Keller @ Large: Grace Under Pressure
BOSTON (CBS) - Let's take a break from the endless negative news by reflecting on the story of Rosemary Heath and James Creed, two strangers thrown together under the worst possible circumstances who have given us all a lesson in grace under pressure.
You may remember the horrific incident last may at a Taunton mall where a deranged man - fresh from murdering an 80-year-old woman and wounding her daughter - started attacking random customers, including a pregnant waitress at a restaurant. Luckily for her, George Heath was having dinner with his wife Rosemary, saw what was happening, and without a second thought for his own safety jumped in to stop the rampage.
George Heath suffered fatal stab wounds, but his intervention gave Plymouth County Deputy Sheriff James Creed time to draw his gun and kill the murderer. It was a shocking crime, and now that an investigation has concluded Creed's actions were fully justified, he and his wife and George Heath's widow met with the media Thursday to share their experience.
It turns out that the Creeds and Mrs. Heath have become fast friends since the incident. Rosemary Heath has honored her husband's work as an art teacher at New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School by raising money for scholarships in his name, and every time I see her on TV I am floored by her poise and graciousness. The same can be said of the Creeds, who Mrs. Heath says have been supremely supportive of her.
When we see heroic, beautiful people like this, we are reminded of how inspiring humanity can be at its finest. A nice thought to cling to, in this campaign season of fear and loathing.
