Flight 1549 and "The Feeling"

The plane crash in the icy waters of the Hudson Thursday will continue to be a big story for quite some time, as it should be. The stellar captain, Chelsey Sullenberger III, will likely go down as a national hero for his quick and innovative thinking and saving the lives of all on board; if ever praise was deserved, this is the individual to lavish it on. Although the miraculous landing and eventual survival of all on board is the real story here, I think what this event has the power to do is far greater than simply make us all feel proud, if not a little warm and fuzzy. In fact, I think it has the power to help this entire country turn a much needed corner.

There's no question that the election of Barrack Obama has ignited a fire among a lot of Americans. There are inaugural parties scheduled all over the country, countless thousands of people will flock to the actual event and even in the downtrodden economy and icy grip that has it's hold on the US, many folks are just excited and even proud to see this guy take office next week. Myself, I am cautiously optimistic, as I am not a fan of any politician, which Obama has already shown himself to be at times. However, he does bring a certain "newness" to the office, and he has shown he's willing to work with members of both parties so I am going to give him my support and hope that he lives up to his promise, and also let's me keep most of what I earn for a living. The start of the Obama administration, however, will not be enough to pull the country out of the grips of recession and despair. Almost half the country voted for the "other guy", many people have lost their jobs or are in fear of losing it, a great deal of people no longer have their homes and some people just don't feel like being in a good mood in general, so how can we as a nation turn this thing around? I think the "Miracle on the Hudson" could be the real catalyst.

It doesn't matter who you voted for, or what your political ideologies are or if you believe in God or if you hold secular views of the world. It matters not if you lost your job last week or found out your rent check bounced or if your child kept you up all night crying. The day could be filled with frigid temperatures and too-long drive-thru lines and slow moving bank tellers, but if you were one of the survivors of that US Air flight, you are now someone who truly understands the concept of "Life is Short". There are so many times in each of our days where we really feel like things are going horribly and that our minute problem or dilemma is all-encompassing and worthy of anger, frustration and contempt. Then, when you come to witness the very definition of an honest catastrophe, things are immediately put into perspective. The problem is that too often that perspective is lost with the onset of the next personal trauma. As human beings we're programmed to get a little selfish from time to time, and pain that is our own, whether mental or physical, minor or intense, can be overwhelming and hard to subvert. However, this "miracle" on the river in NYC should not only be a constant reminder to keep those daily traumas at bay, but also a vehicle to help us move this entire country back into prosperity and enthusiasm.

The job losses and economic slowdown that's occurring in this country right now is daunting, and there's a long road ahead to get things back on track for certain. I don't pretend to be so naive to think that the witnessing of an inspirational landing of a plane by a brave pilot can turn things around overnight, but I do think it presents us all with a unique opportunity to change the way we live our lives in the face of adversity. It's never been a secret that "glass half full" people are more successful and live generally happier lives. It's also no secret that Wall St. often runs on the engine of perception more so than that of actual financial data. If we as citizens were to honestly take a look at the events of US Air flight 1549 and let ourselves be not only inspired and impressed, but also intoxicated by it's grandeur, I think there's a distinct possibility we could pull ourselves out from this nightmare rather than hope things improve on their own or in the hands of those who helped facilitate some of this in first place. The simple act of choosing to be positive is a great start. When we're positive we tend to want to be around others and share this emotion, and often this leads to gathering at a local pub or restaurant which is certainly beneficial to the economy as a whole. Positive people tend to work not only harder but better, and increased productivity has never been a bad thing for an economy. It's really that simple, a turnaround of any kind will never be advanced on the backs of a pessimistic society.

I haven't stopped thinking about this flight since I saw the first images of it on TV. I want to grab the pilot and bear hug him, and I'd love to do the same to the flight crew. It's a story that makes you want to cling to who and what you love most and cherish what's best about the human spirit. It's this amazing "feeling" that's hard to describe, though tangible to so many. If feelings like these, on a national level, mixed with enthusiasm for a new leader taking his place in history, can't fuel the engines of recovery and abundance then I don't think anything could ever hope to.

I truly hope the feeling endures...