Yesterday, the New York Giants capped off an unbelievable season by beating the New England Patriots in Superbowl LXVI. The game reflected the season: a strong start, losing the lead despite playing well and comeback at the end to win. It was the end of an improbable season for a team that was written off half way through the season. But, when you examine the team you realize that they never gave up on themselves. They kept their desire and worked to overcome their obstacles.
The Apollo 13 service module as seen by the astronauts after separation (source Wikipedia)
In 1970, the Apollo 13 mission to the moon suffered a crippling explosion on the spacecraft. The fate of three men, and the future of the US space program, hung in the balance. Using only what they had on the spacecraft and the engineering skill of the team, they found a way to overcome their obstacles and get the three space travelers home. Mission control leader Eugene Kranz uttered the now famous phrase “Failure is not an option.”
What does this have to do with safety or preparedness? Not much on the face of it, but a lot when you look at the will to never give up. As safety or emergency preparedness professionals, we often find ourselves in situations where despite our best efforts we are not “winning.”
We at times can’t find the energy to overcome our obstacles. We suddenly have a few unexplained serious accidents or get violations from regulators who are reviewing our preparedness plans. In these types of situations it is easy to sit down and give up. But when we give up, people can get hurt or die.
But as Apollo 13 and the Giants have demonstrated by example, failure is not an option. Yes, we have to take our lumps. But we can never give up. If we continue to believe in ourselves and our abilities, we will find the drive we need to do our jobs to the best of our ability. Are we going to win every time? No, the Giants made the playoffs with a 9 – 7 record. But, if we persevere, we can make a significant impact in the long term.
Now to show my true colors. Way to go Big Blue. Go Giants!
Mario Manningham's 38 yard catch that kept the TD drive alive (source - NY Daily News 2012)
