13 "i'm more human now."

By now, I'm sure the world is familiar with the story of the 33 Chilean miners that were trapped under a mountain, 700 meters below ground. The blinding darkness that they had to live in for 69 days cannot be imagined by many, nor can the mental disruption these men went through be understood even by psychologists. However, the theatrical rescue of these men last week made the entire world forget about these "side effects" of being trapped underground, living in a literal limbo. The president of Chile was quick to praise the efficiency of the technology that went into making the capsule that would eventually pull these men up to the surface. (He was also quick to hug each man as they ascended, oftentimes jumping in front of their wives.) The irony of his praise lays in the fact that mining technology still leaves miners with the sense of insecurity. The working conditions in the mines worldwide are despicable and inhumane in every sense of the word. But yet, a capsule, which is soon to be paraded around the country like a war hero, was able to be made and sent to the bowels of the mine in less than two months. Obviously this technology needs to be placed in improving mining technology and helping these poor men work in safer conditions.

BBC interviewed one the miners - Edison Pena, known as "the runner" among friends. He gave a disturbing interview and one of his statements really stuck out. It didn't have to do with the conditions (although he mentions those), or the dark (although he was obviously affected by that), but the hunger. He talks about the hunger that he felt during the first couple days living in mining purgatory.

BBC writes: It is clear that the intense hunger he felt during those first fateful days - his ribs protrude from his chest - is what haunts him the most.

"I think from now on, no food will be wasted in my house. I want to give a big message concerning world hunger. I never thought of giving an interview, but now I think God was protecting us, he was protecting me, and humbly I wouldn't like to let a single grain of rice go to waste at home, because that's what I felt, the hunger, and to go over that again is too strong for me...

It's really hard to come back from death, it's very hard. Now I just want to live, I want to live."

"Do you have any idea of how it is to live in the darkness?"