Hundreds of people died in an earthquake in Ecuador the other day. I never liked hearing about those events on the news. They are all dead and we are vaguely sad in our safer corners of the world. It got me thinking, as things do. I thought to myself, self, why is it more sad when people die in bulk? People are dying around the world every second, but I don't hear about them, so I don't mourn them. Their deaths may be tragic, unthinkable, but they don't make global news because it's just one person. One little girl dying of cancer. Children split up and put into foster care when their single mother dies of a drug overdose. We know these things happen, but we are never given these people's names or stories.
We hear about murder, which is a pretty bad way to go, but it makes sense that those deaths would make the news. Murder means someone is at fault. We want to see the killer brought to justice. When there is no killer, there is no justice. Some people find a spiritual explanation, but I have none. People live, and thrive, then age, then die. Sometimes they skip the middle steps. Some lives are short, too short, but nothing can be done. Anyone can die.
When people die all at once, I'll hear about it and I will say goodbye in my own way, though I didn't know them. I think I should start saying a daily universal goodbye to the newly dead, to be fair. The world will miss them too.
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