Chilean Miners Rescue: Human Strength of Spirit

News of the trapped miners' dire straits the last two months have existed for me pheripherally--I was aware of it, but after the initial dismay of hearing about another mining incident, it became just news. Like almost everyone else, I'd thought most of them wouldn't have survived.

Then, news came that they were alive and again, after the initial spark of "wow, amazing, after all this time," I continued with my own day-to-day chores. Again, pheripherally, I read the news about the plans for rescue, of the victims' families and friends praying.  I remember hoping that it'd all work out, but when they said it might take four months before they could reach those trapped men, in my mind, I was prepared for failure.  I mean, four months?  In the dark, with all kinds of crumbly rocks threatening to crush them? And how about the injured ones?

Last night reminded me to not doubt so much.  The human spirit and will to survive is a beautiful and amazing thing.  Only humans would work day and night to rescue their kind the way we have--cutting through rock, inch by inch, using everything in our power (brain, prayer, technology, bare hands) to triumph over what seemed the impossible.

The 33 miners are being brought up one by one by a special capsule that rivaled Star Trek stuff.  Here's the video of the first miner coming out of the shaft--Mr. Florencio Avalos.  The reunion between him and his little son brought tears to my eyes.



Over sixty days in the dark, relying on a tube to bring them food and news, relying on their ownselves to keep the faith while they know their family was above them somewhere, also willing them to be alive.  I'm amazed and awed at what we, as humans, could do.  At times like this, I forget about our political strifes and Wall St. greed and hold out hope that we are really pretty cool for a species capable of self-destruction.

It makes me cheer.  It keeps me hopeful.  And recharges my Muse to keep writing hopeful HEA romances.

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