I find myself in awe, watching the live rescue of the trapped Chilean miners; but my impression are both good and a touch of not so good. Let me explain.
I have been lucky to witness some momentous things in my life, some in person and some through the wonders of technology. Watching the live coverage of the World Trade Centre disaster has to be up amongst the biggest. Then again a surprise encounter with the Pope while on holiday in St Lucia is another. And in it's own way this wondrous rescue will count amongst them.
OK I am just one of millions of witnesses in this case, but the intimacy that this man by man extraction with minute by minute coverage over what will be something around 24 hours is quite unique and moving. The bit that feels special is the TV coverage from over 2,000 feet below the surface showing the appearance of the rescue pod and the start of each man's journey home.
I cannot think of another comparable instance. It is suitably enhanced by the expectation that it will be 100% successful, even though I just hear that one miner has pneumonia - I wish him well.
While technology has enabled the drilling of a rescue shaft and the TV coverage, it has also given a moment to me that left a funny taste. This was when wife of a miner found that her first priority as her husband appeared was to use her personal digital camera to take pictures. While I couldn't hear it I strongly suspect that she told him to smile so she could take a picture before they opened the mesh door. This seemed so wrong to me. Would I be happy if my wife did this as we were reunited after I had been trapped underground for over 60 days? I don't think so!
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