In praise of 20 minutes

It's been quiet around here for the last month, but I've been keeping busy--I've changed my brick-and-mortar presence, made new friends, greeted the Equinox (on wood...), traveled and today, finally, nudged by an optimistic motivator -- give notice as a cadre of resilient Chilean miners experience geological renaissance. As I type, they ascend in a reverse rocket, a one-man bullet complete with a nose cone and the Chilean flag on its side. On the surface, as their loved ones cry for joy, they emerge, these geonauts, these subterrarean celebrities in personalized jumpsuits and sunglasses. Let us all be thankful for what can be good on this planet, above and below, for the air we breathe today and the people we love and let us think about leaving behind all we knew for the past 68 days, for 20 minutes in a 28"-diameter shaft, a Jules Verne-style voyage through Gaia's birth canal, to reach heaven on Earth.