What an amazing day! I can’t remember the last time that the lead story on the news was so positive, so happy, so joyous. What tear inducing scenes as the miners came up the shaft and hugged all and sundry. In a world intent on destruction and hatred, this drama has been wonderful. The power of man to do good. I feel very humble.
I particularly liked the only Bolivian who was stuck down there. He’d only been a miner for about 5 days when it collapsed and trapped him. When asked what he was going to do when he was returned to the world he said “I’m never going down a mine again! I’m taking my wife back to Bolivia and work on a farm.“…or words to that effect.
My day, by comparison was just as happy (though perhaps not so heroic). Before lunch I had to pop over to the Canary Wharf flat to drop something off for Mirinda. I had left the building and was just about to touch my Oyster card to the reader at South Quay DLR station when Mirinda texted me, asking me to bring the whisky flask to her. This is actually a portable hard drive which has the shape of a whisky flask. I texted back: 2 l8! But then thought better of it, knowing I was only five minutes from the flat and started walking back.
As soon as I started walking back to the flat, my phone rang. I thought it was Mirinda getting ready to abuse me but, to my surprise, it was a BT engineer saying he was sitting outside the building and was I at home.
The phone at the flat, you see, has been doing weird things. I haven’t been able to dial in and there’s a strange alien presence on the line whenever we talk. Before leaving the house I had logged the fault online and was slightly miffed when the response was that it would be fixed by 18 October! And here he was, ready and waiting. I told him I’d be with him shortly.
And what a lovely chap he was. He was in and out of the flat, having fixed the problem, in about ten minutes. Meanwhile I searched and, after ringing Mirinda, found the whisky flask. It was then back to the DLR and off to Holborn.
Not satisfied with merely being happy, Mirinda was euphoric. I have not seen her like this for a long time. She almost skipped down the alley to where we had lunch.
I am very proud of my wife. I think she can do anything. Her euphoria was not misplaced.
Back at home, I spent the night loading photos onto her new iPhone, software onto her new netbook and watching Spooks.
I agree. What a wonderful, heart warming outcome for the miners. The support of so many people working together is an amazing achievement. The trapped miners had a multitude of skills between them. One miner had some nursing training and was able to give the necessary injections. Claire
I am very proud of your wife too and I have had many reasons over thee years to be proud of her. Love to you all. Claire
We are very proud of your wife too and what the out come would be before she was told. So hip hip hooray.
love mum
love to you Claire, Josie and Fred xxxx
I loved the Chilean story – it made me weep and I will always associate it with getting my new job as I was watching it in the reception room before the meeting in which they made me the offer.
Go Chile!