Thoughts on Sago

I've been wanting to write about this since the tragedy but just couldn't bring myself to do so. Here I sit, thinking about it yet again.

I'm not much of a TV watcher, but when I heard about the explosion, I turned CNN on and tried to keep up to date. I went to bed Tuesday night after watching CNN the entire evening in my kitchen, while working on Cub Scouts stuff and homeschool stuff. I took a sleeping pill which normally would knock me out cold. It didn't. My husband came to bed after 11 and I finally got out of bed, snuck outside for a quick smoke, then turned CNN on again.

Immediately flashing in front of my eyes: 12 Alive! I rushed in to tell my husband, who was not following and didn't care to the degree that I did. I then ended up watching CNN until almost 3am. I saw the whole thing unfold. I saw Lynette Roby and her children interviewed.

I thought to myself that is something I would have got my DS out of bed for, to go celebrate and be a part of history. How ironic that Ms. Roby ended up making history by breaking it to us first that they had not all survived. She became a part of history. A sad part. Her children had to witness that. What a life lesson for them.

As I watched this all unfold, though, I tried putting myself in the shoes of the families...waiting on pins and needles for any news. What would that feel like? I just can't imagine the horror of the situation, let alone the salt being poured in the wound like it was.

I don't think "the company" was at fault except that they should have got off their butt and to the church immediately to set the record straight. That was wrong. However, I do know they were working hard, going without sleep, etc. They were worried and they cared. It is obvious I had great compassion for the family, but I had compassion for Mr. Hatfield as well. I don't think the company was malicious in their actions, I think they were not thinking clearly.

But here's my final analysis of the entire situation. Keep your mouth shut. No matter how exciting, now matter how wonderful, no matter how devastating: keep your mouth shut. I have no doubt that the company gave the directive that no one was to share information. However, someone who heard the news just couldn't keep their mouth shut.

When I was a kid, I was reading Reader's Digest. There was a story about a mother teaching her child on how not to gossip. She likened it to a visitor leaving their wallet at the house mistakenly. She told the child, would you go through that wallet beyond finding identification? Would you take things out? Would you spend the money in the wallet? Would you share it with other people? The child said no, never. The mother explained it is the same situation when you hear something that is supposed to be confidential. You do not go through it, you do not share it, you do not spend or spread it. You keep it to yourself until the proper owner tells you to do otherwise.

I worked in a profession for 11 years where confidentiality was critical. I never blabbed anything. Shoot, I was even on CNN for three seconds once. (Got phone calls from friends across the country that saw me, even! My only claim to fame. lol) I needed to be trusted and I honored that need. I wouldn't even discuss a case when we were out to lunch, even though I was with coworkers including my boss, because we were in a public forum and the information could be overheard. It floored me that the boss was talking about it.

I think that a valuable lesson on trust is interwoven in this horrible Sago tragedy. I hope people stop and think about it. People feel very powerful when they *know* something. Don't throw trust out the window!

My heart goes out to the families and community in West Virginia. I hope and yes, pray, that Randal McCloy has a good recovery.

And on a final note, just a quick thank you to the miners of the world.