Blown out of the Sky

This place where you are right now
God circled on a map for you. 
~ Hafiz

"There's great value in getting blown out of the sky once in a while...

There’s great value in that wakeup call that forces you and me to re-examine the way we’re doing business. Said a little differently, adversity is a horrible thing to waste...

I didn’t learn much at the school of hard knocks over at the University of Hanoi but I did learn this: Life is a choice in a prison camp in Vietnam just like life is a choice each day. Don’t give away your choice by blaming somebody else for your problems... so there I was in my little cell with my little deck of cards and I heard a cricket across the floor, but it wasn’t a cricket. It was a wire being slid under the wall of the cell next to me. And at this point I needed so desperately somebody to validate my sanity, to tell me it was going to be all right. But you know my overriding reaction? I was afraid. I was afraid of the guy on the other end of the wire...

You see, I figured, well, whoever’s on the other end is another prisoner of war, he’s a fighter pilot, probably, and he’s probably a better pilot than me and he’s probably more handsome and bigger and stronger and he probably didn’t cry when the enemy tortured him, like I did. I didn’t want that guy to see me in the shape I was in...

Ever get like that? Ever afraid to expose the tender underbelly of your personality to somebody else? Sure, we all get that way once in a while. It’s tough to tug on a wire...

I want people to think better of themselves. Those six years were the greatest training a person could have. I can’t think now of a challenge in life I can’t overcome. I truly believe that if I could put each person through those years, they would come out with the self-confidence that I have.

~ Charlie Plumb reported to Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, currently known as “TOP GUN.”  Code named “Plumber,” Charlie Plumb flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam and made over 100 carrier landings.

On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, Plumb was shot down over Hanoi, taken prisoner, tortured, and spent the next 2,103 days as a Prisoner Of War in an 8-by-8 foot cell. During his nearly six years of captivity, Plumb distinguished himself as a pro in underground communications. He was a great inspiration to all the other POWs and served as chaplain for two years.He retired from the United States Navy after 28 years of service.

Since his return home, Plumb has captivated audiences around the world with stories that parallel his POW experience with the challenges of everyday life.To this day, Captain Plumb continues to fly left seat at every opportunity."
~ charlieplumb.com