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Listening to "Sully"...
Jan. 4th, 2010 07:37 pmFrom time to time, JSC holds what are called "Safety & Health Awareness Events," and the first one of the year took place this morning. Normally, I don't seek out such events, not because I feel I'm some sort of know-it-all in terms of safety and health, but because I haven't a great deal of faith in events where people gather to talk the walk. I'd much rather listen to people who walk the walk.
So as you may imagine, I was intrigued by the announcement of an event where the featured speaker was Capt. C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, who commanded the US Airways A320 that was forced to ditch in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of birds after takeoff just a little under a year ago. I arrived at the Teague Auditorium a half hour early; eventually, people were turned away as all the seats had been filled.
As you might expect, Sullenberger received a standing ovation when he took the stage (and again, at the end of his talk). He is a trim couple of years short of 60 and has been flying for the past 43 years. He is soft-spoken, and has a good sense of humor.
His talk would not have been out of place in a much earlier time, when speakers spoke easily of duty, responsibility, and service. For a moment, I let myself imagine a forum where Sully and, say, Teddy Roosevelt shared the podium to speak about such things. The image wouldn't stick, because I couldn't imagine Roosevelt getting so worked up about safety.
Very little of what Sullenberger said gave me any new take on the subject, as I'd heard basically the same verses sung before. Teamwork. Excellence. Integrity. Safety. However, perhaps today it was my imagination, but something about the man's voice and carriage clearly conveyed that he believed in what he was saying with every iota of his being. No doubt a large part of that is just what the man is made of; amplified by his audience knowing how he had been at the very edge - with his crew and passengers hanging in the balance - and had managed to take one small step after another to maximize the chance of getting everyone back from that edge in one piece, and actually doing so.
Still, regrettably, very little of what Sullenberger said "stuck" to the point of my remembering what specifically it was he said, except one short set of phrases:
Easy to say, hard to do. Perhaps a single-minded determination to walk a particular walk should serve as a one-and-only resolution?
Cheers...
So as you may imagine, I was intrigued by the announcement of an event where the featured speaker was Capt. C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, who commanded the US Airways A320 that was forced to ditch in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of birds after takeoff just a little under a year ago. I arrived at the Teague Auditorium a half hour early; eventually, people were turned away as all the seats had been filled.
As you might expect, Sullenberger received a standing ovation when he took the stage (and again, at the end of his talk). He is a trim couple of years short of 60 and has been flying for the past 43 years. He is soft-spoken, and has a good sense of humor.
His talk would not have been out of place in a much earlier time, when speakers spoke easily of duty, responsibility, and service. For a moment, I let myself imagine a forum where Sully and, say, Teddy Roosevelt shared the podium to speak about such things. The image wouldn't stick, because I couldn't imagine Roosevelt getting so worked up about safety.
Very little of what Sullenberger said gave me any new take on the subject, as I'd heard basically the same verses sung before. Teamwork. Excellence. Integrity. Safety. However, perhaps today it was my imagination, but something about the man's voice and carriage clearly conveyed that he believed in what he was saying with every iota of his being. No doubt a large part of that is just what the man is made of; amplified by his audience knowing how he had been at the very edge - with his crew and passengers hanging in the balance - and had managed to take one small step after another to maximize the chance of getting everyone back from that edge in one piece, and actually doing so.
Still, regrettably, very little of what Sullenberger said "stuck" to the point of my remembering what specifically it was he said, except one short set of phrases:
We've all heard people say that life isn't fair. And while it's true, it's also largely irrelevant.I just went back to my audio recording of the event to transcribe the "let me tell you why" part that followed:
There's always a way to make your own little part of the world a little better. Now, I know - I acknowledge - that faced with the enormities of the world's complexities and its issues, it sometimes feels easy to give up. Sometimes, it looks like facing new challenges is akin to emptying the ocean with a teaspoon. But when you choose - and it is a choice - to make positive differences to the things you can control, you can bring benefit to the world.This meshes with (and expands upon) the oft-formulated idea that one's ability to control the world is very limited, and that the only thing one really has substantial control over is one's reaction to what happens in the world.
Easy to say, hard to do. Perhaps a single-minded determination to walk a particular walk should serve as a one-and-only resolution?
Cheers...
