Have you noticed that only in time of illness or disaster or death are people real? I remember at the time of the wreck-- people were so kind and helpful and solid. Everyone pretended that our lives until that moment had been every bit as real as the moment itself and that the future must be real too, when the truth was that our reality had been purchased only by Lyell's death. In another hour or so we had all faded out again and gone our dim ways.
The passage reflects on how crises, such as illness or death, strip away pretenses and reveal genuine human connections. During the wreck, the speaker noticed that people showed remarkable kindness and solidarity, acting as if their previous lives held the same depth of meaning as that pivotal moment. This surge of authenticity starkly contrasted with the usual superficiality of everyday life.
The author remarks that the collective experience of grief and crisis brought people together, highlighting that their seemingly real lives were, in essence, only validated by the tragedy of Lyell’s death. After a brief moment of clarity and connection, the individuals return to their routine indifference, showing how fleeting realness can be in the absence of adversity.
