Better rich than famous

Bet this part doesn't make it into the made-for-TV movie:

SANTIAGO, Chile - They have an exhibit at the Smithsonian and a line of toys depicting their epic rescue. But most of the 33 men whose saga in a collapsed mine captivated the world a year ago face a new crisis today: poverty.

The miners became celebrities of sorts as soon as the details of their underground ordeal began to trickle out. The men were greeted by a burst of fanfare when they emerged in October after 69 days, and many expected their lives would improve with their newfound fame.

But back home in the mining town of Copiapo, most of the men have been unable to find a new way to earn a living, forcing them back into a life underground. They still live in their old rickety houses, where the cold desert nights and scorching days have compounded mental and physical health problems stemming from the accident.

Most of the things we think are going to drastically transform our lives really don't, even the dramatic, unexpected events. When I came close to getting killed in a car wreck 20-some years ago, it shook me out of my complacency and made me appreciate and savor every single moment of my life. For about two weeks. Then I went back to my old taking-things-for-granted, not-always-paying-attention ways.

Everything that was true before the cave-in is still true after it, including the conditions of the rescued miners' lives; nothing changes just because we get misty-eyed about courage in the face of adversity.

Boy, am I in a mood today, or what? I hate spunk!