Chilean miners: Has it made you rethink what's important in life?

It's a very uplifting (pun intended) story on so many levels.
It was a story about mankind, stripped of all political identities. What we saw was another human being in danger and we all wanted them saved. People of all backgrounds worked together and prayed for their safe return, and celebrated their emergence from the mines as if they were their own relatives. (In a way, we all are relatives). For once, the human race was supporting the same cause and rooting for the same team.
It was a celebration of humanity and unity. Long may this spirit live and spread to the rest of this planet's troubled regions.

It could also be seen as spiritual/religious metaphor for how man is trapped in the darkness of his lower desires, and it will take a lot of patience, faith and good hard work to lift himself out into the light and loving embraces.

There was a blogger yesterday who commented that the BBC was becoming very boring following these "human interest" stories. This story actually had an opposite effect on me. Call me wimpy, but I tend to get very depressed at all the bad news in the world, so this was a breath of fresh air.

This, and a whole lot of other things, really, have made me rethink what's important and I was inspired to find the Good News Network, a website dedicated to "all the good news that's fit to print." I don't think it makes me blind to the very real horrors going on in the world, but it reminds me that things are not all bad, and life is still beautiful. I'd better stop now, I'm getting to sappy and I'm sure to bore someone!

No! However, I think it's fantastic that all the men were rescued and reunited with their families. It's certainly going to change these mens' lives, the book deals and T.V. deals e.t.c. If they play it right they might never have to work again down the mines. I am sure there will be a documentary or two down the line following them after their rescue. It will be interesting to see how they adjusted to their new lives as celebrities.

I find it quite obnoxious to read, and hear, the pseudo-cynical comments about this story being nothing but a media circus, a public spectacle, likened to that most unreal of entertainments “reality” TV – this is real as it gets folks.
Has it occurred to any of those detractors that, without the media furore, there may have been a lot less incentive for the Chilean government to pull out all the stops to rescue these guys, winning bucket loads of brownie points in the process? This in itself may be a cynical attitude, but at least it produced the desired result and 33 families are not shrouded in grief and may even make a few bob out of it, and good luck to them.
On a more global scale, isn’t it interesting that the Chinese government suddenly announced (yesterday I think) measures to improve mine safety, and it is to be hoped that they really will crack down on the corruption and greed that has killed so many. However, the parallel with Chile can only be drawn so far, since the Chinese leaders’ are past masters at misinformation, disinformation and simply concealing the truth. Because Chile let the media in there could be no concealment, including searching questions asked about why such a dangerous mine was allowed to keep operating in the first place.
Apart from the fact that this is the sort of story, too rare unfortunately, that reminds us that human empathy and solidarity have not quite been extinguished by military and market forces, we should be thankful that at least some of the media in the free world provide a worthwhile service without which we would be in even more at the mercy of the powerful and self-seeking.

No, not really, and mostly because I've understood life for a bit now. This sort of event excites people because they are briefly awakened by its flashing lights and joyful sounds. Equally heroic, though less conspicuous rescues occur around them every day, and yet fail entirely to disturb their somnambulance.
g

"Has it occurred to any of those detractors that, without the media furore, there may have been a lot less incentive for the Chilean government to pull out all the stops to rescue these guys, winning bucket loads of brownie points in the process?"


Of course it would have been inhumane to leave the men underground. With or without the cameras a rescue would have been undertaken. It's like you happen to walk past a stream and someone's drowning. Of course anyone would jump in or try to get help. They wouldn't wait around for the cameras to appear first.

I think whatever feel good moments come out of this won't last very long. All it took for me was to see someone driving out of a section 8 (public, subsidized housing for people of low income) in a BMW that I as an attorney couldn't even dream of owning, with the parking permit sticker on it, so that person does live there....

There will still be wars, people will still get horrible diseases, people will continue to eat meat, etc. When you think about, people try to claimthat life is this wonderful thing, blah blah blah, but imagine being some kind of small mammal in S. America whose only purpose in life is to be brutally killed by pirhana.. Life isn't pretty. Deal.

7. At 3:05pm on 14 Oct 2010, steve wrote:

"There will still be wars, people will still get horrible diseases, people will continue to eat meat, etc. When you think about, people try to claimthat life is this wonderful thing, blah blah blah, but imagine being some kind of small mammal in S. America whose only purpose in life is to be brutally killed by pirhana.. Life isn't pretty. Deal."

I fail to see how good news is any less real than bad news. How can it be logical that all the bad things are the grit of real life, and all the good things just dreams and illusions? This rescue wasn't an illusion, it actually happened. The collapsed mine was real, and the rescue was also real. Good things are happening all the time, it just doesn't make for sexy news.

Such ordeals of extreme intensity and trauma and that too experienced for a long time will have their effects on the victims. Such incidents have the power to change one's perspective of life and destiny.Here in the Chile miners' case a notable thing is that they are a group of victims - the fact which would have made their psychic trauma somewhat bearable. In the post rescue period every miner will have to share his story and the resultant share in the limelight along with 32 others.The world would prefer to see them as a well-knit bunch of humans whereas their trauma will remain so personally individual. It will be interesting to see whether the forced, inevitable bond these miners enjoyed underground will be reenacted on the surface.

After a (much too close) brush with death in 2004, I rethought what I had considered to be important in life. And then I made changes. Judging from media reports, the miners have been doing some rethinking too, since it seems that several long-time girlfriends are about to become wives.

I believe that major changes have occurred in Chile, and in the world's perception of Chile. The Chilean people bonded over the crisis, and the way the Chilean government managed the rescue was exemplary. I'm looking forward to seeing how this event shifts the balance of power and influence in Latin America.

The miners wouldn't have remained in high spirit if they hadn't kept receiving the warmth of support from people on the surface. Their case shows that what is important in life, and especially in difficult times, is the support one gets from the rest.

Paradoxically, while there are almost 7 billion people on earth, there are millions , if not billions, who feel lonely on this planet because they have nobody to turn to or to trust. In life, it isn't enough to have just things, but also people that can give meanings to one's existence. What's the use of having a luxury house and yet not having anyone to invite or offer a party?

Sometimes we forget that the riches we can have are good people around and not material things that stare in us without offering us what we need for genuine comfort.

The case of the miners rescued and what preceded their rescue show we are all a family but we choose to dismember ourselves for trivial things that can dehumanise us and make us shrug at what happens to the others as long as it doesn't happen to us.

Firstly I must state my agreement with the views expressed by Linda from Italy in comment # 4 above except for the fact that Chile’s mine safety regulations and implementation of those regulations is above average.
After that I wish to introduce a different kind of cynicism. People like Ms. Linda and millions if not billions of others already realise or have already realised at some earlier stage in their life as to what exactly is important. However, do the people behind the following forces realise what is important in life:
>The locust like forces of predatory Capital which blitzkrieg economies.
>The forces which are busy indebting or bankrupting millions through pre-approved Credit Cards with usurious interest rates or illegal and criminal foreclosures of their homes as is happening in the USA now.
Will humanity at large have to have another bloody equivalent of the French Revolution or the Bolshevik Revolution in case such forces do not rein in their greed? That is the Q which needs answering!

It seems we have a hard time enjoying the good news. Embrace the moment, as we know from alot of previous posts, it won't last long. I for one am happy for the families. It showed that a whole country can come together and make something good out of something bad. I hope the technology used to save these miners will be passed on in the US and around the world.

Hmm, I cannot say it has particularly changed my life. I am relieved that the miners were able to be rescued and reunited with their families, it must have been a terrible and frightening experience.

However, now that they are rescued, they will simply be forgotten within a weeks time. Perhaps a few months or years from now, there will be a minor article detailing the aftermath of their ordeal - something along the lines of suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, or how their experience has affected their lives in some negative way.

I am afraid that tragic news generates much more publicity and revenue than feel-good stories. This case will be no different.

This is how I see the Human Spirit! People caring about other People that don't even know. Doing the right thing without being told to.

The efforts of the many to save the few! This is what we are meant to be as a race.

Anything less and you are not a Human, you are an Animal with not conscious, heart or hope of being happy!

Just watching one man coming out of that hole and the joy that was expressed by all, made it one of the best days of this year! The Human Spirit with all of it's love is still strong!

Salaam from Baghdad gang,

Firstly let me say that the rescue of the Chilean miners brings back the precious memories of the 4th of July 2007 when the BBC's Alan Johnston was released after spending 114 days in captivity, now that was an uplifting event too! :)

As for the rescue of Chilean miners, I guess that as an Iraqi citizen and a doctor this event has made me realise even more that at the end of the day it's the people who really matter the most, all the other stuff (like money, power, fame, career, ect., ect.,) are salvageable or at least replaceable but the minute you lose a human being there's no way you could bring them back... Sometimes you get caught up in the circle of life and forget what's really important-the fact that all of your loved ones are alive and well, even down here where so many Iraqis including me have lost loved ones over the years this lesson could get forgotten alot of time, so yes the recue of Chilean miners was an awakening call...

With my love... Yours sincerely, Lubna N

@ Max
There exists an answer to the question you pose, though it isn't pleasant:
Ninety-five percent of people are asleep, while about five percent are truly awake. About half of these latter folks are as alert to unguarded morsels as are jackals and vultures, and equally unconcerned about their putridity. They are the captains of industry, religion and government – the architects of hundreds of millions’ economic poverty and intellectual slavery. For proof, one need only look at thirty millennia of human history to discover governance seldom yields significant growth in freedom, industry universal wealth, or religion genuine holiness. The other, sleepy two and one-half percent have been awakened by the noise and insist upon making comment about its causes. As we have named by exalted titles those who lead the three estates, so these latter folks are usually termed philosophers, or to name more correctly their efforts to actually change current realities - cowards. This pretty well sums it up, I think.
g

I was too busy to watch any of it happening but I did hear about it on the radio. Stories like this help to take the edge off my pessimism about the future but that's about it - no profound revelations.
If you're lucky, after you've lost enough family and friends, the process of assessing the important things in life becomes ingrained. They are what matters - everything else is just "stuff".

Sadly I do not think this will make the sort of impact many suggest. During yesterday's discussion, the rescue of these Chilean miners was compared to historical events, such as the first man walking on the moon. As a citizen and resident of the United States, I do not think it will have such an impact on our society. Many people simply do not have a strong interest in world events. In this country, this only the current top event and will soon be replaced by whatever is next, likely political elections or some other sort of natural or human disaster.

The deacon reminds me of why I enjoy observing religion - it's boundless ability to interpret any event as a validation of itself.
But he would have done better to look up the meaning of the word metaphor before he used it to describe this event.

So much for the so-called great human spirit. We can't even agree to disagree. Some people believe others don't and there's no crime in that. Can we please stop shoving opinions down people's throats?

The extraordinary rescue of the Chilean miners was inspiring for me. As I mentioned yesterday, this amazing rescue proves how we humans can, with commitment, work harmoniously. Locally, nationally, globally.

Throughout this rescue attempt, especially the last 22 hours of the rescue, I was so impressed with how affectionate a people Chileans are. Most notably, the men. Seemingly without embarrassment, they were naturally comfortable expressing affection, and their hugs were genuinely warm embraces. (Not the commonly seen antiseptic slap on the shoulder or pat on the bottom 'good old' boy' gesture.) I saw people in Chile as a genuinely a loving population.

Yes, the drama and brilliance of this rescue event has been a reminder for me of what's important, meaningful and beautiful in life. Conversely, it has amplified too bright a light on what I already know I am missing. I have even reflected on how much of my obsession with watching the rescue operation was my concern for the trapped miners, fellow humans in a dangerous situation, or for my own selfish reasons, to absorb a degree of the compassionately loving humanity I witnessed unfolding in front of me by the Chileans, and other people in union with them.

The miners were courageous, indeed, and I hope they realize how profound an effect their courage and the efforts of the rescuers has had on so many people around the planet.

I especially relate to two comments posted today:

#1 Ibrahim in UK:
"It could also be seen as spiritual/religious metaphor for how
man is trapped in the darkness of his lower desires, and it will take a lot of patience, faith and good hard work to lift himself out into the light and loving embraces."

#15 Alan in AZ:
"The efforts of the many to save the few! This is what we are meant to be as a race. The Human Spirit with all of it's love is still strong!"


what a load of %$#!
God is behind good things but not bad? God uses disasters to help us as humans? Tell that to the 200000 who died in Haiti. Oh wait...

Yes, this incidence has made me rethink about my relationship with God. If these miners had died, there wouldn't have been opportunity for them to mend their relationship with God, which means that their time here on earth is wasted. How wise it is for us, the living, to make a good name with God. Most of us only call on God when we are in danger. It is a wise course to develop an intimate relationship with God. In such instance, even if the unfortunate happens, we are ever safe with God; because God remembers those who love him, and will remember them in due time. Now is time for all of us to draw close to God. Time and unforeseen occurrence befall all living thing - we don't have control over our lives.

Hearing the Deacon (who spoke on the programme and who I just refer to as an example of Organised Religion with NO negative implication about Christians) wax eloquent about miracles and God was excruciatingly painful! Organised Religion is as bad as any Slave Master or Totalitarian regime etc.
If we have to talk about Faith then in my eyes and in my mind the Faith that was displayed in the rescue of the Chilean miners was this:
>The Faith that each engineer or miner or other technical person had in his/her capabilities.
>The Faith that ALL people involved in the rescue had in each other regardless of which Organised Religion they came from or what was the colour of their skin.
When I refer to God or the Lord God I actually mean the Creator of the Universe with all its animate and inanimate objects without reducing it to the level of a priestly and exploitative class which has emerged with every Organised Religion!
As Eric in Paris emailed and very eloquently said: "God! Wow! Well, if god is behind the saving of those people, he is also behind the initial catastrophe. Why would he not be?"
A very difficult Q to answer without the mumbo jumbo of Organised Religion!

Ernest Shackleton's 1914-1917 Antarctic expedition ended with his ship locked in a freezing sea, so he had his men retrieve everything they could before the ice smashed the ship up. Then his men then spent a harrowing 2 years under an ice cave built around one of the life boats, living mostly on penguin meat, when Shackleton and two of his more experienced seamen braved the South Atlantic ocean in a desperate attempt to reach civilization. He succeeded. The rest were saved. No lives lost.

What struck me about why his men endured so well was this: They all WANTED to be there, as they felt it an honor; they had a great sense of adventure; they had great skill at their individual crafts, and took pride in practicing them well; their leader lead by example, not by command; and, this is the most important part, all of his men had Good Cheer. That last bit is what really got them through.

I'm not sure I would've weathered the mine experience well. But then, I'm not a miner. (Nor am I religious.) But it seems that sometimes Good Cheer trumps faith...because it's tangible. And the Chilian miners had plenty of good cheer. Something the rest of the world can take pride for helping instill in them. (The cable TV projection of the soccar game was particular genius.) But that's what it took.

?? 'Chilean Miners: Has it made you rethink what's important in life?"

...No it has not! Possibly because I'm too old and jaded. What it did make me think about was how well the Chilean Government did everything. There was not one single hitch and THAT is what made me stop and think that - yes, we - people/ companies/ governments/ countries/ the World - can get it right if we really wanted to!

This story attracted the whole world because of the "HUMAN elements" involved with it. The accident, the suffering, the despair, the strength, the faith, the courage, the hope, the ability to do things successfully despite all the difficult things people face, the comraderie, the warmth, the determination, the love & compassion - all these things are deeply associated with human nature. The depth of the human emotions involved in this story will make all human beings who have watched or read it on various media remember it as long as they live. The lessons learned will never be forgotten.

I did not think we needed to actually see each and every miner emerge from the mine.But I was waiting eagerly to hear that all of them were out. The continuous coverage did not make sense to me. But if someone says that the intense coverage gave extra incentive to the Chilean government, so be it, I will accept it. It was not a story anyone could ignore. The sheer depth at which they were trapped - 700 meters of solid earth above you is such a scary and desperate situation. It gives everyone a sense of satisfaction and relief to know that the rescue worked.

Steve:

"There will still be wars, people will still get horrible diseases, people will continue to eat meat, etc. When you think about, people try to claimthat life is this wonderful thing, blah blah blah, but imagine being some kind of small mammal in S. America whose only purpose in life is to be brutally killed by pirhana.. Life isn't pretty. Deal."

Perhaps, as an attorney, word of good things happening is actualy bad news to you?
Always the Optimist eh?!

Its easy to just pin this as an act of "God" that these men have been saved. But why dont you pin genocides on "God" too? What about 9/11, why couldn't it have been "God" who did this. Why couldn't it have been "God" who Possessed the young minds of college students who shoot up schools in america and kill hundreds? My point is, people are so quick to say that everything good is because of one simply factor. People need to stop it. Those who think in such a way, i believe, are lost and cant find a way through life. So they think moral guidance from some element greater than themselves will help them to seek paths of righteousness.