Prison Inmates Save Three Boys from Drowning

On January 31, 2013, three prisoners at the Larch Corrections Center in Washington State were out picking up trash at a local park when they heard screams coming from nearby Salmon Creek. They spotted three children drowning after capsizing their canoe in turbulent waters. The three prisoners (Nelson Pettis, Jon Fowler and Larry Bohn) immediately jumped into the frigid waters to save the young boys.  The three prisoners were successful, rescuing all the boys. The boys just kept saying, "Thank you," over and over.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/washington-inmates-rescue_n_2593554.html

Author's Perspective: I was surprised at myself for being surprised that three prisoners would risk their lives to save three strangers. I think Jon Fowler said it best, "Just cause we're incarcerated, doesn't mean we're bad people. We made some bad choices in our lives, but we're still, we're just like everybody else."

And, that's when it hit me - we are all capable of making good choices and bad choices. Just because you made a few bad choices, it doesn't mean that you can't make better choices at a later time. This story makes this point obvious and true. We all make poor choices in our lives and it doesn't make us all bad. Most of us mature and strive to be a better person. Therefore, it should not astonish us that this is true of prisoners. While there might be some individuals that are incorrigible, most of us evolve and want to be better individuals. This is true for lawyers, teachers, factory workers, insurance agents and yes, even prisoners. 

Your Turn:
1) Were you surprised that prisoners would risk their lives to save complete strangers?
2) Do you think that "bad" people are capable of making positive choices and that "good" people are capable of making poor choices?
3) If you found yourself in a similar situation, how would you have handled this situation? Would you be willing to sacrifice your life for someone you don't know? 

Boy Dying of Cancer Inspires Others

Zach Sobiech went for a run 3 years ago. He complained of pain in his hip and went to the doctor. The pain turned out to be a malignant tumor that eventually grew to the size of a plumb. He had multiple surgeries and chemotherapy - none of it worked. In May of 2013, the doctors told him that he had less than a year to live. Time has almost ran out for Zach. He will most likely die in the next few months.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20679770,00.html

Zach, who has been playing guitar since the age of 12, wrote a song entitled "Clouds" to get some of his emotion out. With lyrics like, "If I only had more time," and "We'll go up, but I'll fly a little higher", he found his own way to say goodbye to his family and share his inner thoughts. What he didn't anticipate was that a local radio station would want to record the song and produce a video. The video was placed on Youtube and has been viewed over 2 million times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDC97j6lfyc

Author's Perspective: Life is terminal for all of us, i.e. we will all die someday. There are no exceptions to the rule. Still, it saddens us to hear of someone so young with so much to offer who is dying. Zach is inspiring millions with his attitude to live life to the fullest despite having limited time left. He is not happy about his prognosis, but he is staying positive and dedicating what time he has left to help others who will one day find themselves in this predicament.  If you feel inspired, perhaps you might want to donate to this worthy cause at Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund.

Your Turn:
1) What do you think and feel when you hear about Zach's story? Do you find it inspiring?
2) Do you understand that this could just as easily be you or a loved-one? How do you think you would cope with this kind of news?
3) Are you living life to the fullest, understanding that you only get one March 12, 2013?