Woman Killed by Lightning in Mountaintop Proposal

[Oneironaut Zero]

Sesquipedalian's "Touchdown Jesus" thread reminded me of this article from a few days ago... Article The ultimate cock-block??

[zebrah]

That is really terrible lol. I guess they were not ment to be togeather. and yes that was the ultimate cock block (in more ways then one)

[Muggler]

Holy crap...

[nina]

I can't even begin to imagine what that guy must be feeling right now.

[Oneironaut Zero]

Yeah, that was the first thing to hit me, when I read it. I don't even think there's a Word for guilt like that..

[FifthElement]

Wow. I wonder if he can get his money back & return the engagement ring

[nina]

Yeah, that was the first thing to hit me, when I read it. I don't even think there's a Word for guilt like that.. Exactly. It's just...too weird. If it happened to you, what would you think?

[dorpis]

Exactly. It's just...too weird. If it happened to you, what would you think? If it happened to me, I would think, "Oh shit," then cry for a good long time. I would then try to work up the courage to ask her family for forgiveness. Then I might get over it.

[ChrissyMaria]

OMG that is horrible, so much for that silly myth that men are more likely to get struck by lightning then women....I cannot begin to even fathom how sad this man must be, He will likely develop PTSD and be afraid to propose to anyone, that's really heartbreaking ...... I will be sure to stay away from mountains if anyone is getting down on one knee to propose to me Poor guy (poor woman too!) I feel so bad for her family.

[Muggler]

If it happened to me, I would think, "Oh shit," then cry for a good long time. I would then try to work up the courage to ask her family for forgiveness. Then I might get over it. How is it his fault though?

[dorpis]

How is it his fault though? It's not really, but I imagine most people would blame themselves for a loved ones death.

[Muggler]

I wouldn't apologize if I was him. It wouldn't be my fault she got struck by lightning..

[dorpis]

Okay.

[Oneironaut Zero]

Exactly. It's just...too weird. If it happened to you, what would you think? Well, I would probably become stuck on the idea that proposing to her on the top of the mountain was my idea, and - had I not done that (especially in overcast/stormy weather) - she might still be alive. I don't think it would be fair to blame myself for such a thing, but I probably would. That's just in terms of thinking. In terms of feeling...I honestly don't know how I would feel. Even as an empathic person, I don't think I could fathom that kind of feeling, without actually being in the situation.

[CRAZY BONE]

I find it really hard to feel bad about this, knowing that about 300,000 people die every day. It's an unusual death, yes, but not any more significant than all the other death's that happen every day. The woman had a better life than most other people in the world, having been living in America with all of the freedoms we enjoy, vacationing up in the mountains. The woman did not suffer, and I did not know the couple personally, so I'm not going to pretend to feel sad about this.

[nina]

Well, I would probably become stuck on the idea that proposing to her on the top of the mountain was my idea, and - had I not done that (especially in overcast/stormy weather) - she might still be alive. I don't think it would be fair to blame myself for such a thing, but I probably would. That's just in terms of thinking. In terms of feeling...I honestly don't know how I would feel. Even as an empathic person, I don't think I could fathom that kind of feeling, without actually being in the situation. When something like this occurs I find myself looking back through the strings of events that led up to such an event. Did it begin that evening on the mountaintop? When the storm rolled in? Did it begin a few days before when he was picking out that engagement ring? Or before that, when he made the decision where and when to propose? Did it begin when they met? Or even before that? When something so strange such as this occurs I can't help be affected by the notion of fate. Yes of course I believe that every person has a free will and is constantly making choices which alter their future, but I also think that everything happens for a reason. So beyond the sorrow and guilt I would be feeling over such a loss I couldn't help but be asking why such a thing would happen, how it's going to change my life, and how things might have been different had it not happened. Of course it may take a long time before such answers are able to materialize. Butterfly effect.

[Oneironaut Zero]

When something like this occurs I find myself looking back through the strings of events that led up to such an event. Did it begin that evening on the mountaintop? When the storm rolled in? Did it begin a few days before when he was picking out that engagement ring? Or before that, when he made the decision where and when to propose? Did it begin when they met? Or even before that? When something so strange such as this occurs I can't help be affected by the notion of fate. Yes of course I believe that every person has a free will and is constantly making choices which alter their future, but I also think that everything happens for a reason. So beyond the sorrow and guilt I would be feeling over such a loss I couldn't help but be asking why such a thing would happen, how it's going to change my life, and how things might have been different had it not happened. Of course it may take a long time before such answers are able to materialize. Butterfly effect. I can agree with a lot of that, but (interestingly enough) for a different reason... I don't so much believe that everything happens "for a reason" (that is to say, in the sense that something was fated to happen), but I do believe that reason could be discerned from any event. I would say it's kind of a different approach to the same end as your own line of thinking. In understanding why something might have happened the way it did (including all of the variables leading up to the event, as you explained), I'd definitely find myself assessing the situation with the question of "why" (or maybe "how") this happened. I would wonder how that event (and the knowledge of how it might have happened) would change my life. That much, we definitely have in common. I'd say the only thing that differs is that I might more easily chalk the event up to horrific coincidence. I don't openly deny the idea of fate, but I'm also aware of the shocking (no pun intended) possibility of significant events to happen simultaneously.