Like most of us with a television and no job, I spent the majority of the past few days glued to the Chilean miner saga. It was a story that had it all - I laughed, I cried (33 times), I cheered, screamed, fist-pumped, and I got chills. But most of all, it was a story, involving people thousands of miles from me, that reaffirmed my faith in Gd, humanity, and modern technology.
I wouldn't say my faith was "restored", as that would imply that it had been lost. I like "reaffirmed" because it seems more accurate - this served as a powerful reminder to me to always believe. I'm not hugely religious, having had a bat mitzvah but usually only attending services around the High Holy Days. I'd compare my Judaism to the average American's Christianity - church is usually reserved for Christmas and Easter, but most would emphatically say they "believe". I used to pray every night, having made myself a promise to do so after my bat mitzvah, but after high school that ritual became more weekly than daily. However, hearing about the constant faith in Gd that these miners displayed made me think a LOT about my own faith. I don't think there's any way that those guys would have survived without hope, especially those first 17 days with no contact with the outside world, and I think the only way to have hope is to have faith. Not necessarily religion, but faith in that ubiquitous "higher power" that AA is always touting. But however cheesy it may seem, I think it's true - I don't think any of those men who have survived without hope.
Now, I clearly don't think any of them would have survived without the assistance of modern technology, and almost everything that the rescuers did just blows my mind. How quickly the carrier pigeon system was set up to deliver food (not real pigeons, but packages coming down the small holes), the fact that a fiber-optic cable was able to provide a constant video feed, getting food and water down there... And to think, those supply holes were drilled almost immediately after they were discovered alive!!! Then, we have the fact that they actually managed to drill a hole more than 28 inches across down 2,000 feet in less than two months! Of course, they worked 24 hours a day, but still... I heard that whenever there was silence in the camp, it meant there was a problem, as the drills weren't operating. But all problems were resolved, so much so that months ahead of schedule, they lowered this spaceship/missile looking apparatus down those 2,000 feet on a simple cable, and started loading it up with men. One of the memories that I'll keep with me forever was seeing that first little bit of red emerge, seemingly out of nowhere, down into the cave. The joy on the miners faces as they swarmed the cage to hug and kiss their rescuer will be with me forever!!! It truly blows my mind that it's possible to drill a hole that deep - maybe someday they'll make it to China! :)
The last thing that struck me so much during this rescue was just the way everyone involved, from the president of Chile, the miners themselves and their families, the laborers, the rescuers, the people watching in Maine, Brazil, France, North Korea, and South Africa, came together with a spirit of unity and brotherhood. So rarely is there a "breaking news" story that has a happy ending. Usually it's 9/11, or a child abduction, or Hurricane Katrina that dominates our televisions and computers, so it was especially powerful to see such a positive story captivate the world. EVERYONE involved in the rescue are heroes - without their strength, perseverance, and hope, this never would have been possible. I can't imagine the courage it took to actually go down into that hole, so the 6 men who did are some of the bravest to ever live. The first man down (I think Manuel Gonzalez) was the last man up, and while I'm sure there were no shortages of volunteers (as they said about the miners who wanted to go last), it takes a real man to risk his life for the lives of so many others.... I don't even like elevators that are more than 20 years old, I can't imagine that slow ride down into the bowels of the earth and back. I'm sure the ride up was amazing, though, just knowing every second that you were getting closer and closer to freedom. Super Mario Sepulveda showed us how exciting the moment of arrival home must have been for these men by jumping around, screaming with joy, and kissing his overjoyed wife. I wept with almost every single reunion and they never got old, though I stopped sweating and my heart stopped pounding after the first two guys came up safely. When the final miner came up safe and sound, the world collectively let out its breath.
There's so much to say about this story - it's fascinating in all sorts of ways. But what I'll take from it is the way a story that has litereally nothing to do with me touched my heart and soul more than any other story I can think of in my life. I've never had such a visceral reaction to the news, and most uniquely, I've never wanted to change my life because of it.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
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