The other day we were talking about leaps of faith. One does need to be careful, as The Guardian points out: British university professor dies after fall at US tourist lookout. The fellow was jumping from rock to rock carrying photographic equipment when he tripped and fell around 50 feet and died.
He was only 44, so still a youngster in our eyes. The overconfidence of youth?
October 14, 2015
sometimes i think outdoor people have a feeling of
invincibility.
or … maybe he was just totally inexperienced in walking rough terrain.
so sad for his family back home. to die far away. on a vacation even.
so many kids and young people take such foolish chances these days.
it’s as if they see life as they’re those comic book characters…
though there have always been ‘dare devils’ among us…
it’s just that there seems to be many more of them now. making videos!
riding skate boards down bannisters and twirling on them in the air…
things like that. they could break their neck in an instant.
and for what?
i couldn’t be a kid today! i’m not nearly brave OR co~ordinated enough!
I’m guessing there are plenty of kids who don’t do physically dangerous stuff. They’re too preoccupied with their iPads, smart phones, etc. I would be one of them!
even an iPad/phone can be dangerous – if you are too busy looking at your screen to see you are going to be run down by a car – I think I told you about the Asian lass in my street who just followed me around a car, & when I realised there was another car overtaking – I held my arm out to stop her as she tried to walk around me – absorbed in her phone…
then whomever she was talking to must have asked her to explain what/why the lady had held her back – she then returned to me and “thanked me” for saving her life…
What a great story! Thanks.
When discussions of this nature arise, I inevitably say “there is nothing like a generation gap; only a memory gap.” At the age of 44 I would have taken more risks than I will today at 72 and the same must go for you and Tammy, whereas Cathy seems to be quite comfortable taking risks even now. I may not have quite leapt around like a monkey as the Brit did but what can you expect from a person from a nation that can come up with this? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/parliamentary-group-suggests-children-should-engage-in-risky-play-near-cliffs-and-water-a6694066.html
I’m not sure I take risks in the outdoors – my limiting ankle/foot problems put a dampener on that! I do risks with other aspects of life from time to time…
oops maybe you are right – especially regarding wrestling with vines – & a few other risky things I have done in maybe the last couple of years but they weren’t [I believe} serious enough to cause my demise… although they did “give me a tiny fright” about how easy it is to have a personal disaster.
Rummuser,
I think kids here are too protected nowadays, but that’s going way to far!
Cathy,
Your willingness to try new things is inspiring, but I hope you do take care physically. We want you to be around for a good long time!
I would have thought that at 44 he would be wise enough to be a bit more cautious about jumping rocks. Especially when he was carrying heavy and cumbersome equipment. Over-confidence indeed. Or maybe some masculine thing of trying to impress his companions by leaping around like a mountain goat.
Either showing off or too much exuberance.
Or perhaps someone who was just deluded about his immortality.
He obviously thought he was more skilled than he was.
Wow, I really hate to speculate but I read that he was with a student.
I couldn’t help wonder if the student was younger. Much younger.
My reason for this question is that lately I’ve seen several people over forty, and some WAY past forty, who are not being able to handle the fact that they aren’t “young”.
I myself am sometimes surprised how old I am.
I mean when did THAT happen?
But anyway, I’ve seen people do and act in a very young way, trying to be “young’ and to deny that they aren’t so quick and flexible anymore.
I can’t help but wonder if he was jumping around from rock to rock and feeling like a kid again…
Just a thought.
I think you’re right about feeling like a kid again. Which might have been all right if he wasn’t carrying the photographic equipment. We do have to adjust as our bodies change.