Fortitude and Courage - Miners & Women RV'ing Solo

The whole world applauded and breathed a sigh of immense relief today as the first 27 miners were brought to the surface after 69 days in the bowels of the earth. There is even a possibility that by midnight today they will all have reached the surface. Bravo for the miners! Bravo for the rescuers! Bravo for all who sustained them with prayers and well-wishing!
One has to marvel at the immense courage and fortitude these men have shown. I read that for 17 days, in darkness, in 90 degrees heat, not knowing whether they would ever be rescued, they held on. With only 48 hours' worth of food and water, they stretched it into more than 2 weeks for all of the 33 men! It took some serious thinking and a whole lot of altruism. No one died of starvation. Now, I can only imagine what their families went through thinking of their loved ones down under TONS of rock for 69 days... (Actually, I don't think that I can. Honestly.)
I have sometimes received congratulations for "taking risks" and leaving to travel solo and live full time in an RV and later on to move to another country. Well, let me tell you, it was a breeze compared to what these men went through.  Isn't everything relative? Which proves that when the human spirit is strong, it can conquer virtually anything. Mountains! Tons of rock! Darkness! Despair! Venturing out into the unknown! Even the possibility of a slow and agonizing death... A truly far-fetched proposition when it comes to full-time RV'ing.
So, to anyone out there who is thinking of going out solo in a contraption with an engine and wheels (albeit with a bed, a fridge, bathroom, etc.) trekking without a fixed address, yet having the facility of being in constant contact with loved ones, with the freedom to either go on or return, it's a BREEZE! As someone famous once said (I can't recall who did), the "tragedy is not in dying but in dying without having really lived."
We all witnessed the world coalesce toward one single purpose, RESCUE THESE MEN. So let me state my two-bits worth. The world out there is FULL of willing and kind-hearted people who will not hesitate to lend a helping hand. I have experienced this many times over. There is no underestimating the degree of human compassion one may encounter along the way. And that, my fellow travelers, is worth the "risks". That alone can reconcile one with humankind. And in the end, it's so worth it!

LiveJournal Tags: RV'ing solo,Chilean miners,Human Kindness