We celebrate with Chile

Editor | Thursday October 14, 2010 00:00

There were defining moments that will remain forever etched in the minds of millions who watched the event live on TV.  One of the rescuers, Manuel Gonzalez, fully aware that entry into the rescue capsule could mean his death took the challenge and became the first man to travel with the device. He eventually reached the men trapped in the San Jose mine some 45 minutes later. Soon afterwards, there was a tearful reunion when the first miner, Florencio Avalos reached the surface.  He embraced his wife and son on the surface happy to be free and alive after two months of underground agony and anxiety.

The dark Chilean desert erupted into shouts, tears, and cheers as it suddenly dawned on the world that the first of 33 miracles had just happened.  A sniff here, a whimper there as fathers unable to hide their tears from their little boys freely allowed their flow, trying in vain to explain the mystery of the rescue of the miners.  And across the world, millions followed the events from their television sets or computers.  Those sleeping woke up to follow the rescue on television or radio.  That is how humanity can unite.

This is because what happens to others can very easily happen to us.  We cannot even begin to imagine the torturous waiting, the anxiety that the miner's loved ones must have gone through. They were never sure if at the end of all the preparations, the rescue effort would be successful.  As fellow humans, we shared that anxiety.  That anxiety was borne out of something deep within us, something awakened by the plight of fellow mortals.  For suddenly we all realised just how precious human life is.  We realised that in the purgatory where the men were held prisoner by millions of tons of rock, mud, water and sand was someone's son, husband or brother.  We watched as they emerged from the abyss and could almost hear the world sniff as that beautiful, miraculous, incredible sight elicited tears of joy.  Regardless of colour, language or geographical location, we the human inhabitants of the planet called Earth have once again been brought together by one common emotion.  Could this Chilean incident help us appreciate further the value of human life?  Certainly if we could all pay attention to that which has clawed at our deeper self and caused us to cheer and laugh with the families and the people of Chile, we should be able to do our best to bring an end to all the pain and suffering around us.  To the people of Chile, we say congratulations.  It just happened to be you.  It could very easily have been any 33 of the seven or so billion of the world's other inhabitants.

                                                              Today's thought'Adversity is like a strong wind.  It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that  we see ourselves as we really are.'                                                   -Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha