Risks or Not

 First of all, the vocabulary used in the title of  yesterday's post was not a typo, but my wife pointed out two serious typos.  Heat does not cause incontinenc, although maybe it could, and Sheelock is not a person.  Heat causes inconvenience and maybe only for Sherlock.  I corrected those words but only after most everyone read them.  My wife was kind, however, by saying everyone knew what I meant.  I can only hope.

I used to be a risk-taker in many respects.  And taking a risk now and then have cost me, perhaps even with my life.  But some might say there is a difference between carelessness and taking risks.  One wants to make sure all their bases are covered before risking one's life.  There are all kinds of videos out there about fails.  I can't watch many of those videos simply because they are too painful to watch.  At least a few involve death, although it seems those videos are mostly censored.

One would think that if one is paying a quarter of a million dollars to go where so few have gone one would make sure all risks have been addressed.  But as they say, life has no guarantees.  And if something went wrong, there would be no rescue.  Fewer than 250 people have visited the Titanic site.  We have sent 12 people to the surface of the moon and almost lost three getting back.  And like a mission to the moon, if anything happened, there could be no rescue.  

I am sorry for the families of those lost on Titan.  But that was a risky adventure no matter what it cost.  At least one whistle-blower said that corners were cut.  There can be no doubt that any kind of rescue attempt could be made.  As I have grown older I take no risks with my life other than to get out of bed and maybe drive my car.  But that kind of venture would be out of the question for me.  I will do nothing to tempt fate. Some might say I take risks with my health by smoking a pipe.  

There are risks just by living.  I could doze on the couch and fall off in my sleep and hit my head on a table or the floor.  Do I not doze on the couch?  Actually, I don't, but that isn't why I don't.  I'd rather nap on our bed.  These victims trusted Oceangate, but perhaps they would not have gone if they knew they weren't coming back.  

When my doctor operated on me for a ruptured appendix, he said to both my wife and I that one outcome was death.  He was blunt.  But did these people know one outcome of going to the Titanic was death?  Would they have gone knowing they wouldn't be coming back?  I doubt it.  I had no choice but to go under the knife.  They all had a choice not to go.  And THAT is my point today.  We all make choices, but in this case theirs was a poor choice.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave