Sad. Sad for the people that died, and also sad for the abrupt ending of the great airships. All possibly preventable, if the U.S. had allowed helium to be exported to Germany, but there was a good reason for that at the time I suppose. Still, the Hindenburg disaster ended an all too brief era of airship travel. I think I traveled this way at one time, along the Brazil to Germany route, or perhaps I just saw them coming and going--majestic and marvelous. I have no clear memories, just an affection and awe for these gentle and fragile giants. Slow compared to planes, but elegant. They were put into use in WWI on bombing raids on England--the first ever--but they were ill suited for such uses.
Airships are one of those things that drew me in as I explored the topic, drawn by feelings I had never had before I began trying to remember my own past lives. I used to be a technophile. I have become, more and more a technophobe, or perhaps a techno-skeptic. Not across the board, as I would not do without medical advances. As for the rest, I have to wonder: Are we really better off because of ____________? Somehow my longings keep taking me back before WWII or even WWI. A slower time, with "less noise and more green" as someone has said.
