Chilean Miner Misses Peace, Quiet

Story by  

| Published Oct 26, 2010

Richard Villarroel is glad to be out of the mine. Mostly.

He and the 32 others emerged from the Copiapó copper mine on Oct. 13. Greeted with the sight of their loving families and the clear blue sky, many were unable to hold back tears.Two weeks later, faced with an international media frenzy and instant celebrity, at least one has mixed feelings.

"It's just so busy out here," said Villarroel, his eyes wide as he looked around. "You know, outside."

"Have you ever even really looked at the sky? I hadn't, before. Do you have any idea how big it is? Excuse me for a minute," he said before ducking under a park bench.

Many psychologists and health officials have expressed concerns that the 33 miners will experience permanent emotional trauma as a result of their ordeal, and may have trouble readjusting to society. Neal Edgewood, president of the PTSD Relief Organization, has suggested that counseling may be the answer. Villarroel disagrees.

"Just leave me alone."

"I'm not saying I want to go back. Of course not. It's just – everybody expects so much of me now – oh my God, what is that thing?" he said, wincing as a dove alighted on a nearby tree.

His wife, Claudia Villarroel, reflects on his health. "He's scared of going outside and he's tired a lot. When he got your request for an interview, he kind of closed his eyes and muttered, 'not another one,' over and over. I had to shake him out of it."

Villarroel firmly denies that the incident took place. "Never happened." He waves vaguely at the dove. "Can you make it go away?"

He turns to look around. "Whose bright idea was it to have this interview outside, anyway?”