Photos: Life Falling Through the Cracks

To be human is to be anxious. We want to believe we can control our destiny even if we’re constantly reminded that nature holds the upper hand.

These recent news photos serve as pokes to that effect. Like the meteor that hit Russia the other day, the random residential sinkhole in Florida last week is another example of what I’m talking about — one that visual media lives to fill. I mean, one minute you’re lying in bed and the next, poof!, you’re history — and news.

Variation on the theme (with a bit more political irony) is the shot from Athens. If the literal description involves a worker cleaning the skylight of the Greek Parliament who happened to break through a window pane, there is the symbolism of all those workers falling through the cracks of this troubled EU country, boots coming down on the powers-that-be for more than a year now.

Political or not, though, aren’t these scenes all too reflective of the cat-and-mouse game we play in our heads every day, assuming the ground will be solid and the future bright, if not glorious?

(photo 1: Pantelis Saitas / EPA caption: An employee of the Greek Parliament hangs after falling through the glass roof over the Greek Parliament Hall, in her efforts to prevent rain water from entering the building, in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 22. A heavy storm of rain and sleet in the greater Athens region created problems with transportation, flooding streets and interrupting sea transport.)(photo 2: Dirk Shadd/Associated Press/The Tampa Bay Times caption: This aerial photo showed demolition workers picking up remnants from the home of Jeff Bush Tuesday in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up under a bedroom in the house Feb. 28 and swallowed Mr. Bush, 37. The search for Mr. Bush was called off Saturday.)