The Last Lone Journey.

I have to say that I have much sympathy with Richard Russell who stole a plane from Seattle airport, performed a few manoeuvres, and then died in the inevitable crash.

I know that most people will say he was a foolhardy idiot or that he was mentally ill and needed treatment. And I daresay many people will see it as a sad story, rather than a disturbing one. So what is ‘mental illness’ anyway? Does anybody really know?  When is foolhardiness acceptable and when isn’t it? Lines of demarcation are always fluid and usually dictated by the culture to suit its own ends.

The way I see it is that he went out on a far off limb one day and did something way outside the box. He never hurt anybody and never intended to. And his radio messages indicate that he knew exactly what he was doing, what the response of the authorities and his family would be, and that he was content for his life to end that day. He chose to live those last hours doing something exciting, fun, and very different. It beats joining the crowds at Disneyland, that’s for sure.

I have much sympathy with his family and loved ones, too, and I can understand the view that what he did was selfish. But in the final analysis we all have to live this little life according to who we are, and that’s what he did. Peace to you, Mr Russell. I hope you’ve got whatever it was out of your system now.