Men in the mine and men on the field, land of freedom, opportunities and dead end roads.

Yesterday was a day filled with news, events and the final football game at the college level. The USA Today screamed the headlines that the 12 miners had been found alive. Excitement, exhaustion, incomplete communication proved otherwise in a few minutes. However, the word had been spoken and family members laid down their grief. The years lost suffering with wondering were replaced with the effort being worth it all. It was not a victory. The single survivor a miracle. The other 11 cannot be described. Men, daddies, husbands, friends, young and older. Gone. As my family prepared for the Rose Bowl football game last night, I thought it ironic. There were 11 men on each team fighting for the victory for their team. For the Texan team their fearless leader was the Young fellow, the quarterback who has rewritten the book on how to throw the football. For the USC team, their leader was the running back, number five, the Heisman trophy winner. These young men played until the very last seconds. A football game that was such a joy to watch being played. The family members of the miners lost their game yesterday. The game of life. The life of a miner saddens me. I heard stories of men refusing to allow their sons to work the mine, they wanted a better life for them. Close calls. Danger everyday. America. The land of opportunity. A place where we watched the game in the comfort and freedom of our home. The country where speech is allowed. Words spoken and printed on paper, later found to be wrong. A place where colleges can offer an education, scholarships, keys to a future and the time of one's life. A place where families lose hope. Deep within the hills of this Virginia land rolled the air of despair long before the tragedy. Men, carrying their load in and out of the shaft, trying to provide for their loved ones. I doubt these people enjoyed the game last night. I doubt they know the score. I doubt they sat on the edge of their seat as the powerhouse, Young, took the ball and carried his team to victory. Today, another day. I am sure we will hear more about the men who died. There will be blame. There will be anger and disbelief. There will be headlines claiming the final score of the game. There are men celebrating with friends and family and there are families who may never celebrate again. America land of the free. America the land of many different people.