Yearly Archives: 2017

Daily Life, Overcome Difficulties

2 – When Faith Seems Thin

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Read and be inspired. Here is a remarkable and brave, not to mention cool-headed, woman. Mary Dohey an Air Canada flight attendant who in 1971, in the face of overwhelming danger appeased the hijacker (talked to him) and as a consequence saved the lives of passengers and crew. She was the first living person to receive the award Cross of Valour, Canada’s highest award for bravery, for her conduct during the hijacking.

At the risk of losing her life, Dohey declined an offer of a safe release from an Air Canada DC8 to remain with her fellow crew members and pacify hijacker Paul Cini, on flight 812 from Calgary, Alberta on November 12, 1971. During eight hours of terror, the hijacker, with a black hood over his head, was armed with a shotgun and two bundles of dynamite. Mary had to hold on to the wires of the dynamite and not let them touch.[2] Cini threatened to take the lives[clarification needed] of the crew and all the passengers on board the airplane. Although continually threatened with the gun, Miss Dohey spoke to the aggressor and succeeded in discouraging him from undertaking violent measures which would have killed many people. When the aircraft was diverted and landed in Great Falls, Montana, she was able to persuade the hijacker to allow all the passengers and part of the crew, including herself, to disembark.[1] With absolutely no assurance that she would come out of the ordeal alive and because of her concern for the welfare of the remaining crew members, Mary Dohey turned down the offer of release. The hijacker wanted $1.5 million.[3] The plane landed and the demands were passed over. There was only $50,000[1] in that briefcase unknown to the hijacker. Mary continued to appease the hijacker until the drama was brought to an end.

Wikipedia
Another hat tip to Rev. Master Koten for the link. The early 1970’s saw a number of plane hijackings. I remember the time well since I was flying back from Australia when there was a hijacking – thankfully not on the flight I was on. Can’t help but wonder what my response would have been had it been my flight.

Out and About, Overcome Difficulties

1 – When Faith seems Thin

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Read and be uplifted. Yes there are individuals in this world who show cool and bravery in the face of overwhelming circumstances.

In a rare display of coolheadedness and courage, René Jalbert, Sergeant-at-Arms at the Quebec National Assembly, subdued a man who had killed three people and wounded thirteen more on the morning of 8 May 1984. The man had entered a side door of the National Assembly building and immediately opened fire with a submachine-gun; moments later he climbed the main staircase toward the assembly chamber, known as the Blue Room, shooting repeatedly, and then burst into the chamber. As bullets peppered the wall, Mr. Jalbert entered the Blue Room and with icy calm convinced the man to allow several employees to leave the premises. Then he invited the heavily armed man into his downstairs office, in effect setting himself up as hostage while removing the man from the scene. At extreme personal risk, but with unflinching authority, Mr. Jalbert spent four hours persuading the man to surrender to police. The audacity of this retired Major of the Royal 22nd Regiment, a Second World War and Korean War veteran, almost certainly prevented a higher death toll.[1]

A hat tip to Rev. Master Koten for the link. There are more to come.

Information, Overcome Difficulties, Teachings

Is it the Pain That Hurts?

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Where the Rivers Kent and Bela meet for Morecambe Bay and beyond.

Just sometimes, when you are smack in the middle of some trauma or anxiety provoking situation it is best not to jump too quickly to thinking about what the teaching was/is. But it’s tempting if only to bring oneself comfort in the midst of pain. So it is for me at the moment. I’m tempted to write about my recent dental travails however that’s still ongoing and better left to settle down. If nothing else I’ve come to accept that it’s no good blaming the dentist for my tooth problems and pain. I know where the responsibility lies. Really simple! In the scheme of things my troubles are small.

It is heart rending to hear about the hard places people find themselves in. A woman on the phone today with a serious heart condition. So bad the consultant is not able to do anything, too dangerous to proceed with surgery. She said, It’s the nights that are worse, wondering if this pain is a heart attack. or not.. The night magnifies everything especially if alone. I offered my mobile number. Call me in the night if you need to. Thank you darling, God Bless. She replied.

There is a litany of people I know who are facing or have just gone through major surgery. There are others who live with chronic pain, chronic fear of dying and diminishing cognitive abilities. What stories people have to tell, life lessons to learn. The most compelling story to tell is the approach of death and few people live well enough to tell the tale.

But something remarkable has been happening on Mondays on Radio 4 around 5.30 am. Star broadcaster Eddie Mair has been interviewing Steve Hewlett, star journalist and BBC correspondent and much more. Steve was diagnosed with cancer last September and Eddie for the Radio 4 PM program has been following Steve’s progress allowing his story to unfold with gentle good nature and with tender good humoured questioning. So how did it feel when you were told there was no more treatment that could be given? Asked Eddie, Steve’s response….? Here are all the interviews starting back in September last year.

The last episode:
Steve has had to continue his stay in the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, so Eddie Mair went to visit him again. During their conversation, Steve told Eddie that his consultant had said his liver would not be able to handle any more treatments and that the outlook in the long term was not good.
On a happier note, he and his partner Rachel decided to get married.

There’s a journalist telling his own story as it happens. He blames nobody. He speaks not for entertainment but for education and for uplift. For those who are in extremity themselves or who are beside somebody who is. Guess that covers all of us.

IS it the pain that hurts?

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Above The Snowline

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Sunday didn’t look promising. Low cloud. Snow on the high fells. Bitterly cold. Undaunted we went forth climbing into the silver mist. We talked we walked.Met adventurers. A young wild camper descending after a night out. A chap carrying his bike because the trail was too steep and too rough to ride. The same path we were walking.

Interestingly this walk was not so testing. No ‘top’ to gaze at. No worries about can I make it or not. There is merit in not seeing where you are going.

But the beautiful silver mist cleared as we walked down and I looked up! Goodness if I had known how far into the sky we would be walking I’d have perhaps decided to turn back.

So. There’s a lesson for life. Not having your goal in sight, aids peace if mind while on the journey. Having a compass and map and somebody aboard who knows how to use them are essential for winter walks on the fells.

Another grand day out.