dead or alive." He might think that since so many bodies floated near him. Then he went onto say he saw some sail boats coming towards him, and he knew, "I'm alive."
In another case a man was in the firey crash of a United Airlines crash in Sioux City, Iowa in 1989. You probably can find picutures and even a video of the plane seeming to roll end over end and bursting into flame as it crash landed. As you watch the video, you doubt anyone could survive.
Yet, as it turned out about 112 of the 220 or so passengers did die.
Anyway back to this man was aboard that crippled plane as it flew around for 45 minutes as the pilots tried to control it so they could land it.
The man remembers the flight attendants calling out: "Brace! Brace! Brace!"
Then the plane struck the runway, and he doesn't remember much of what happened except when the craft stopped, he and two companions could see a big fissure in the fuselage where light came in. They unbuckled themselves from their seats--and realized they'd been hanging upside down, because they fell.
Anyway, this fellow somehow managed to crawl over the bodies of dead passengers, make his way to the opening and then stumbled from the wreck into a corn field. He walked away from the plane and onto a sort of mound above it maybe 100 yards away. Once on top the mound, he looked back and saw the crash and carnage. And, he wondered, "Am I dead or alive?"
Seriously, he asked himself that question because he truly did not know.
Then, he heard crickets chirp! Crickets! That grass bug that makes a churping sound.
"When I heard those crickets," he man said, "I knew I was alive."
Funny that they both had the same experience.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Ohio in summer

I met a fellow a couple of years ago who said the most beautiful, satisfying place he could imagine was in Michigan on the coast of one of its Great Lakes.
Maybe.
But, I have to tell you this summer in central Ohio has to be a close second. I don't know what heaven is like, but it's anything like this summer in Ohio, it's got to be wonderful.