In today’s world, many qualities are admired: wealth, power,
beauty, even sarcasm. Things like honor,
and duty, and integrity are often undermined in the all-consuming rat race that
now dominates the world. While wealth, power, and beauty are not inherently bad
things, there are qualities that are more important, and that time is better
spent pursuing. One of them is courage. Courage. One simple, two syllable word
that represents so much of what the human spirit is comprised of. It never
ceases to amaze me how much courage a single person can possess. I don’t speak
of the false image of courage that society has painted for us; courage painted
by a manipulation of facts, or exaggerated through embellishment and then
paraded on T.V. , the newspaper, and over the radio. On the contrary, I speak
of the quiet, determined, courage that only manifests itself under the direst
of circumstances. This courage is as a chunk of coal; refined, and purified
through tremendous pressure until a stunning diamond is created. This courage
is rare. This courage does not manifest itself in victory, but far more often
in failure. The courage that I speak of is found in those lonely souls who always
seem to fight, and fight, and fight, and yet never seem to gain the inches that
they so valiantly strive for but who continue to keep fighting anyway. The
indomitable spirit, the need to persevere no matter what; that’s courage. You
want to see courage? Don’t look for the mountain climber who climbs the tallest
peaks, after all, he likes to climb mountains. Don’t look to the warrior who
runs into battle, he’s trained to fight. Instead, look to the youth who has
been dealt the lowest hand life has to offer, who has had his dreams trodden on
for as long as he can remember and yet he still maintains his hope for a better
life and seeks to change his circumstances. That’s courage.
Often, the truly courageous are those
who endure mortality’s hardships without complaint, with a smile upon their
lips, thankful for the hope that this life provides for them. They are often the quiet ones, going about
their business without pride or vanity, seeking to make the world better than
they found it. To many, they may seem
ordinary, unremarkable, and not worth a second glance. But underneath the
exterior, lies the diamond in the rough. So the next time you need a hero, try
and fine one of these people. Chances are you know one.
