Dear natives,
Three weeks have gone by and I still can’t seem to shake the tragedy that occurred in Calabasas, when Kobe Bryant and his 13 year old daughter Gigi Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash. I always knew he was a basketball legend even though I never really followed sports, but strangely ever since his death I haven’t been able to take it out of my mind. I was glad when I stumbled across a post written by someone else who was clearly also shaken up by Kobe’s death and who admired the amazing person that the world lost a couple weeks ago just as much as I do. The second I saw Spirofighter’s post about Kobe I knew I had to respond. Not only was I amazed to have found another being not from here, but I enjoyed reading the alien’s touching perspective of the impact of Kobe Bryant on the world. As Spirofighter said, Kobe was the definition of a warrior. I think a reason why so many of us have been affected by his passing is because of how shocking it is to see someone as great and seemingly invincible as he was, the victim of a tragedy.
One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou is: “At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel”. I think I agree with the great poet to a certain extent, but not all the way. People will definitely always remember Kobe’s accomplishments that made him into the legend that he was, but the main reason I personally feel so affected by this tragedy was because of the noble, talented yet insanely hard-working, family man that he was. I think the same can be said for lots of other people who find themselves in the same position as myself, not completely in tune with basketball yet still deeply affected by the tragedy. Back where I come from, we too have parents that reproduce to create us, but in my specific case, I grew up without parents and never really saw the full extent of parental love. The fact that he only started using helicopters as a way to spend more time with his family after missing his daughter’s school plays makes the story even more heartbreaking. And the fact that his daughter, who was rumored to have inherited her father’s talent and dedication to the sport never got to show her gifts to the world, makes me beyond devastated. Scrolling through any social media form it is evident the deep connection he shared with his daughter and the amount of love that flowed from him to his children and wife, and just about anyone who was lucky enough to have crossed paths with him. Rest in peace Mamba and Mambacita.
The Issue With Your Kind 