“Courage is not the towering oak
that sees storms come and go;
that sees storms come and go;
It is the fragile blossom
that opens in the snow.”
that opens in the snow.”
― Alice Mackenzie Swaim
Not only the news, but also all fiction (save some
literary strains) focuses on active heroism. Rescue someone from a fire, face a
serial killer, stand up to a bully and punch ‘em back, and a story worth the
readers’ time is also deemed worth telling.
Thus, we lose the heroes of everyday that are all
around us. Those who carry on while others give them nary a glance, those who continue
to think independently in times and places where pressure to conform is
overwhelming. As they remain authentic, they do not convert this independence to
a ruckus riot.
And most of all, those who retain their creativity
and humanity while humbly considering others’ feedback, but not breaking under
the weight of negation.
So many of the people in my life are heroes. I
salute them. Maybe we should write more stories about them. The quiet blossoms
in the snow.
An excellent reminder, dear friend. Thank you for being one of those who sets an example of heroism in my life.
ReplyDeleteLovely post! I often think of St. Joseph, silent, doing what has to be done to protect Mary and Jesus.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
ReplyDeleteThis is an example of the ordinary hero doing extraordinary things type of story. (In Save The Cat categories, it would be Dude with A Problem). Not every protagonist needs to be a superhero.
Yes! I love all the "not all heroes wear capes" stories. There are a lot of heroes in the world.
ReplyDeleteFor showing up *here* to salute the quiet heroes, y'all are heroic in my story.
ReplyDelete