Do you remember what you were doing back on August 5th, 69 days ago? I don't, which means I was probably just going about my regular routine, nothing out of the ordinary.
For 33 miners and their families in Chile, their world changed in an frightening and extraordinary fashion that day, trapping the miners underground from then until today, when all of the phenomenal efforts of the rescue team who have put this operation together reached culmination and the men began to be removed from the ground.
When I woke up this morning, I did something I never do - I immediately turned on the TV. I knew CNN would have live coverage of this event and I couldn't wait to see what was happening. This is the reason I pay for extra cable channels, in order to have CNN available to watch when this type of story is taking place. It's fascinating to be able to see all the camera angles and hear the various interviews and stories as the rescue unfolds, nobody does this stuff better than CNN. For once, it's a good news story and not a tragedy that draws our attention.
I watched miners 9 and 10, Mario Gomez and Alex Vega, as they reached ground level and were reunited with their wives, it was so touching to share in those moments. As I write this, 12 have been rescued, with 21 more to be brought to the surface, as well as the rescue workers who have gone down to assist with the rescue operation from below.
One of the interviews I saw featured someone who referred several times to the resiliency of the human spirit. Certainly we have seen that first hand over the past several weeks as these men were trapped underground, somehow staying sane and hopeful. I wish them all the best in the days and weeks ahead, as they adjust to their newfound freedom and get back to their lives. I'm sure they and their families will have a lot to cope with going forward but the good news is, they're alive and very soon now, hopefully they will all be safe above ground.
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