It is Monday evening, busy weekend is over and finally I have time to contemplate about the events of last week. All my previous entries were triggered by strong emotional experiences and most of these experiences were highly positive. Unfortunately, this one is of a different kind. Last Thursday afternoon, on 19th January, an army aircraft carrying Slovak soldiers from their KFOR mission in Kosovo, crashed just few kilometres away from the border of their native country, 10 minutes before it was due to land at the airport in Kosice. Fatalities:42, survivors:1. The worst tragedy in the history of Slovak Air Forces. I did not know about that until Friday, sometimes there are too many things to do and no time left to read the national newspapers on-line. I was shocked and deeply moved, yet kind of detached from the whole matter, partly because of the distance of thousand kilometres that separate me from my country, partly because even though they were my compatriots and I felt very sorry for them and their families, still they were strange people who I did not know. We have all grown a weird immunity, being by means of media daily exposed to the atrocities happening around the world. It is out there and we ordinary people can do very little about it.
But came Saturday and I got a text message from my mum, which read that among the dead soldiers was a man from a nearby village, who I did not know personally, yet I know his wife and his younger brother. They have three little kids, who have just lost their daddy in the stupid accident. Only then was I fully stricken with what had happened and how disgustingly cruel and real it was. These days the papers are full of articles about the tragedy and life stories of those who died. Today was the official day of grief in the whole country, with solemn music played on the radio stations, theatre performances cancelled and black flags on the buildings to commemorate the deceived. The whole nation is united in its grief. So many people are affected and bereaved. Those guys went to Kosovo to help to establish peace in Albania, to save other people’s lives, and they lost theirs on the way home…
Again and again I have to think about how very thin and fragile is the line between life and death. One minute you ARE, the next minute you ARE NOT. What is left is a lifeless wreck of limbs and flesh only very vaguely resembling the person and personality it used to be. How unpredictable and cruel and difficult to comprehend and to come to terms with. The bereaved are left with grief and questions, which will never be answered. That is the way life/death is.
Should we stop flying then, driving on the motorways, climbing the mountains? We never know when the time comes, only for these people it was far too soon…My deepest sympathy to all family members and friends of the deceived.
May they be strong enough to cope with their grief and carry on with their lives, even without their beloved.
But came Saturday and I got a text message from my mum, which read that among the dead soldiers was a man from a nearby village, who I did not know personally, yet I know his wife and his younger brother. They have three little kids, who have just lost their daddy in the stupid accident. Only then was I fully stricken with what had happened and how disgustingly cruel and real it was. These days the papers are full of articles about the tragedy and life stories of those who died. Today was the official day of grief in the whole country, with solemn music played on the radio stations, theatre performances cancelled and black flags on the buildings to commemorate the deceived. The whole nation is united in its grief. So many people are affected and bereaved. Those guys went to Kosovo to help to establish peace in Albania, to save other people’s lives, and they lost theirs on the way home…
Again and again I have to think about how very thin and fragile is the line between life and death. One minute you ARE, the next minute you ARE NOT. What is left is a lifeless wreck of limbs and flesh only very vaguely resembling the person and personality it used to be. How unpredictable and cruel and difficult to comprehend and to come to terms with. The bereaved are left with grief and questions, which will never be answered. That is the way life/death is.
Should we stop flying then, driving on the motorways, climbing the mountains? We never know when the time comes, only for these people it was far too soon…My deepest sympathy to all family members and friends of the deceived.
May they be strong enough to cope with their grief and carry on with their lives, even without their beloved.
In memory of Juraj Zubor and the rest of the aircraft passengers.
No comments:
Post a Comment