The Miracle on Hudson River: The Other side

Another thought that hit me as I watched the news coverage of the Hudson River incident for the USAir flight was "What about the birds?" The Canadian government did not call the US ambassador to denounce the tragic end of an unspecified number of Canadian geese. The poor fellows were minding their own business migrating along routes that has been genetically encoded into their being, until they were sucked into their painful, and sudden death. The reporters jubilantly stated that all was perfect; there were no victims in the Hudson River miracle. They have viewed the story only from one side, our side as humans. They failed to see the story from the perspective of the other side. If the migrating birds had a chance to give their side of the story, it would have sounded, no doubt, so much different. To them this was a disaster!!!

The thought above started as light hearted sarcasm, yet it led to a more serious follow-up thought. The reporters’ reaction is not surprising. The birds did not matter. Their plight was nothing more than a passing flash to some. Others blamed the whole incident squarely on them for being, for by just being they interfered with the grand scheme of our human plans and activities. They were a mere collateral damage.

The way we viewed the situation is just part of our human nature. We, as humans, are clever in finding boundaries that define us and hence separate us from “the others”. After we tamed the planet and it became all ours, we continued to draw these boundaries with a collection of inks manufactured of religious convictions and denominations, languages and accents, skin colors and tones, even economic and political parties. When we get involved in an argument, an incident or a conflict, we rarely try to see the view of and from the other side. We do not care how our actions affect “the others.” The results are measured by the success or failure of our side to advance our agenda. We never consider the “other side” and how they view the outcome. We rarely look for a Win-Win resolution instead of the apparent Win-Lose ones that we usually seek and in doing so we create the dominant Lose-Lose non-resolution.

Think how many conflicts around the world you have viewed from one side disregarding the misery of those you perceived as "the others" and how much such a conflict would benefit if all sides considered the “other side”!!!

Miracle on the Hudson river: Unsung Heros

At the time of writing this, it has been over a week ago since the Hudson River crash landing of a USAir flight was the news. The focus was on the miracle of survival of all on board the flight because of migrating birds that were sucked into the plane's engines. The incident stirred several thoughts immediately, but I believe that it is usually advantageous to let them simmer before writing them down. I will write them separately for each has a different tone and flavor.

The first of these thoughts was how heroes are made in our society? The pilot definitely did a great job and played a major role in saving the lives of all on the plane and for that he is a hero. However, the pilot's performance was the first, but not the only factor that made the happy ending possible. Several others lined up for that to happen, including the landing site being close to the ferry terminal, the competent flight attendants and the quick response from those ferry drivers who went beyond their job description, if not their duty, to save the passengers and crew from the frigid water.

Everyday there are many around the world, who face life and death challenges over the course of doing their jobs. They do their job perfectly, yet one or more of these "other" factors that fell in place in the Hudson River incident go amiss changing the outcome drastically. I believe they are just as heroic, independent of the final outcome. Looking more carefully, we can see millions that in carrying out their daily jobs are saving lives and making life better for all of us. Many of them risk their lives everyday; some even do it as volunteers. They rarely make it to the spotlight or the front pages, yet they continue their selfless services day after day. They are mostly paid by a grateful handshake, a thankful smile, or a mere silent gratitude. Self satisfaction is their true reward. Look carefully and you may find one closer to you than you think.

I salute Mr. Sullenberger for doing a great job. I salute all others who did their job or just responded to the call of duty on the Hudson River. However, I offer a special salute to the unsung heroes among us who do their jobs, carry their duties, tirelessly and quietly everyday.