Faith, Turbulent Forces, Dangerous Rites, and Persistent Secrets

Introduction
This narrative takes us into the eye of the deadly turbulent forces of the Caribbean and Florida hurricanes as a vivid backdrop of the human drama about Scott Brown one of the heroes of this extraordinary story. The trajectory of the hurricanes and Scott’s adventure become intertwined and moves through “Dantesque” images of trees, street lamps, roofs and household furnishings being turned into projectiles as ferocious winds shatter the life of entire communities.
Through no deliberate effort on his part, Scott Brown found himself in a most serious life-threatening crisis. Not only could Scott have reacted with panic, he also could have felt angry with the persons most responsible. Worst yet, that anger could have consumed and seriously incapacitated him, rendering him so weak in thought and action that he would have been unable to take deliberate positive actions to free or extricate himself from the dangers he confronted.
Like his father, Scott chose a life-affirming path by relying on the principles and teachings of his Unitarian Universalist faith. Instead of feeling sorry for himself he reflected on the teachings of his faith and sought to become more closely aligned to them for an inspired path forward. He resisted the temptation to panic or to become angry and chose to find lessons in his Unitarian Universalist faith to keep him inspired and moving forward. By reflecting deeply on this faith, Scott learned to make his experience a challenge rather than a chore. He learned that the keys to his survival lay in observing and practicing mindfulness rather than aimlessly drifting through life, without noticing the resources all around him that were necessary for his sustenance and survival. His isolation and deep reflection on his faith led Scott to value the importance of his individual effort, disciplined approaches and leveraging the motivation he needed to surmount the challenges he faced. Scott’s belief in an intricate web of existence of which we are all a part was deepened during his isolation. He felt deep respect and connection to this web and truly a part of it. He displayed a special kind of veneration for the rocks, shapes, and forms that surrounded him in the cave. The varying configurations of statuesque rocks all around him had a presence that comforted him. His examination of other rocks revealed those that radiated warmth that he needed for comfort and others he needed as resources to attract his rescuers.
As he struggled to escape the confines of the cavern the terrifying sounds of the storms outside the caves indicated its rage and dislodged falling debris occasionally from the ceiling. As if these hazards were not enough, the unexpected flooding of the caves foreshadowed an additional danger but brought both intimidating and welcome developments. He was especially respectful and grateful for the growth of edible mushrooms that provided sustenance, and prevented his starvation. The longer he languished in the caves, the more he paid attention to the use of his initiative, his coping and problem solving faculties. Instinctively he knew that they were essential for his mental and physical escape from the caves that held him captive. As he stumbled from one setback to another, his main preoccupation was whether or not his efforts would lead to freedom.