Today when I started for school, I saw lots of people in our apartment standing in the central park in groups talking in hushed voices. Most mornings I see many people doing exercises or yoga out there. Today no one was at it. But I was in a hurry. I was getting late for school so I didn't stop and ask anyone. When I got back, I still saw hoards of people and before I could ask, someone came and told me that a boy had been electrocuted by one of the electric poles within the apartment blocks and had died on the spot before anything could be done.
Shocking! I was dumbfounded. No words came out. After a while I asked who and how. It so happened some boys were playing volleyball as usual and the ball fell near an electric pole. One of the boy's ran there to pick it up. Instead he was stuck to the pole due to electric current. The other kids pulled him apart with the help of a wooden log but it was too late and he was already gone. Though he was taken to the nearest hospital but he was lost to the world.
I can still see his face with a mischievous smile, sitting on the top of the boot of my car dangling his legs. He was only 15 years old. He is gone forever, never to return. Death is so final. Painful as that is it is the truth. Tragic end for a boy for no fault his own.
Sheer negligence on the part of the management of the Apartments. For any kind of functions to be held, they used to take electric connections from the same pole. This time someone goofed up and left a live wire which took a young life. It could have been anyone or worse more kids if they had touched him unthinkingly. All the kids play out there assuming it is safe place. I have told the management to put up plaques asking kids not to go near these. For my efforts I was told, I shouldn't worry. Those are safe. Still I have scolded a few kids for sitting near and touching those poles. Despite my repeated pleas no one took any care. Now we lost a life. For what? By apathy and closed minds.
Today in the evening, not a single kid was to be seen playing out there. It felt so eerie and weird. Parents prevented their children from playing outside. But is that any solution, keeping the children inside? We all need to be aware and make our children aware. Before that we should never compromise on safety. Safety should be always be foremost.
Why does one think of safety after tragedy strikes?
13 comments:
If you lived in litigious America those Apartment Managers would be looking at a HUGE legal bill.
I have always been over-protective, sort of a helicopter parent always hovering over my kids.
I never let them just wander around and tried my best to make them always aware of their surroundings. I inherited this from my Mother who located fire exits the minute she stepped into a room.
It is always so sad to see young people die..especially under such avoidable circumstances...so much left undone.
Life is unpredictable..we modern humans don't have that intense sixth sense about danger that we use to need in order to stay alive.
Very sad.
Suddenlly all of us have sobered up. No one is smiling let alone laugh. The festive spirit has disappeared in our apartment blocks. No one wants to decorate. Understandable in the circumstances.
But our kids too need to learn to handle tragedy. They have to be taught that life has to go on no matter what. We can't simply shut out unpleasant happenings. We have to learn from our mistakes and move on.
I feel so helpless...
Such a tragedy,and so very sad!
But, you are right when you say...
our kids need to learn how to handle tragedy!
I was an early learner at that...
as I lost my most wondeful childood friend to a drowning...
and she was only 15!
I still miss her after so many years!
The saddest part about it for me is that I was supposed to go swimming with her on the day she drowned...I chaged my mind... just on a whim!
I often think maybe I could have saved her...as I was a very strong swimmwer!
But, life has to go on!
We live and learn!
Take care!
Margie
First time here.
Very intersting is your ddiscription.
good day.
Gautami, life has a hard edge, and no one is safe from it. But, the death of one so young seems so wasteful.
its the nature of everyone to be selfish, and then to wish for changes when something happens. Alot of open danger exists in parks, mostly electrical dangers. Something must be done...do force the management to mend things. If everyone keeps and eye out for everyone else, then changes will happen. Only when we complain and never stop complaining and act will things be better.
May god bless the soul departed to early to see the world.
tragic, and such a waste of a young life.
an almost similar case happened over here. a group of boys were playing basketball in a playground and one of the lamp-posts collapsed and hit one of the young boys. he passed away too, in hospital. the town council went around checking every lamppost after that, but it was too late.
samuru999:Oh Margie, that's too bad. But we can only do as much. Thinking about it forever will only hurt you. There are too many "what ifs" in life..
Welcome Deepak...
pat paulk: Yes, it's so wasteful. It could have been avoided.
ghost particle: It's how it is. Everyone wakes after a tragedy strikes. I have already started my course of action. I will let myself rest till the guilty are brought to book.
dsnake1: It's the same story all over the world...
Thanks for coming over. Do visit more often.
First time here.
You are absolutely right safety should always be foremost, especially where kids are concerned.Things like this happen so often around us...we get shocked for a while..but then life goes on.
Tragic.
moodsandcolors:Welcome to my blog. Do visit now and then.I know life goes on as usual after a while. We again turn apathetic.
travis jay morgan: Welcome to you too.
I am kind of taken the initiative to break the chain. I am not going to put up with it any longer.
You did what you could, Gautami...you decided to not be apathetic and bring it to their attention, but they said don't worry.
Like HE said, if something like that happened here out of total negligence, the landlord would be paying a high price or would be put out of business.
Where were government inspectors or some regulatory agency? This is crazy.
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