Unless you've been in a cave for the past few weeks, I'm sure you know about the "miracle on the Hudson." It wasn't a miracle, however. It was so much better than that. What transpired was an example of pure excellence, and a timely reminder of the heroic nature inherent in all men, if they choose to exercise it.
Chesley Sullenberger, or "Sully," is a pilot who used his mind to save the irreplaceable lives of 155 people who were aboard his plane the day it went down into the icy waters of the Hudson River. The credit is all his. God was no where around when a massive flock of geese slammed into his commercial jet, taking out both engines. Sullenberger's years of experience, coupled with a lightening quick ability to make the right decisions, at exactly the right time, are the only reason those people survived. He didn't panic and he didn't pray. He sensed, mentally assessed, and then he took complete control of the circumstances dealt to him that day with the kind of steely determination easily assigned to our favorite superheroes.
That's why every-one's in love with Sully today. He's a testament to human greatness, something we never, ever, ever hear about anymore. Thankfully, Sully yanked it back into view. It's still there, and what a relief that is!
We admire him because of how mired we get in mediocrity passing as greatness, incompetence masquerading as perfection, failure posing as success, excuse making as reasonable, and with disappointment and disaster offered as a "normal" state of mind and body. People need inspirational fuel, but they won't find much of that in the media today. Not with it's "crisis" feasting, and gluttonous gorging on fraud, and corruption, while never forgetting an obscene portion of fear on the side. We're overwhelmingly "informed" of how lightless the world and our lives are.
Suddenly, the sun appears in the form of a perfect landing on the Hudson River, and we discover the brilliance is held in the hand of a great and modest man. We take pride in our distant relation to this man. We're inspired to be more than we are.
Thank you, Captain Sullenberger, for refueling the human spirit.
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