Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Sully For President!

Okay, I cannot be the only one with that thought. But wouldn't it be nice to have someone who is an honest-to-God tested-in-a-crisis hero in charge? And before the Obamaites start, I have nothing against him. I just love Sully (sorry, Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III) more. Hey, what about head of the FAA? I'd feel a lot better when I fly knowing this guy was making sure corporations were following the safety rules.... "Well, you may not think it's important, Mr. Chairman, but when I had to crash-land my plane into the fast-moving Hudson, and did so without losing a passenger or crew member,..."

Since the moment CNN broke the news about a plane crashing into the Hudson River, I have watched and read all about this miracle. The rallying cry in our house is now "Oh, no, not the plane again. Quick, get Mom more Kleenex!" Okay, so that's not new. I cry at the drop of a hat. So much so that my kids have a saying, which will sound familiar to anyone who has seen the movie "Varsity Blues" - "Mom's crying because Mom's a bit of a crier". Hallmark commercials? Forget it - the waterworks start the minute they begin. CMT music videos on, say, Memorial Day weekend? I'm a slobbering mess of tears. So, when watching his hometown greet him and his wife apologize for being weepy, saying "I seem to have this uncontrollable problem with my tears lately," I went through 17 tissues. When I watched "Good Morning America"'s reunion between crew and passengers, another 22 used balls went into the trash can.

What I think stands out in my mind is not so much that this man, labeled a hero, stayed so calm (have you HEARD the tape between him and the tower?!?!), and not that he acknowledged, and rightly so, that everyone on that plane, the flight staff following their training and the passengers remaining orderly, all had a hand in this being an amazing story. It's that this is one of those moments that shows how great people can be. From the folks on the plane to the ferry boat captains and crew who rushed to the plane to the ferry riders who helped bring wet passengers on board and gave them their coats.

Maybe this story is so amazing because we all crave more stories like these. The stories that remind us that there are good people out there. That good things do happen. That give us hope. Instead the media fill their broadcasts and papers with only criminal acts and bad news. Maybe that's why it's so outstanding, and why I've used up almost two boxes hearing about it.

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