Hurdles

Can you believe that it is week 17 of 2010 and it feels like so many things have happened in so few weeks? Wow! We thought we said goodbye to the recession blighted old year of 2009. Now there is still financial crisis and recession which continues to shock the world, the growing fiscal deficits which call for the increase dependence on the World Bank and IMF.   Many have sleepless nights over environmental risks; many mention ‘going green.’ Also there is the unpredictability of the weather leaving billions homeless and millions dead. There is ethnic strife, famines, increased civil wars, ongoing guerilla conflicts. So far this is quote an exhaustive list but far from complete, the losses of 2010 are profound. In contrast, hey, the upside is that gold has regained popularity with Central Banks across the world.

On a more local level when we visit the grocery stores we see prices increasing.  To understand the conundrum that we are in we need to take a step back and see ourselves. We would be faced with obstacles no matter what. Let us put it this way the more mountains we climb the stronger our legs become, the fitter we get and the better we feel. Do not be sidetracked, be encouraged, and be excited by ‘tough times’ because these impediments would make us be the giant we all would like to become.

Folks have a wonderful day!

Fog or Cloud

For years as I ascend the Soufriere Mountains on various hiking trips I would always stop and watch the Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) plane wreckage on the south side of the 3002ft mountain. On Friday 17 September 1965 Flight 292 crashed into the Soufriere Mountains while flying from Martinique en-route to New York via San Juan, killing all on board. It was reported that the sky was slightly overcast at the time of the crash. Seeing the footage from the scenes of this weekend’s crash in Poland reminded me about Pan Am crash in Montserrat. We are informed that Poland’s President Lech, Kaczynski plane crashed into trees in foggy weather as it approached the Smolensk airport. I remember hearing stories told to me about the Montserrat crash and now thinking about the differences of this recent disaster I know the former calamity is dwarfed in comparison on many fronts but there is one similarity for me and it is the fog.

Do you know that there is no difference between the fog and clouds other than altitude? Fog is defined as visible moisture that begins at a height lower than 50 feet. If the visible moisture begins at or above 50 feet, it is called a cloud. I know from my own experience while hiking that sometimes one can barely see your arms while walking in clouds. There are also moments of disorientation based on the speed of the walk. Furthermore there are also times when you are tricked into thinking that you actually reached the summit. So the task that Captain Grzegorz Pietruczuk (the pilot) was entrusted undoubtedly not an easy one.

Let us pray for the souls of the faithful departed and the many who mourn the passing of their love ones in these and other plane crashes.