It is always difficult to say good-bye. I also find it interesting to the extent that Diana played in the psyche of our family. Carolyn seemed to be the most interested in her life, but Hetty was the first to put her thoughts into the ether of cyberspace. And while I only casually watched her as millions of others did, her death does evoke a feeling of loss, partially due to the senseless waste that her death comprises, but also because of the great loss of potential in her humanitarian efforts, and as a parent of small children. We are led to sympathize with Charles and his sons as they face this tragedy, yes, especially as they remain in the eye of the press, which is part and parcel of public life.
Mass events seem to have an effect on the individual.
I recall the Oklahoma City bombing, the TWA disaster, and the Heaven's Gate suicide. These events cause us to react with emotions as we consider the fragility of life and the sometime absurd actions of human beings, namely, the paparazzi who may have had a direct influence on the accident. Earlier in this century, our parents and older siblings can recall what they were doing when FDR and JFK died, when the deaths of Marilyn Monroe and John Lennon were announced, and when Challenger exploded, killing seven astronauts, most notably teacher Christa McAuliffe. As a global society, we all carry on, engaged in the seemingly important trivia of our lives. But these events cause us to stop and take a pause to remember extremely extraordinary and dynamic people.