Heroism in real life

[fpb]

The thing that struck me the most about the story of the trapped Chilean miners is the self-discipline and group cohesion that 33 men have shown, managing to survive for eighteen days in a rather small space and on minimal rations. There used to be a cliche' in Britain that miners were heroes; this lot certainly seem to be.

Comments

[sanscouronne.livejournal.com]

I agree. It is one thing to be in a life-or-death situation with one's family, but for 33 coworkers to make it together for eighteen days without (apparently) violence amongst them is incredible.

[verity-forsythe.livejournal.com]

Isn't it amazing? I swear, I came very close to crying last night when I read about them singing their national anthem, and cheering when they learned no one had been killed nearer the surface.

[theeditrix.livejournal.com]

It isn't a cliché. I come from the "Ruhrgebiet" in Northrine Westphalia. If one grows up with the glow of the steel furnaces at night, one knows it. I grew up in secure upper-middleclass circumstances, so I know nothing about the everyday toil of the miners and their families, but one of my grandfathers was one. People there used to be a tough lot. To be prepared to go down a mine, even today, means that you are putting your life at stake. But somebody has to do it and the best go.

"Glückauf" is the miners' greeting and can be translated, very roughly, as "With luck, back up again". A heroic salute if I've ever heard one.

The steel furnaces went cold long ago and have been demolished and they put caps on the mines. The tough, straight-talking people have died out, the rest get ousted. So sad. (http://editrixblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/wrong-by-omission.html)

This (http://editrixblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/gallant.html) is about miners as well.