Thursday, September 19, 2013

Now This Is Class...!

How would you act if you were faced with certain death? Scared of dying, or standing up and looking your demise square in the eye with courage and style?

I'm not sure how I would react, but I would certainly hope that I would show just a portion of the class shown by this gentleman!

Benjamin Guggenheim

Benjamin Guggenheim was a passenger on the Titanic and on the fateful day it sank, Guggenheim realized he wanted to go to Valhalla looking sharp.

As the boat was sinking, Guggenheim and his valet, Victor Giglio, immediately set about helping as many women and children as they could into lifeboats. However, after around an hour, the boat crew noticed that they were missing. Several minutes later, Benjamin and Giglio emerged on deck without their life preservers. Instead, they were now wearing their finest evening wear. When asked why they had changed, Guggenheim simply responded that he wanted to go down like a gentleman and asked for someone to get a message to his wife.

You may remember Guggenheim from the Titanic movie—he’s the one who sips brandy on the deck as it slowly sinks into oblivion. Well, believe it or not, Guggenheim actually did that. Except the real Guggenheim was even more awesome than his fictional counterpart, who simply asks for the brandy and walks away without actually helping anyone.

In real life, he saved dozens of lives first.That’s the image we want to leave you with, a guy dressed to the nines sitting on a deck chair with a brandy in hand as the entire world collapses around him, completely content that he was going to die like a gentlemen should.

It's nice to know that having money and stature didn't always mean a person had to be stuffy and all high and mighty. I would venture to say this man was classy all the time, and I think that's a good thing!

Coffee on the patio this morning. Still waiting on the stormy weather, ya know?

9 comments:

Chickenmom said...

Don't know if I would be so calm when it's time to kick the bucket!
40 here and clear - we could use some rain. I'll bring a box of windmill cookies for us to enjoy with your good coffee!

linda m said...

That was one classy gentleman. Something that is missing in our society today. I have had the pleasure of meeting someone like that a long time ago. When my time comes I hope I can die with as much class and dignity as he did. Nah, I'l probably go kicking and screaming. Looks like rain here. But coffee on the patio sounds good.

Unknown said...

Absolutely classy!

JO said...

Now why would they portray him that way in the movie. No wonder I don't watch them. He was a true gentleman for sure.

I'll sit with you all on the patio not much else for me to do today until awning is done. And by then it should be about a 100 degrees.
:(

Dizzy-Dick said...

When my doctor told me I was dying and how long I may have, I think he expected me to act badly from the news. Not so, I asked him to put it writing and guarentee it because I wasn't expecting to live that long anyway. . . Dang, I got more years than I thought (grin). We just never know, do we?

HermitJim said...

Hey Phyllis...
I just know I'll be a wuss when it's my time, but I hope not!

Cookies? I like cookies!

Thanks for coming over!



Hey Linda...
Certainly not many of that kind around! At least, I haven't met them.

Many thanks for coming by!



Hey Hermit Ladee...
Yes, he was for sure!

Thanks for the visit today!



Hey Jo...
Guess the truth just wasn't as entertaining as the fiction!

Good luck on the awning!

Thanks, sweetie, for coming over today!

HermitJim said...

Hey Dizzy...
Let's hope that you will be here for a long time, buddy!

We just never know what's in store!

Thanks for dropping in today!

Anonymous said...

I do hope I would act like he did. there are few of his kind left though. Today someone most probably would take a photo of the chaos and put it on Facebook and then save themselves.

Have a great day!
Christer.

BBC said...

I'm not sure how I would act, but I expect my death to be interesting being as it's the last thing I'll do here.