Priceless

Thursday night Continental Express Flight 3407 crashed in Buffalo as it approached the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Fifty people were killed, all 49 onboard and one man on the ground. The victims of the tragic plane crash included fathers, mothers, friends, spouses, sons and daughters...

Earlier in the week, US Airways announced that passengers of flight 1549 (the US Airways flight forced to make an incredible emergency landing in the Hudson River after a double bird strike... all 150 aboard survived) would receive $5000  to cover the cost of lost luggage and other belongings as well as additional reimbursement for ticket costs. The internet and talk radio were abuzz with complaints after the announcement was made. People complained that they wanted to be "made whole" and wanted compensation for what they claimed would be lifelong distress.

I tried to see their point. It would be a huge hassle to lose your laptop, or Blackberry, or wallet, or business documents to the Hudson. It could take weeks to get your personal and business affairs back in order. And a brush with death could definitely have lifelong consequences.

But I still kept going back to the fact that they were alive... And by all odds given to water landings, no one on US Airways flight 1549 should be. In my mind, 150 people got a second chance.  If you spend your second chance complaining about what is "due you", I think you missed the wake up call.

Since the news on Thursday night, the news that all souls aboard Continental flight 3407 perished, I have not heard or read of any more complaints.

The veil lifts, and life once again becomes priceless.