In Continuum.

I am sure the thought has come across your mind before, as you are flying thirty thousand feet above the ground in a giant metal bird that is moving through the air only  because of four (sometimes two, or one) spinning engines, and that a few hundred thousand things could go wrong midway through flight that could cause the plane to plunge through all that height and right into the arms of Death. Yes, flying from one place to another, albeit its convenience, can be a risky business indeed. Like the incident that happened yesterday in regards to the plane that plunged into the Hudson River in New York after birds got sucked into the plane engine. Yes, birds tend to do that when they are face to face with plane engines, they tend to get sucked  in and, as a result, cause the whole plane to crash. Thankfully, though, nobody was killed in this accident, and everybody got out alive. That is a good news, and I am certainly very happy to hear that. However, this headline on CNN.com made me roll my eyes until they were on the verge of divorcing with my sockets. It was obviously a testimonial of somebody who survived the ordeal, and you can't help but wonder if the passengers got their priorities wrong when their planes crash landed in the middle of a river. 

I wouldn't wish this on anybody, but let's just say that your plane is about to crash, and you are gripping tightly onto your seat while hoping for the best. This seems like an appropriate time to pray as your life flashes before your eyes, and it'd make a lot of sense if you do so at this point. Once the plane crashes, though, there are a lot of things that you could do in order to keep yourself alive. I think most of us have sat in enough planes and watched enough times of those in-flight instructions in times of emergency, as performed by air stewardesses or in recorded videos. We know what to do when a plane crash lanes, and time is especially crucial when you crash land in a body of water, because everything is going to sink if you don't hurry up and get yourself out of there. Find your life vest, for one, because you are ABOUT TO SINK. Getting yourself to the emergency exit would probably be the next thing you want to do, because that is also where the emergency floatation device is. OK, let's just call it the rubber boat thing, because it sounds more realistic than a "floatation device". Anyway, that'd be the next thing you may want to consider. Wait, you don't consider doing such things, you just go right ahead and do it. Because, once again, you are ABOUT TO SINK, so get your priorities straight and GET OFF THE DAMN PLANE. 

But then some people seem to want to do other things instead, after finding out that they are still alive. You know, grab their suitcases because the passports are in there, or other valuables which you'd want to have with you after being rescued. Then there'd be some people, just sitting there and praying their heads off - why? Let me get this straight. Instead of putting on your life vest, finding your way to the emergency exit, jump onto the rubber boat thing, your very next option other than those things, is to pray? Let me get it even straighter, if it wasn't already straightened to begin with. Instead of putting on a life vest that'd keep you afloat in the water, or finding the emergency exit because that is the only way out of a sinking metal plane, you prefer to remain in your seat and murmur words to a higher being? Even if you think that it actually works, wouldn't it be a little more productive to reach underneath your seat and pull out that little yellow thing that says "life vest" on it? I think it is more productive, because it doesn't really have a fifty-fifty chance of saving your life, it has a full hundred. Praying though, not so productive. 

I think it'd be pretty amusing to be there in the plane as it is sinking, and you are going at the door and trying to get it opened when everybody else behind you is just praying in their seats. There is something really annoying about people being calmed when you are panicking, don't you think. Naz was just telling me about his recent incident in Krabi earlier this year that involved a hospital stay, and to have the doctor calmly tell you that everything is going to be alright while you are on the verge of death can be rather frustrating. I'd probably want to strangle someone if all of them just sits there and pray, that'd be the first thing that I do. Or, maybe I should just save myself and just tell everybody else that praying is so going to get them out of the ordeal, no problem. I think it is much more useful if you say "I am going to survive this" than to say "Dear Lord, I hope I live through this" and not do anything about it. I think praying is fine if it makes you feel comfortable, but it is just a royal waste of time especially after a damn plane crash. I think getting out of your seat and making your way out seems to be the appropriate reaction, and not talking to yourself. Save that for another day, will you? 

I bet a bunch of those survivors are going to be thanking God for everything. You know, thank God we are alive, thank God we got out, thank God we didn't get eaten by sharks. But they never actually thank the rescue workers first for pulling them out from the waters, or thank the pilot of landing the plane in an awesome angle to keep the plane intact. They don't even thank the flight attendants who probably had a lot to do with getting them out of the plane in an orderly fashion. They always thank God first, then everybody else if they get to that list. For a lot of them, they are going to say that it is a "miracle" that no one died, that it is some "divine intervention". But in all seriousness, it probably was because of a dozen of coincidences, and good judgment of the pilot for the most part. It's like getting a good grade in your exams, and you start thanking God for everything - why? Thank yourself for putting in the efforts, or your teacher for being good at his job, or your friends that motivated you. What did God do in everything, anyway. It's not like he made answer keys fall from the sky or something, he had zero part to play in your eventual grade. You might as well thank Paul while you are at it. No, I don't know who Paul is, it could be any Pauls in this world. But he had as much part to play in your grades as God - none. 

I think, the next time you are in some kind of dire situation, it'd make more sense to save yourself first before you start praying. It is OK to be thankful, but thank the right people. It's nice to keep people in prayers at night, but there isn't a point when you pray to God only when you need him - that's a little selfish now, isn't it. If you have done enough of those faith things (yeah, I am calling it faith things) in your normal everyday lives, then you really have nothing much to fear now, do you. If you are going to go, you will go, and no questions about that at all. After all, He has his plans, and you really shouldn't be praying for it to become otherwise. That's just rude, don't you think. If every dimwit with half a brain and a prayer can change His plan, then what is the point of a plan in the first place? It doesn't work, so grab that damn life vest and get out of the damn plane!