(Todd A. Smith)
With all due respect, going to the depths of the ocean to see the wreckage of the Titanic seems foolish to me.
Patrick Whittle and Holly Ramer of Associated Press reported, “The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that an underwater vessel has located a debris field near the Titanic in the search for a missing submersible with five people aboard, a potential breakthrough in an increasingly urgent around-the-clock effort.
“The Coast Guard’s post on Twitter gave no details, such as whether officials believe the debris is connected to the Titan, which was on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The search passed the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air could have run out.”
Authorities have since declared the five dead.
While many people, me included, think that was an extremely weird excursion, I mainly blame the horrific tragedy on hubris.
We all have our own eccentricities.
That is what makes us different than everyone else.
I once drove from Houston to Atlanta to see The Jacksons’ Unity Tour even though Michael Jackson was no longer a part of the group.
My sister clowns me all the time for my music collection that includes solo albums by Tito Jackson, Rebbie Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Jackie Jackson and LaToya Jackson.
Do not get me started on how she gave me the side eye for purchasing the Randy and the Gypsys self-titled album, which is actually fire.
Shout out to baby bro, Randy Jackson.
But my weird Jackson obsession probably will not put my life on the line, and that of others.
I also have another obsession of visiting all 50 states before I kick the bucket.
When I got to the airport in Houston to fly to Boise, Idaho in April, even the “brothers” and “sisters” working baggage for United Airlines clowned me.
My whole diatribe about my weird desires is to point out that we all have them.
And I hate to be the one that does this because it is not the time to criticize people’s decisions when their loved-ones are grieving their loss.
However, it seems to me from the outside looking in that many extremely wealthy people have gotten so far away from reality that they make some of the worst decisions known to man.
If I do not have to travel to the bottom of the ocean, I am not doing so if I am told multiple times on a waiver that I could die.
As much of a Michael Jackson fan that I am, there is nothing that could get me to go into the mausoleum to see his tomb if I know that there is a chance that someone will lock me in there with his remains.
I hate the fact that the “King of Pop” is gone.
But if I am feeling nostalgic, I’ll just put on “Thriller” or “Off the Wall.”
I might put on a documentary, watch some of his videos or even watch some old live performances by The Jackson Five on YouTube.
I even have a couple of t-shirts that show my fandom.
I have read books.
But that is as far as it goes.
If my bucket list ever puts me in danger, I’ll just visit a different city or town in that particular state that I feel safe in.
When I visit Hawaii, I have no intentions of getting close to a volcano.
But I will post up on the beach, a safe distance from the water, with the adult beverage of my choosing.
When Regal Media Group becomes a lucrative company, I plan to really enjoy my riches by attending a Super Bowl and a Summer Olympics.
I also plan to visit my ancestral home of west Africa, namely Ghana and Ivory Coast.
I have roots in Mali too.
But unfortunately, Mali is a hotbed for terrorist activities from what I am told.
Therefore, seeing that part of my heritage will have to wait until it is safer to visit.
But I fail to believe that if my Black behind comes up missing in Mali, my disappearance would receive the kind of media coverage that those lost in the Titan submersible have gotten this week.
More importantly, I fail to believe that money (besides that of my family and loved-ones) would be spent to bring me home, dead or alive.
The entire fascination with the sunken Titanic from 1912 is probably still relevant because of the alleged arrogance involved.
In 2012, James Delgado, director of maritime heritage at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said, “The story is ageless, like all great stories. The elements in this case of triumph, tragedy and hubris, of bravery and cowardice, all wrapped up in one brief moment. That speaks to people.”
Like those lost on the Titan submersible, those in charge of Titanic ignored warnings of danger, including 30 different ice warnings.
Allegedly, someone heard ship Captain Edward John Smith say that “Even God Himself couldn’t sink this ship.”
Whether that is rumor or real, many did call the doomed Titanic “unsinkable.”
Unfortunately, it did sink despite people not thinking it possible.
But the victims of the Titan submersible knew that their vessel was very sinkable.
But they must have thought that it would not happen to them.
People often assume that bad things cannot happen to them, and they often let their guard down and make terrible decisions as a result.
Therefore, it is important to remember that making good decision is probably what leads people to success and riches.
Just do not lose all common sense once you reach that level of fortune and/or fame.
Or the results might be a tragic cautionary tale.
