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Among the wide range of human emotions, fear is perhaps the most dangerous of all. While it can protect us against real danger, it can also develop into a habit that can paralyze us and cause us to miss out on opportunities for happiness and personal fulfillment. Life is, by definition, uppredictable, and events occur which can make us afraid to reach out to one another, to take chances for a better life, or even travel for business or pleasure. What can we do, as individuals, as a nation, to propel ourselves safely ahead in uncertain times?
Homer Hickam, bestelling author of Rocket Boys, from which the critically acclaimed movie October Sky was based, looked no further than his upbringing in the small coal-minning town of Coalwood, West Virginia, to answer this question. Built in the inhospitable hollows of the Appalachians, Coalwood was a company-owned town. Its residents were miners: a dangerous occupation where death from accidents and black-lung disease was commonplace. Women toiled tirelessly to keep their homes free of the ever-accumulating coal dust that seeped into every nook and cranny.
For an outsider looking in, this might appear to be a place where fear and apathy ruled. As Hickam so poignantly describes, however, Coalwood's residents were in fact filled with a sense of purpose and driven by a set of four attitudes about living that make them resilient and fearless in the face of everyday danger: we are proud of who we are; we keep our families together; we stand for what we believe; and we trust God but rely on ourselves.
Through Hickam's recollections and those of other Coalwood residents, you will learn their antidote to fear, both real and imagined. Since September 11, 2001, the world as we know it will never be the same. By following the simple, homespun wisdom in this beautifully written book, you can discover the strength and courage inside of you to live a happy life, to love yourself and others, to trust and be trusted, and to be vigilant but never afraid.
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