Something I learned today

I thought I heard a statistic this morning while in my sleepy stooper on my way to work. "Those who stayed on the Hindenburg while it burned survived." I couldn't believe my ears. Well, according to Wikipedia, that is true. Why am I 38 years old and just now finding this out? I'm sure I came across it before and just refused to learn it.

Death toll

Despite the violent fire, most of the crew and passengers survived. Of the 36 passengers and 61 crew, 13 passengers and 22 crew died. Also killed was one member of the ground crew, Navy Linesman Allen Hagaman. Most deaths did not arise from the fire but were suffered by those who leaped from the burning ship. (The lighter-than-air fire burned overhead.) Those passengers who rode the ship on its descent to the ground survived. Some deaths of crew members occurred because they wanted to save more people on board the ship. In comparison, almost twice as many perished when the helium-filled USS Akron crashed. ^[12]

Wikipedia

This revelation changes my view of a disaster that happened decades before I was born. There was a time I thought of the people who jumped as making a brave decision between the flame and the ground. Now, I'm not so sure. Some were in a bad location, but some sat tight and held on and ducked.

I'm starting to think differently about bravery. I guess that means I'm old now. I've traded my adventure for security. Is that a bad thing?