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NOTE TO DE MODERATORS: I am not really sure what category does this thread would fit in, so I think for the moment I will put in in here. This is not about what happened in Seffner, but a reflection on what can we think about tragedies that involve death. If you think it would fit somewhere else, that's ok.
ON TO THREAD.
Sometimes we worry about situations that may happen that may result in death- or more likely we try try to avoid situations that can result in death. Examples:
1. Not being outside after midnight in dangerous areas
2. Not driving beyond speed limit or while drunk
3. Dealing with electricity with care
But then, sometimes, there is simply no way of "cheating" death. When the time comes, life ends, in the blink of an eye.
It is wise to be careful, but is not wise to worry about what cannot be controlled. This man that tragically died on Friday night, could have been outside in a bar, and driving while being drunk, but no, he was in the bed, in his house, most probably sober, yet death came to him. He could have been outside and accidentally gotten a stray bullet from a nearby shooting, but no, he was HOME. Yet the ground played the same role as a criminal, opening up causing him a nightmare, terror movie-like death. See? To try to know why this happened is way too complex. There have been people who have also died from sudden strokes, also while sleeping or doing things as if every thing is ok.
Now, is it really that wise to be extremely careful? You don't seek danger, of course. But sometimes, it cannot be avoided.
What we can learn is that it is "news" because it is unusual!
Thousands of people die daily from more common things, yet this is not on the news. THAT is the stuff we should be concerned about (driving safely, etc.).
NOTE TO DE MODERATORS: I am not really sure what category does this thread would fit in, so I think for the moment I will put in in here. This is not about what happened in Seffner, but a reflection on what can we think about tragedies that involve death. If you think it would fit somewhere else, that's ok.
ON TO THREAD.
Sometimes we worry about situations that may happen that may result in death- or more likely we try try to avoid situations that can result in death. Examples:
1. Not being outside after midnight in dangerous areas
2. Not driving beyond speed limit or while drunk
3. Dealing with electricity with care
But then, sometimes, there is simply no way of "cheating" death. When the time comes, life ends, in the blink of an eye.
It is wise to be careful, but is not wise to worry about what cannot be controlled. This man that tragically died on Friday night, could have been outside in a bar, and driving while being drunk, but no, he was in the bed, in his house, most probably sober, yet death came to him. He could have been outside and accidentally gotten a stray bullet from a nearby shooting, but no, he was HOME. Yet the ground played the same role as a criminal, opening up causing him a nightmare, terror movie-like death. See? To try to know why this happened is way too complex. There have been people who have also died from sudden strokes, also while sleeping or doing things as if every thing is ok.
Now, is it really that wise to be extremely careful? You don't seek danger, of course. But sometimes, it cannot be avoided.
This was a bizarre and tragic story. We can be careful of our surroundings yet there is always a chance of a fatal and or freak accident. In NY here, Cars lose control and hit people on sidewalks, or even drive into stores and apartments. it's more common then one may think. Numerous times I have walked past buildings and looked up at scaffolding or cranes wondering how stable they are up there. There are random attacks in many places that defy reason. At least several times a week in the police blotter there are cases of a person in public becoming violent out of nowhere. Many things in the world are dangerous.
You just have to live life, try not to take it for granted and be careful of obvious things. One cannot defend against every possible scenario. Though the sinkhole right under the house perfectly placed like i imagine is a lot more rare. i have heard of sinkholes showing up under houses but this was way weird.
I owned a home in the adjacent community to Seffner where this happened. It has been 10 years now since I owned that house. When I heard this story I remembered hearing about sinkholes in the region when I owned that home. It is a serious problem in Central Fla and much of the state. Something that as far as I'm concerned has not been addressed very well. This is not the first time a house has been swallowed up, though I believe it is the first time a death has occurred.
What have I learned from this story, is what I learned before it happened. Instinctively I felt that area had problems whether it be sinkholes or a lack of infrastructure. I was transferred within 1 1/2 years of buying that home so it was sold and I left the Tampa area. So any discomfort I had was not so much with Tampa I basically liked it. I however felt something was off in that particular Seffner and adjoining communities areas. Evidently my instincts were correct.
Yes life can end at a moments notice, and this is a very tragic and unique story concerning this sinkhole and the death. Its nothing to take lightly and I fear it will happen again. I certainly hope now the proper authorities will address it and investigate the area thoroughly for future sinkholes. Which I am positive there are quite a few more besides that one particular home
Basically, we are not safe, 100% anywhere in the Universe. A bird can get stuck in an airplane, causing a fatal crashing. A boat can get inadvertently in a storm, causing it to sink. An earthquake, a tornado, a car crashing in a home, a landslide can suddenly occur and bury a nearby town, we just can't escape danger. I read many people saying after this that they would not live in Florida, and it is just natural. I have to admit this two days here I have thought what if this building suddenly sink? (I am in a 3rd floor apartment) But then again, running to other state does not save me from danger. I know movies like Final Destination are overwhelmingly stupid but somewhat I believe in the message of the movie- you cannot cheat death. And I mention this because I know sometimes I criticize Puerto Rico for its absurd level of crime. But truth that I can get killed anywhere, by any means- someone shooting me, the ground opening beneath me, a tornado tearing the window apart and sucking me in, even the big mountain in the Canary Islands that is going to sink soon and will probably cause a mega-tsunami can reach all the way here and get us all. The best thing is not really turning off the TV because knowing what happens around us is important, we still have to be cautious; but we must live without worrying too much on dangers because there is no way of escaping it.
We can learn the same thing we should have learned from all previous sinkhole incidents, since they began, decades ago; don't deplete underground aquifers!
What did I learn from this tragedy? Stay the #$%^& out of Florida!!
That does not do anything. Although FL is the state with the most problems with this, sinkholes happen everywhere, and if it is not a sinkhole, maybe something else can happen and do the same thing. A sudden tornado. A worse-than-expected blizzard, hurricane, or storm system. And most of all- an earthquake, which happens to be a big problem not only for the west coast but also for the states near the Appalachians/Adirondacks and also through the Mississippi River.
Also- remember that today, structures are not just "built". Geotechnical engineering is performed today and engineers- most of them- have an entire map of where sinkholes are, so in case something is done in one they do the necessary work or if not possible they don't do anything there. I say, stay the #$%^& out of Florida's old structures!
We all just do the best we can. It's all we can do. Freak accidents will occur. To me it just drives home the point that when it's time to go, it's time to go. We all have a time. And we're not going to avoid when it's our time to go, no matter how careful we are.
So yes, it's only sensible to take all the precautions we're guided intuitively to take. Taking a cab instead of driving drunk, going the speed limit, etc. etc. We should take the precautions that give us peace of mind. But it should be done with respect to the fact that we can't actually control everything and some things just happen.
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