Fifteen years ago there was a horrific rail accident outside
Paddington Station in London. Death and injury (31 and 250) were shocking, and
the effect on hundreds of others who walked away unscathed was severe as well.
The story that often escapes notice was the fairly large number of people
unaccounted for. They did not have a
passenger manifest, but the two trains were full, and the dead and injured were
added to many who were interviewed and several dozen people simply went missing
after the accident.
Each year a few of the missing emerge and they all have
similar stories – a contentious divorce, a difficult job, family problems,
financial overload, and a general sense of frustration that gave them the
brilliant idea to take advantage of the situation and simply walk away,
presumably into a new life.
Traveling to places like Rio or Bali or the beach towns in
Australia north of Sydney you can go to a restaurant and sit at the bar where
nobody has a name. They seem content in their choice, having unburdened their
former selves from the weight of a life too heavy. They will never go back.
We should not expect all the missing from the Philadelphia
rail crash to be discovered, at least not locally. They will be joining their
fellow travelers in Bali.
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