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It Was 1972 And A Rugby Team From Uruguay Was ...
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Nov 23, 2003 (message contributor)
It was 1972 and a Rugby team from Uruguay was flying over the Andes mountains to play in a championship game. But on the way the plane crashes into a mountain. A film was made that details the ordeal entitled Alive. Of the 45 passengers, which included the team and some of their family members, only 16 survived. It was a ruthless ordeal of cold, wind and starvation. After 70 days, three of the young men decided to try and hike out to find help. It was a grueling climb through the Andes mountains. As they reach the top of yet another mountain, two of the men look out over what appears to be an endless horizon of mountains. As they stand there gazing at what was at once a horrible and breathtaking scene of mountain range, the two men react in totally different ways. One of them says, “Mountains. Nothing but mountains! We’ve had it. We’ve completely had it!” And then he falls to the ground because of physical and emotional exhaustion. He is in complete despair. But the other man responds, “No, we haven’t. Into these mountains somewhere there is a green valley. See the mountains over there? There’s no snow on them.” “Those mountains must be 50 miles away. Do you think we can walk 50 miles?” Canessa responds. “If we have to, we will,” says Nando. Canessa says, “I can’t.” “Yes you can.” “I can’t. I’m not as strong as you.” Nando walks over to Canessa, kneels beside him, and says: “You know what it is that we’ve lived this long the way we have? Seventy days. That we climbed these mountains? You know what it is? It’s impossible. It’s impossible, and we did it. I’m proud to be a man on a day like this. Alive. That I lived to see it. And see it in such a place. Take it in.” He stands up and looks around him. “I love you, man. Look. It’s magnificent. It’s God. It’ll carry us over every stone. I swear. I swear it to you.” Nando turns around to look at Canessa, now standing. They agree to send the third man back to the plane and take his extra food. Nando stands beside Canessa and points. “You see where the sun’s going to set. That way’s west. Into the west of the green valleys of Chile.” “We’re going to die, you know,” Canessa insists. Nando declares, “Maybe. But if we die, we’re going to die walking.”
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During His Reign, King Frederick William Iii Of ... PRO
Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 8, 2003
During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ...read more
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A Man Who Had Hitchhiked From Coast To Coast And ... PRO
Contributed by R. Darrel Davis on Sep 17, 2004
A man who had hitchhiked from coast to coast and had walked many miles in the process was asked what he had found the most difficult to endure. To the surprise of his questioner it was not the steep mountains or the dazzling sun or the scorching desert heat that had troubled him, but, in the words ...read more
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Jerry Rice Works Day In And Day Out To Prepare ... PRO
Contributed by Kent Lenard on Aug 31, 2003
Jerry Rice works day in and day out to prepare for football unlike any other player in the NFL. The story of his ability to push himself started when he was in high school. The Coach of B.L. Moor High School, Charles Davis, had his players run twenty times up a forty-yard hill. On a particularly ...read more
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Webster's Dictionary Tells Me That - Commit Means ...
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 21, 2003
Webster’s Dictionary tells me that - Commit means to entrust, to give charge, to perform, to pledge. In my search for the definition of Commit I actually looked at one dictionary which did not even have ...read more
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Model Building Class PRO
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 21, 2003
Illustration of my Model Building Class. I had an interesting week this week teaching a model building class. I had a bunch of students ranging in age from 9-13. I became a little frustrated with some of them this week when they refused to follow directions and as a result they where always ...read more
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