Merthyr Boy

Mining - A perspective

Following my last post. and reading a few other bloggs like Artistdogboy,  Becca's or Patry's  I've had time this week to think about how lucky I am to work above ground in a safe environment.

Growing up in a mining village I would listen to the old miners stories of hardship and pain of working underground. I would listen to my Auntie Eileen's stories of mining accidents and the effects they had on her husband. I saw my grand father riddled with arthritis, joints broken from years of hard labour in cold wet conditions. But after all of  this pain and hardship they would still talk fondly of the comradeship and genuine care they all had for each other.
I expect its as a direct result of these conditions that they cared so deeply for their fellow worker and neighbour.

So yes I'm lucky to have my comfortable office job but can I say that my fellow worker would put his / her life on the line for me? I do not know? I know my friends in the rescue team hold my life in their hands each time one of us goes over the edge, but that is a positive choice by me to go into those situations where as mining is done for need not want.

Yes mining is hard and and fraught with danger, but the communities that grow up around it are real and we could learn a great deal from those in our detached lives where we rarely know the name of our neighbour.

The pain of a failed mircale.....

My good friend Aled raised a very good point today in his blog. When are the media right to report a "miracle" or should they always wait for confirmation?

Coming from a mining community and growing up after the generation that came after the pain of the the disaster in Aberfan. It reminded me of the family that were told their daughter was alive, only to be told hours later that they had made a mistake!!

I sat in bed this morning listening to the news bulletin - it opened with the wonderful news that the 12 miners had survived and finished minutes later with a change of story. My heart cried for those families.

So the media is on time the villan and other times the nessesary moth piece to cry out failings of man.

London - Keep smiling!!

Sat at my desk in Cardiff as all this started kicking off in London, I sat back and smiled at how lucky we are in this digital world.

1. I was able to call my Mum and say I'm fine.
2. My friends and family around the world could text and email me to check I was well.
3. I could check my team were all ok
4. I can say to who ever did this. Why bother? you have no hope in scaring us into a paranoia and stupor, hiding in our homes. Yes we will be upset and yes we will cry from the loss of our loved ones, but what makes you think you have the power to change our society?
5. and my mate Jon is now an international news photographer..................

How Welsh is America

Happy July 4th to our friends on the other side of the pond.

Just read an interesting page on the BBC's web site.

So much of modern political structure was set up by the Welsh. I did not know that 9 Presidents were Welsh.

It does make me think that with a few more balanced Welsh men at the helm life would have given us a little more community focused and a little less money focused....

GO ON GIVE UP THE DEBT. Let Dr Kings dream of freedom from servitude come to all.

ahh well Happy Independence Day to our colonial brothers