newsonaut

Turning inner space into outer space

May 11, 2011

Missing: one of the worst feelings you can have

News stories about missing people are fascinating. They hook us — but why?

I think it’s because just about every one of us has been in a situation where a loved one has gone missing. It might have been for as little as a few minutes or as long as a couple of hours. But the feeling of helplessness and dread was still there.

Recently, a Kamloops mom lost track of one of her children while in a busy shopping area. When she cried out in desperation, fellow shoppers immediately came to her aid and helped find the missing youngster.

A young Kamloops woman recently disappeared without telling her family or friends. They were immediately concerned, because this was out of character, plus she had been going through some personal troubles. She later turned up with family in Ontario, but in the meantime the article about her on The Daily News website was the most read — more so than politics or parkades.

The most-read story currently is about a Neskonlith councillor who went missing during a campout. Again, it seems out of character for him to take off without telling anyone.

The big question you can’t keep out of your mind in just about any case of a missing person — even if it’s just a spouse who’s late returning home — is what happened. It’s probably nothing, but as time passes, your thoughts become increasing morbid. Was there an accident? Did they decide they couldn’t take it any more?

The tension builds, and there is only one way to resolve it. The missing person has to either show up or be found.