It was 1:46 am when Urzua walked out of the Phoenix 2(the capsule used to haul the 33 mariners up) amidst the crowd which sang and cheered and praised him for his might.
'You are not the same, and the country is not the same after this. You were an inspiration. Go hug your wife and your daughter.', said the Chilean President Sebastian Pinera to Urzua.
Urzua is a real life hero. He is somebody from whom all the leaders, managers and rescue squad can learn a lot. He made a difference to a scene which seemed too dismal and left people praying for hope. A lot of women cried and children wailed and he brought shine to their eyes. The feat was neither achieved in a day nor single handedly. He had to struggle 70 days and with 32 people relying on their saviour.
The miners of the gold and copper of San Jose mine had gone through the most adverse days of their lives. The first 17 days were really tough.
It was no less than a miracle to the "Loss 33" to survive the odds and still keep the faith on their survival. Besides these miners it was the grit and courage of the rescuers who decided to go down and bring back the lost. The team of engineers, the medics ,the nutritionists , the scientists of NASA and many more who worked day and night to guarantee the success of the operation as much as they could.
The miners had food stock only for 48 hours which they stretched for the first 17 days and Urzua helped them maintain it. They took tiny sips of milk everyday.
They had applied all the knowledge of surviving with the minimum. They saved on the helmet torch which was the only source of illumination available.
When they were guaranteed the outlet, they listed the batch of people who would go first, second and last. The last man out was surely going to be Urzua.They were so sure about the exit that they fought over who would go last. They wanted the people who were old, suffering from medical problems to go earlier.
We come across many instances of team spirit when we talk of sports ,films,politics but when the matter of survival surfaces, it is only few who stick to plans and strategies. Actually one doesn't have much time to ponder about many things associated with the crisis, if death seems approaching.
The miners who had at one instance established the fact that the world has given up on them stuck together, followed their leader and passed the ordeal with brave heart. When chances of rescuing the miners seemed impossible, the miners proved that God always helps the people who help themselves.
The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.-James Baldwin
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Giving Back to Mother Earth
God writes the gospel not in Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars-Martin Luther
Do you remember when you used to hurl sand all over yourself as a toddler? All the kids have played with mud mountains in their local play area or houses. The earthy smell after the rainfall can scintillate the mind in its own ways.
We can always relish the days when we planted the bushes in the afforestation drive of our college or plucking the tomatoes and brinjal from our mother's kitchen garden .The old and the retired love the leisurely stroll in the woods.
For the people who own a farm or an orchard, can always enjoy the vicinity of nature. How refreshing the companionship is.
Everybody has spent time in some or the other way in the lap of Mother Nature.
Nature's bounties are not limited only to beauty but nature teaches us a good lot of discipline and punctuality. The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening handing over the charge of illumination to the cool and charming moon assisted by the twinkling stars. We may wish to get up late in the morning someday but imagine what would happen if the sun starts delaying.
Whatever we consume is derived from nature. As believed in India the very existence of human lies in Panchtatva. The constituent the sky, the earth, the wind, the water and the fire build the human body. The mind and the soul therefore always depend on the nature for peace and knowledge.
Our five senses attain harmony with the environment we are in. This is the driving ideology of Vaastu Shashtra.Any imbalance in the Panchatatva can lead to imbalance in our lives. We have to constantly strive to preserve the environment.
During my stay in a town in Himalayas, I met people who pray to the nature and the ancestors first and then the Gods. For them nature has been helping them in their survival and living since ages. There is no gainsaying to the fact that a human being can spend a day without remembering God but not without nature.
In the contemporary world many environmentalists are banging doors of governments of various states to alert them of the approaching dangers, arising due to environmental degradation. What can we do as citizens of our own country? Volumes have been written on this subject .To name a few car pooling, curbing CFC usage in household, filling printer cartridges with Soya ink and planting trees .
To jostle the funny bone-We can not always afford a recession to reduce carbon emission. Carbon Dioxide emission decreased by 13% in 2009 owing to global financial crisis that started in 2008. (NATURE)
A lot of initiatives have to be taken by the administration. I stay in Bangalore and I can visualize there is a great requirement of garbage bins in huge numbers at public places and on the roadside. Liberal establishments of public toilets (even if they are paid) have to be undertaken. A uniform regulation to replace polythene bags with their biodegradable substitutes through out the country have to be formulated.
Some baby steps have been taken by individuals. Some tailors stitch bags out of leftover textiles and sell them at minimal rates to serve as small shopping bags.81 year old lady Saalamarada Thimakka of Hulikal in Karnataka
has no children and she has planted some 284 trees along with her husband. The plantation worth 1.5 million rupees was started with the meager resources Thimakka had.
We all can contribute in some or the other way to save our habitat for our future generations. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body so to keep ourselves fit we have to lessen down the dumping of pollutants by any means. Please join the discussion.
Our efforts may seem a drop in the ocean but the ocean will be drop less without our efforts.
As responsible citizens, we should come together to save our localities, our neighbourhoods, our states, our nations and our common abode, the Earth.
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul-John Muir
Do you remember when you used to hurl sand all over yourself as a toddler? All the kids have played with mud mountains in their local play area or houses. The earthy smell after the rainfall can scintillate the mind in its own ways.
We can always relish the days when we planted the bushes in the afforestation drive of our college or plucking the tomatoes and brinjal from our mother's kitchen garden .The old and the retired love the leisurely stroll in the woods.
For the people who own a farm or an orchard, can always enjoy the vicinity of nature. How refreshing the companionship is.
Everybody has spent time in some or the other way in the lap of Mother Nature.
Nature's bounties are not limited only to beauty but nature teaches us a good lot of discipline and punctuality. The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening handing over the charge of illumination to the cool and charming moon assisted by the twinkling stars. We may wish to get up late in the morning someday but imagine what would happen if the sun starts delaying.
Whatever we consume is derived from nature. As believed in India the very existence of human lies in Panchtatva. The constituent the sky, the earth, the wind, the water and the fire build the human body. The mind and the soul therefore always depend on the nature for peace and knowledge.
Our five senses attain harmony with the environment we are in. This is the driving ideology of Vaastu Shashtra.Any imbalance in the Panchatatva can lead to imbalance in our lives. We have to constantly strive to preserve the environment.
During my stay in a town in Himalayas, I met people who pray to the nature and the ancestors first and then the Gods. For them nature has been helping them in their survival and living since ages. There is no gainsaying to the fact that a human being can spend a day without remembering God but not without nature.
In the contemporary world many environmentalists are banging doors of governments of various states to alert them of the approaching dangers, arising due to environmental degradation. What can we do as citizens of our own country? Volumes have been written on this subject .To name a few car pooling, curbing CFC usage in household, filling printer cartridges with Soya ink and planting trees .
To jostle the funny bone-We can not always afford a recession to reduce carbon emission. Carbon Dioxide emission decreased by 13% in 2009 owing to global financial crisis that started in 2008. (NATURE)
A lot of initiatives have to be taken by the administration. I stay in Bangalore and I can visualize there is a great requirement of garbage bins in huge numbers at public places and on the roadside. Liberal establishments of public toilets (even if they are paid) have to be undertaken. A uniform regulation to replace polythene bags with their biodegradable substitutes through out the country have to be formulated.
Some baby steps have been taken by individuals. Some tailors stitch bags out of leftover textiles and sell them at minimal rates to serve as small shopping bags.81 year old lady Saalamarada Thimakka of Hulikal in Karnataka
has no children and she has planted some 284 trees along with her husband. The plantation worth 1.5 million rupees was started with the meager resources Thimakka had.
We all can contribute in some or the other way to save our habitat for our future generations. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body so to keep ourselves fit we have to lessen down the dumping of pollutants by any means. Please join the discussion.
Our efforts may seem a drop in the ocean but the ocean will be drop less without our efforts.
As responsible citizens, we should come together to save our localities, our neighbourhoods, our states, our nations and our common abode, the Earth.
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul-John Muir
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Lessons Of Life
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”(Hellen Keller,1880-1968)
We grow from a kid to an adult ,in the span of life. Sometimes we are the cause of happenings or sometimes the happenings may give a turn to our life.
When we are kids ,our parents are around to teach us the basic behavioural necessities of life. They will take us for a ride to all the traditions and culture. Because we have faith on our parents, we simply follow what they say.
Our schooling and our teachers have a detrimental effect on us. Our education decides our career and it provides a wider horizon to look ahead. Our view point may become multidimensional. Knowledge of science,arts,culture,and mathematics paves way for logic ,thinking and reasoning. Not to forget our scores at school and college always keep reminding us that a good education requires a healthy ,focused mind.
As we grow up, we start delving into the intricacies of life on our own. Sometimes we are not actually ready to take the things in life as they come to us. The happenings in life deviate from our beliefs about their course. We may get disturbed or may struggle with the new unexpected changes. And so we are forced to do some introspection.
We may tackle them or we may fail. If we have to improve we have to learn from our mistakes. When we are ready to face new challenges with the same enthusiasm as before then certainly ,we have learnt the lesson of patience ,courage and a never say die attitude.
If we are able to deal with our shortcomings and weaknesses with an undying self-confidence ,we have grasped the lessons of patience and perseverance.
As the life moves ahead all our requirements of a safe and happy life usher the strength in us to enjoy our achievements and amend our thoughts and behaviour to attain greater heights.
Our friends and companions are there to share our joys and sorrows. They also play the role of helping us out in times of need and boost up our confidence and elevate us.
Though these lessons of life may not come to us very easily ,they certainly make us a strong and better person. This is how we get prepared to be good parents ,confident employees trustworthy and caring friends. Not to forget great citizens.
We grow from a kid to an adult ,in the span of life. Sometimes we are the cause of happenings or sometimes the happenings may give a turn to our life.
When we are kids ,our parents are around to teach us the basic behavioural necessities of life. They will take us for a ride to all the traditions and culture. Because we have faith on our parents, we simply follow what they say.
Our schooling and our teachers have a detrimental effect on us. Our education decides our career and it provides a wider horizon to look ahead. Our view point may become multidimensional. Knowledge of science,arts,culture,and mathematics paves way for logic ,thinking and reasoning. Not to forget our scores at school and college always keep reminding us that a good education requires a healthy ,focused mind.
As we grow up, we start delving into the intricacies of life on our own. Sometimes we are not actually ready to take the things in life as they come to us. The happenings in life deviate from our beliefs about their course. We may get disturbed or may struggle with the new unexpected changes. And so we are forced to do some introspection.
We may tackle them or we may fail. If we have to improve we have to learn from our mistakes. When we are ready to face new challenges with the same enthusiasm as before then certainly ,we have learnt the lesson of patience ,courage and a never say die attitude.
If we are able to deal with our shortcomings and weaknesses with an undying self-confidence ,we have grasped the lessons of patience and perseverance.
As the life moves ahead all our requirements of a safe and happy life usher the strength in us to enjoy our achievements and amend our thoughts and behaviour to attain greater heights.
Our friends and companions are there to share our joys and sorrows. They also play the role of helping us out in times of need and boost up our confidence and elevate us.
Though these lessons of life may not come to us very easily ,they certainly make us a strong and better person. This is how we get prepared to be good parents ,confident employees trustworthy and caring friends. Not to forget great citizens.
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