Jaz posted her Thankful Thursday post today. It's always good to see a post from Jaz who, as most of you will know by now, was the inspiration behind Thankful Thursday. Today someone (commenting on her post I think) made the point that one should be thankful all the time because there is so much about which to be thankful. Of course the person is correct. After all Virginia has titled her blog So Very Very Thankful. Most of us who have had some seriously life threatening experience or have battled cancer are very thankful people. We are thankful for the fact that we wake up in the morning.
I must digress for a paragraph. The lady at the supermarket checkout remarked a few days ago on what a lovely day it was. I said that every day when I woke up I decided that it was a Good Day because I'd woken up and that was better than the alternative. Big mistake. Huge mistake. [Again]. "No" she said [I was going to say 'opined' but Frances would tell me off] "It would be better if we didn't and then we would be blessed with eternal salvation. I used to be an atheist. But now I know better.". Now I don't know about you but so far as I'm aware the majority of Christians seem to want to stay alive. I assume that it's being so cheerful as what keeps her going.
Anyway, as I was saying, most of us can find something to be thankful about without trying too hard. Today, however I've decided on a big thankful. A thank that any of us who live on an Island or near the sea should give every day. A thank for the men and women of the Coastguard and Lifeboat services who risk their lives constantly for those in peril on the sea. Thinking about it I don't hear the word peril much nowadays but there's a lot of it around.
From my windows I can often see the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter and crew practicing.
Some years ago I was on a ferry in mighty seas with the S & R Helicopter overhead doing that in earnest. So today I am exceptionally thankful for the Lifeboatmen and women and the Coastguard crews and the many other people who brave the storms to save the lives of others.
Such an important post GB. Thanks xx
ReplyDeleteI am also thankful to those who help others, especially saving others' lives.
Yes Jaz. The list of Good People is endless.
DeleteSalvation: "a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness; saving someone or something from harm of from an unpleasant situation" - you've got two kinds of it here in this post!
ReplyDeleteAs I like to think of it, one day when old age has finally caught up with you Graham (around your 111th birthday or so)... you'll probably wake up one morning feeling unusually fit and alert and say to yourself: Well this feels like an Extraordinarily Good Day - I wish it would last forever... and find that it will... ;)
This is too deep a subject for this post Monica but if everyone really believed that I do wonder why people do so much to avoid dying and grieve so much for those who have died.
DeleteSorry if getting too 'deep', it's just that in my mind there seems to be room for both. Life is precious in itself, and survival an instinct we are born with, and I'd say that's both why we cling to it, and why people do the kind of heroic jobs you're showing pictures of in your post, AND why we have religions expressing hope for Life to continue "on the other side of the curtain" as well. Your checkout lady might need to work a bit on her ideas about when would be a good time to check out (so to speak); but she might also just be really tired of people telling her how she ought to feel when getting out of bed in the morning... (Isn't there someone else I know who in spite of his general positive attitude to life has a certain reputation for not being too fond of being told what kind of a day to have?)
DeleteIt was she who remarked on what sort of a day it was. Mine was a quite innocent response to her saying what a lovely day it was.
DeleteAnd I'm not defending her return response, especially not to a customer like that. Sorry, my mind just has a tendency to trail off and try to figure out reasons for strange things people say sometimes! Anyway, your photos of that Coastguard practice are amazing (as usual) and I do agree the people who do that sort of job are worthy of our thankfulness.
DeleteAs a person who has done more walking than sailing (and the sailing was only ever on a small lake) I'll add mountain rescue volunteers to those we need to be thankful for. Fortunately, while I've had a number of close calls while out walking I've never had to be rescued but it's always nice to know that they are there should the worse happen.
ReplyDeleteI have some very close and dear friends in Callander who are stalwarts of the Killin Mountain Rescue and I agree with every word you say. I would love to have done a post mentioning every branch of the rescue services all of whom are worthy of all the praise and thanks we can bestow upon them. It just so happens though that I had photos of the S & R crew so they got the thanks this time (and as they and the Lifeboat are working ion the same field I included the Lifeboat crew too).
DeleteWonderful people, and I am also so grateful for firemen and women. I sort of wonder why anyone does these jobs, but I am very thankful that, reassuringly, they do.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jenny,so many of the emergency and caring services do jobs that I could never do and I have nothing but the greatest admiration for them.
DeleteSuch a wonderful salute to these courageous people who do put their lives in harm's way for others. I wish that there was a word stronger than thank you, but since I can't think of any, I'll join you in thanking them.
ReplyDeletewonderful photos!
Thanks Norma. I think we take people for granted too often.
DeleteGreat Thank You post GB....it's nice to send good karma their way while we are all out of harm's way.
ReplyDeleteThese men and women are courageous and non-selfish to have put their lives in peril to save others in difficulties....truly amazing spirits.
Absolutely Virginia.
DeleteOh, boy. To be thankful to not have needed their services!!! I remember when I lived along the coast in Santa Cruz, watching a helicopter hovering over the water for a looong time. Come to find out, the performed water rescue failed when the person in the rescue tube fell through that tube on the way up.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if he actually made it a second time around, or if that was just my wishes all those years ago.
I've never seen rescue tubes used in this country. A winchman always goes down and either brings the person back up or puts them in a harness to be winched up whilst he stays on the ground.
DeleteI was on the ferry ince when they did a practice. It was so impressive. I also saw them from your kitchen window four years ago when they did a practice diectly below your house. Equally impressive because it was really windy. It's not just the skill that impresses one it's the dangers they go through.
ReplyDeleteSometimes this is to save the lives of people who have created their situation through thoughtlessness or carelessness. Off the Wirral coast at home the lifeboatmen are forever being called out to rescue people cut off by the tide despite all the warnings about its dangers.
Isn't that just the case CJ? Thoughtlessness is so often one of the great contributors to a need for emergency services in all areas.
DeleteThat woman! So sad to have that opinion.
ReplyDeleteRight now I am thankful that the traffic is at last so heavy outside my place that the cars have slowed to a crawl: that means that instead of roaring engine noises between 4.30 and 5.30, it's wonderfully quiet! Yay!