Fate.
Are some things inevitable? It could seem that no matter what happens certain events will take place. Human nature arguably dictates that there are always questions about events, could there have been something done differently, could actions have saved lives and one has to ask are events predetermined or can someone intervene and alter what happens in life?
If. It is one little word but it holds a potent amount of significance. If is a word that can in so many ways be applied to the terrible events leading up to and linking to the Titanic. Take the sinking of the Titanic, the ship may have been travelling too fast and the key of the binocular case was not on board. The damage was compounded by rivets that arguably had a fatal weakness. If the area of damage had not been so long or the impact had been head on maybe the ship would have survived the collision with the iceberg. There were not enough life boats and the earlier ones to be manned did not carry a full load of passengers. A direction that only women and children should board the lifeboats left valuable spaces that male passengers could have had. A ship that could have saved some of the passengers mistook distress rockets as celebrations and failed to establish by Morse code either visually or by radio the condition of the Titanic. Once the news was heard the ship hastened to assist but the water was freezing and passengers could not have survived for more than a few minutes. Another ship further away had responded and picked up survivors in life boats although they arrived hours later.
Another tragic series of events occurred prior to world war one with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Duchess of Hohenberg. There were six assassins armed with bombs and guns. The first attack failed as a bomb with a timer bounced off the first car and exploded under a following car. Although shaken and slightly hurt the Archduke went on and made a speech at the prearranged venue. After a discussion it was decided the Archduke would leave but in all the confusion the new safe route was not given to the driver. The assassin waiting for the Duke could not believe he had a second opportunity as once it was realised they were on the original route the direction was given to the driver to stop and reverse, ironically this was carried out exactly in front of where the assassin was positioned. Standing less than two meters from the couple he fired the fateful shots that mortally wounded the Archduke and although it was unintentional also mortally wounded his wife.
In a strange twist of fate in the second world war a plot to assassinate Hitler failed. This plot arguably could have ended hostilities saving many lives. A bomb in a brief case was positioned directly under the table in front of Hitler. A stray foot pushed the briefcase behind a concrete support for the table and when it exploded most of the blast was cushioned by the concrete support. Hitler survived only later to commit suicide.
There is an interesting story about a very religious lady who unfortunately found herself trapped on the roof of her bungalow. There had been a sudden storm and excessive flooding had meant that many of the surrounding properties had already been completely submerged by the ever increasing mass of water. The lady devoutly prayed and felt confident that God would save her. After several hours a rowing boat came to her rescue but the lady steadfastly refused help saying “I don't need help thank you as it is destiny that God will save me.” After some more time had passed and the sky was black with the onset of a deluge of rain a second boat with an outboard motor also tried to help her but again she said “God will not let me down and he will save me!” Finally a helicopter with a hoist and rescuer was lowered to her but again she would not leave the nearly submerged roof. The inevitable happened and as the lady found herself waking at the gates of heaven she complained to the Angel Gabriel “Well I don't understand it, what happened to God?”
The Angel Gabriel replied “What do you mean? God sent two boats and a helicopter but you refused to board them.”
Sometimes miracles can be in front of us but it isn't always a given that these responses are taken for what they are or can be. In my view I think it is important to strive to achieve my own goals and not to explain, excuse or expect to leave things up to fate.
If. It is one little word but it holds a potent amount of significance. If is a word that can in so many ways be applied to the terrible events leading up to and linking to the Titanic. Take the sinking of the Titanic, the ship may have been travelling too fast and the key of the binocular case was not on board. The damage was compounded by rivets that arguably had a fatal weakness. If the area of damage had not been so long or the impact had been head on maybe the ship would have survived the collision with the iceberg. There were not enough life boats and the earlier ones to be manned did not carry a full load of passengers. A direction that only women and children should board the lifeboats left valuable spaces that male passengers could have had. A ship that could have saved some of the passengers mistook distress rockets as celebrations and failed to establish by Morse code either visually or by radio the condition of the Titanic. Once the news was heard the ship hastened to assist but the water was freezing and passengers could not have survived for more than a few minutes. Another ship further away had responded and picked up survivors in life boats although they arrived hours later.
Another tragic series of events occurred prior to world war one with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Duchess of Hohenberg. There were six assassins armed with bombs and guns. The first attack failed as a bomb with a timer bounced off the first car and exploded under a following car. Although shaken and slightly hurt the Archduke went on and made a speech at the prearranged venue. After a discussion it was decided the Archduke would leave but in all the confusion the new safe route was not given to the driver. The assassin waiting for the Duke could not believe he had a second opportunity as once it was realised they were on the original route the direction was given to the driver to stop and reverse, ironically this was carried out exactly in front of where the assassin was positioned. Standing less than two meters from the couple he fired the fateful shots that mortally wounded the Archduke and although it was unintentional also mortally wounded his wife.
In a strange twist of fate in the second world war a plot to assassinate Hitler failed. This plot arguably could have ended hostilities saving many lives. A bomb in a brief case was positioned directly under the table in front of Hitler. A stray foot pushed the briefcase behind a concrete support for the table and when it exploded most of the blast was cushioned by the concrete support. Hitler survived only later to commit suicide.
There is an interesting story about a very religious lady who unfortunately found herself trapped on the roof of her bungalow. There had been a sudden storm and excessive flooding had meant that many of the surrounding properties had already been completely submerged by the ever increasing mass of water. The lady devoutly prayed and felt confident that God would save her. After several hours a rowing boat came to her rescue but the lady steadfastly refused help saying “I don't need help thank you as it is destiny that God will save me.” After some more time had passed and the sky was black with the onset of a deluge of rain a second boat with an outboard motor also tried to help her but again she said “God will not let me down and he will save me!” Finally a helicopter with a hoist and rescuer was lowered to her but again she would not leave the nearly submerged roof. The inevitable happened and as the lady found herself waking at the gates of heaven she complained to the Angel Gabriel “Well I don't understand it, what happened to God?”
The Angel Gabriel replied “What do you mean? God sent two boats and a helicopter but you refused to board them.”
Sometimes miracles can be in front of us but it isn't always a given that these responses are taken for what they are or can be. In my view I think it is important to strive to achieve my own goals and not to explain, excuse or expect to leave things up to fate.
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