Life in The hands of Nature The perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger presents the perception of risking one’s life, to earn money in order to survive everyday living; through the men who take that risk, their families who endure great emotional distress while they await for their arrival home, which is not guaranteed, and the men of the Coast Guard and the Air National Guard who anticipate disaster. In this book the risk taken by the fishing men baffled me. Yes, the money was good, but the risk seemed to out weigh the money. The men of The Andrea Gail all had their doubts of their last trip into the Atlantic, which would cost them their lives. Such tragedy can be a useful learning experience for those who survive. The perfect Storm also brought to my attention the mental state of one who is on the edge of life and death. I learned a great deal about the fishing industry lifestyle from The Perfect Storm.The men of the Andrea Gail risked their lives on every trip they set out on. They took this risk to support them selves and their families. One thing I would have accepted as a justification of this risk is if every catch resulted in a plentiful amount of money. There was no guarantee of how much one would bring home proving to me that the money was out weighed by the risk. It seems that those who take part in swordfishing have a sense of denial. They put aside the risks of the business and go on with their work. When disaster does strike out at sea man is in the hands of nature, the most powerful force. There is only so much one can do to prevent a natural disaster. When one’s life is on the line the natural instincts of the body take over. When one is drowning they voluntarily hold their breath to prevent their lungs from filling with water. As they hold their breath the body is starting to feel the effect of too much carbon dioxide in the blood. At this moment it is said to be the “break point”....
