Heart Burn

 Here is a little background: My father died as a result of burns he suffered when the small plane he was in crashed on approach to an airport in Northern Colorado. Because my father was a hearty soul and in pretty good shape for a sixty-one year old, he survived for several days after the accident. He was kept under sedation during this time because the severity of his condition would have been far too brutal to experience if he was awake. For those days, shortly before Thanksgiving until just after, the doctors and nurses at the University of Colorado Medical Center Burn Ward did everything they could to keep him alive. During this time, I wondered what the future might be like if he survived. What would his quality of life be like once he had endured all that suffering, rehabilitation, surgeries for repair and reconstruction? 

And it boggled my mind. 

He never regained consciousness. I was grateful that I had a chance to say my goodbyes at the airport in Oakland when he left. I was glad that I had a chance for last tag on his corporeal form at his bedside before he shuffled off to the afterlife. I miss him and I adopted a bias against small aircraft after his passing. 

All of this is prelude to saying that I don't care what Max Azzarello was trying to prove last week when he set himself on fire outside of the courthouse where the former game show host with more indictments than entire crime families is on trial for misuse of funds to pay an adult film actress to stay quiet about their adulterous hook up. Mister Azzarello was seen tossing pamphlets about just before he poured flammable liquid over his head and lit himself on fire. 

Was he protesting the proceedings inside the court? Was he sharing his paranoid views about something connected to current events outside? Making a statement about global warming? 

Don't care. 

My father died as the result of an accident. Dedicated medical professionals worked to save his life. For days. This guy showed up where the TV cameras were and took full advantage of the media. First responders arrived within moments and tried to save Azzarello, and he was rushed to a New York hospital where he passed away later that night in spite of all the efforts of all those who tried to save his life. 

Good riddance. 

I miss you, dad.