Few things are as terrifying as being trapped. That feeling has to be exacerbated when one is trapped underground. The recent tragedy of a group of miners trapped underground inevitably brings a sense of horror to any decent person who has heard of it.
There is, of course, nothing unique about this tragedy. Mining is an inherently dangerous occupation. Like most occupations with a high risk of severe injury or even death on the job, it is an occupation overwhelmingly filled by men rather than women. This is to be expected as the majority of the most dangerous jobs require a level of physical strength that most women do not possess. It is also quite possible that even those women who possess the physical strength to do such work tend not to choose such extremely risky jobs. However, it should also be noted that the occupation of mining is open to women in the United States and that there are women who are miners.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of miners are men as are all of those trapped in the recent case. Why do men take jobs that are high in physical risk? It is unlikely to be because such jobs are deeply fulfilling. Rather, they are often risking their lives to support women and children.
Women are often considered the more loving and more emotional sex. It is indeed true that we tend to be more emotionally demonstrative than men and more attracted to flowery displays of affection.
But perhaps the risks men accept in order to be adequate providers for the women and children in their lives display in the most substantial way possible the depth of caring of which they are capable.
