In yesterday’s NY Times Magazine: Who’s a Hero Now? by Jeff Goodell. “A year ago, nine Pennsylvania coal miners narrowly escaped what might have been their watery grave, and one man was hailed as their savior.”
It’s a riveting story of how hard it’s been for most of these guys and their families to handle not only the stress from the event itself but the money and notoriety that followed.
I wrote about these guys a year ago, first on July 30 for having their “emotional shit together” while waiting and hoping to be rescued; and then on Aug 5 with “Rescued miners: what’s their calling now?” after they announced their Disney deal for $150,000 each and met with President Bush. I wrote, “They now face a new crisis: what to do with the rest of their lives.”
Goodell writes: “It may not be a coincidence that Popernack and Fogle, the two men who loved their jobs, are the two miners having the least trouble readjusting to ordinary life. Neither has trouble sleeping, takes medication or sees a therapist.”