Buried Alive and Better Off After...Mostly

   


 "Dear Dr. Pinyun,


I have been fascinated to see the coverage of the Chilean miner rescue. I wanted to hear your take on what you think these miner's lives will be like after their ordeal."


                                          Curious in New Mexico


   Perhaps the human interest story of the year thus far has been the miraculous rescue of the Chilean miners that have spent the better part of two months trapped nearly 700 yards underground. The 33 miners were trapped when the mine they were working in collapsed and they survived by rationing their food and water with amazing patience. I mean, watch one show of Survivor and one would have to think that over thirty men trapped underground would NEVER be able to stretch food that was intended to last for 48 hours long enough for help to arrive. Amazing. Simply astounding and a great testament to the strength of the human spirit.

    And as off the wall as it sounds, that mine collapse may have been the best thing that could have possibly happened to "Los 33". The miners have long worked under extremely dangerous conditions, with their labors terribly exploited. ( Many new sources report the annual salary of the average miner hovers somewhere around $1,600 dollars a month.) Now, with their plight and rescue starring on the world media stage, the miners now will have to sift through all kinds of offers for TV shows, book deals, talk show appearances, and on and on. The amount of money that could be made from such a whirlwind tour stands to drastically change the lives of all the miners involved. So it does sound like the miners emerged from their would-be tomb to untold happiness and success in life, right? Hmmm...well maybe not for all the miners.
      At least one miner, one Yonni Barrios, may have preferred to go right back down the mine shaft he exited once he came topside. See, our hero has been married to his wife, Marta Salinas, for 28 years. Senor Barrios has also been involved with another woman for multiple years. Apparently, the affair had gone on undetected by Mrs. Barrios for years and years. Well, that is until she shows up to show her support for her trapped husband at a candlelight vigil and, lo and behold, some other woman is there crying and calling out her husband's name. Awkward...very awkward. To add insult to injury, when allowed to choose three people to meet him at the surface, Mr. Barrios chose...cue drum roll...his wife AND the other woman, a Susana Valenzuela, to meet him.


Come buddy...COME ON! Ok, so maybe you are kinda Rico Suave-esque in that you have been able to juggle a mining career, an almost 30-year marriage and a woman on the side, but isn't it flirting with disaster to invite BOTH women to your coming out ( of being buried alive) party? You're a miner for cryin' out loud, don't go digging your own grave. The news footage of Barrios coming out of the rescue capsule to the sight of his mistress coming toward him with a tearful face and outstretched arms is almost laughable. Barrios looks like he just won a lifetime supply of individually wrapped sandbox tootsie rolls. No smile. Not even a grin. Just that "Ah crap" look. The mistress is obviously glad to see him and she keeps trying to get a kiss, which looks like a wolf puppy licking his mother's face. I am pretty sure that even though you can't see it on the footage that as soon as he can untangle himself from the mistress, Barrios jumped back in the rescue capsule and told his driver " Take me to the bottom!"


   Despite having a rock digging dirt bag for a husband, Marta Salinas, Barrios' wife, took the high road and did not show up to witness her husband emerge from the mine. ABC News reports that Salinas has said that she is glad her husband is alright, and seeing just how well he is doing, she is more than content to leave him.