"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." (Proverbs 10:31) Maybe you've read this scripture and, being a modern day reader, wondered why King Solomon placed a virtuous woman's worth above rubies instead of something like diamonds or gold (which are considered today to be far more valuable).
Let's go to our handy friend, Wikipedia. Hopefully, that will lead us to some answers.
According to Wiki-, rubies are one of the four precious stones(sapphire, emerald, and diamond being the other three). Only diamonds and moissanite are harder (and really, who owns a moissanite ring anyway?) Rubies are very stable, chemically speaking, and are light-absorptive for certain sections of the light spectrum. All natural rubies have imperfections in them, and today that has led to heat-treating to 'fix' the imperfection. Of course, technology now allows for synthetic and imitation rubies. Rubies have always been very highly valued in Asia and were even buried under building foundations to secure good fortune.
Okay, so this doesn't exactly explain WHY they were considered so valuable, but we know they were. Elsewhere on the web I learned that rubies were once considered even more precious than diamonds (until diamond cutters' skill improved). Literature also details the ruby's worth (in Dante's Divine Comedy, it was a ruby which represented the glowing radiance of divine joy). And, a few years ago, a ruby sold for $19,600.00 (not a small chunk of change for one gem).
So rubies obviously held value and King Solomon knew that. And he obviously placed value in virtue. Why?
That's what I want to explore. There is a scripture which states "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." (D&C 121:45) Normally of course, we often think of virtue as synonymous with purity or chastity. But virtue is so much more than that.
Talking with several friends, I've decided to invite all my readers to join in a little experiment. The Great Virtue Experiment. For the next 4 weeks, I invite each person to let your thoughts be virtuous and then comment on how that changes you (if it does) or changes how you view your life and the world and people around you. Each blog will focus on virtue, it's meaning, what is considered virtuous by various countries or cultures around the world, and personal experiences regarding virtue. At the end of the 4 weeks, we'll see if we've gained confidence before God and increased our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation.
Be on the lookout over the next few days as we define terms and outline the scope of the experiment.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
And the 'Reds' Have It
I'll be honest. I've been in an anti-Rom-Com mood since 2005. I remember enjoying A Walk to Remember. Everything went downhill since then. Maybe it's the lame dialogue or the plot Hollywood microwaves and reserves every few months, maybe it's the unrealistic relationship between the guy and the girl. Whatever it is, I'm done.
There are few shows that allow women to be intelligent. And those that do have stunning similarities. Let's look at just three: Scully from X-Files, Brennan from Bones, and Beckett from Castle. In each of these, the women are smart, feminine, capable, confident, and good. They are also, all of them:
1. Redheads, with blue eyes, and fair skin (no freckles).
2. Analytical and unemotional.
3. Employed in traditionally male-dominated fields that involve solving a mystery/crime and physical danger.
4. Socially or emotionally either inept or just not as savvy as their male cohorts
5. All wear pantsuits and surprisingly unrealistic outfits considering their jobs involve a lot of dirt and blood and bodyparts.
6. Not one of them has hair longer than shoulder-length.
7. All of them have had some tragedy or traumatic event that led them to their chosen field.
8. None of them are good at, or have much experience in, dating.
9. All of them work with a male counterpart who bucks the system/establishment.
10. All of them are by-the-book while their male counterpart is smart alecky and bends the rules a bit (but never too much).
10. All of them have some attraction to their male counterpart and struggle with the dilemma of remaining friends or jeopardizing their friendship and work relationship by moving to something more.
I'm beginning to think it is unique to a redhead. I don't see combinations of men with any other hair type that have this personality. Is this true? Or am I just hyper-attuned because I am surrounded by redheads in my family? Another mystery yet to be solved.
There are few shows that allow women to be intelligent. And those that do have stunning similarities. Let's look at just three: Scully from X-Files, Brennan from Bones, and Beckett from Castle. In each of these, the women are smart, feminine, capable, confident, and good. They are also, all of them:
1. Redheads, with blue eyes, and fair skin (no freckles).
2. Analytical and unemotional.
3. Employed in traditionally male-dominated fields that involve solving a mystery/crime and physical danger.
4. Socially or emotionally either inept or just not as savvy as their male cohorts
5. All wear pantsuits and surprisingly unrealistic outfits considering their jobs involve a lot of dirt and blood and bodyparts.
6. Not one of them has hair longer than shoulder-length.
7. All of them have had some tragedy or traumatic event that led them to their chosen field.
8. None of them are good at, or have much experience in, dating.
9. All of them work with a male counterpart who bucks the system/establishment.
10. All of them are by-the-book while their male counterpart is smart alecky and bends the rules a bit (but never too much).
10. All of them have some attraction to their male counterpart and struggle with the dilemma of remaining friends or jeopardizing their friendship and work relationship by moving to something more.
I'm beginning to think it is unique to a redhead. I don't see combinations of men with any other hair type that have this personality. Is this true? Or am I just hyper-attuned because I am surrounded by redheads in my family? Another mystery yet to be solved.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Christian Environmentalism
Today I finished reading a book, Kindness to Animals and Caring for the Earth, compiled by Richard D. Stratton (who, ironically enough, lives in Missoula, MT--the city I just moved from). In this book, Mr. Stratton has taken selections from the sermons and writings of leaders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Lately, we see quite a bit of news regarding environmentalism and extremism. We see far-left liberals who advocate forced price hikes and limiting resources for the masses (but not themselves) so that a few species have it better. We see the far-right with it's 'I can do whatever I want, full speed ahead' attitude who want to cut down every forest and dig up every hill in the pursuit to control and create wealth.
The truth of the matter is that most people are somewhere in between. This book helps explain our treatment of animals and the environment from a religious perspective. And from the many quotes of Church leaders, the answer is obvious. If we are to call ourselves true Christians, we must treat all life with respect and care; beautifying wherever possible, mistreating nothing. Allow me to quote a few select passages:
Ezra Taft Benson, former Secretary of Agriculture and President of the LDS Church stated in Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson: "It is not likely that someone who does not love his neighbor will be concerned with his adverse impact on the environment...If there is disregard for oneself, there will be disregard for one's neighbor. If there is no reverence for life itself, there is apt to be little reverence for the resources God has given man. The outward expressions of irreverence for life and for fellowmen often take the form of heedless pollution of both air and water. But are these not expressions of the inner man? You are among those who must undertake the task of alerting mankind to problems with regard to his physical environment...If we are merely transients in an unexplainable world, we will act more like tourists than residents! Men born into this planet are stewards." (p643-44)
The late apostle Neal A. Maxwell stated "...This restored work not only involves the things of eternity but is also drenched in daily significance. True disciples, for instance, would be consistent environmentalists--caring both about maintaining the spiritual health of a marriage and preserving a rain forest; caring about preserving the nurturing capacity of a family as well as providing a healthy supply of air and water; caring for both the prevention and the treatment of the miseries caused by the diseases of transgression. Adam and Eve were to 'dress the garden,' not exploit it. Like them, we are to keep the commandments, so that we can enjoy all the resources God has given us, resources described as 'enough and to spare' (D&C 104:17), if we use and husband them wisely." (A Wonderful Flood of Light, p103).
I like how Elder Maxwell terms it, 'consistent environmentalists', not just concerned about the spiritual environment, but the physical as well. Both ancient and modern scripture discuss our responsibility and Mr. Stratton has included quotes regarding the creation, stewardship, the purpose of nature, previous humane programs of the LDS church, kindness to animals (how do you treat your dog?), unnecessary taking of animal life (lots of quotes on sport hunting or wasteful use of the animal), accountability and judgment (we are responsible for all life we take or mistreat--including people, animals, or the earth), the millenium, the resurrection, and the salvation of animals and the earth.
This book gave me quite a bit to think about and I recommend it for anyone who truly wants to know what ancient and modern prophets and apostles had to say on the subject. For more information, or to get your own copy for $17.00, go to www.kindnesstoanimals.org or check out ebay.
Lately, we see quite a bit of news regarding environmentalism and extremism. We see far-left liberals who advocate forced price hikes and limiting resources for the masses (but not themselves) so that a few species have it better. We see the far-right with it's 'I can do whatever I want, full speed ahead' attitude who want to cut down every forest and dig up every hill in the pursuit to control and create wealth.
The truth of the matter is that most people are somewhere in between. This book helps explain our treatment of animals and the environment from a religious perspective. And from the many quotes of Church leaders, the answer is obvious. If we are to call ourselves true Christians, we must treat all life with respect and care; beautifying wherever possible, mistreating nothing. Allow me to quote a few select passages:
Ezra Taft Benson, former Secretary of Agriculture and President of the LDS Church stated in Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson: "It is not likely that someone who does not love his neighbor will be concerned with his adverse impact on the environment...If there is disregard for oneself, there will be disregard for one's neighbor. If there is no reverence for life itself, there is apt to be little reverence for the resources God has given man. The outward expressions of irreverence for life and for fellowmen often take the form of heedless pollution of both air and water. But are these not expressions of the inner man? You are among those who must undertake the task of alerting mankind to problems with regard to his physical environment...If we are merely transients in an unexplainable world, we will act more like tourists than residents! Men born into this planet are stewards." (p643-44)
The late apostle Neal A. Maxwell stated "...This restored work not only involves the things of eternity but is also drenched in daily significance. True disciples, for instance, would be consistent environmentalists--caring both about maintaining the spiritual health of a marriage and preserving a rain forest; caring about preserving the nurturing capacity of a family as well as providing a healthy supply of air and water; caring for both the prevention and the treatment of the miseries caused by the diseases of transgression. Adam and Eve were to 'dress the garden,' not exploit it. Like them, we are to keep the commandments, so that we can enjoy all the resources God has given us, resources described as 'enough and to spare' (D&C 104:17), if we use and husband them wisely." (A Wonderful Flood of Light, p103).
I like how Elder Maxwell terms it, 'consistent environmentalists', not just concerned about the spiritual environment, but the physical as well. Both ancient and modern scripture discuss our responsibility and Mr. Stratton has included quotes regarding the creation, stewardship, the purpose of nature, previous humane programs of the LDS church, kindness to animals (how do you treat your dog?), unnecessary taking of animal life (lots of quotes on sport hunting or wasteful use of the animal), accountability and judgment (we are responsible for all life we take or mistreat--including people, animals, or the earth), the millenium, the resurrection, and the salvation of animals and the earth.
This book gave me quite a bit to think about and I recommend it for anyone who truly wants to know what ancient and modern prophets and apostles had to say on the subject. For more information, or to get your own copy for $17.00, go to www.kindnesstoanimals.org or check out ebay.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Family Togetherness
Can anything bring a family closer together than a weekend long bout of the flu? I mean, really, holding someone's hair back while they play meet and greet with a large silver bowl is so personal, how can you help but NOT feel better connected? That being said, since you have all probably experienced a bad bout of the ol' influenza epidemic at least once in your life, I really don't need to go into too many more details. (Not that either one of us would want me to.) Except that there was lots of praying and thanking God and a general renewal of all things good and true. Small miracles DO happen. I am grateful for a very loving family and for a family that doesn't turn their noses up when someone is looking and feeling their absolute worst.
I shall now return to eating chicken noodle soup (which really is the best thing you can have after, or while, being sick). My sister noted that Campbell's should just sell cans of the broth. Not sure why someone hasn't thought of that already. Also good...applesauce, herb tea, soda crackers, alka seltzer. Alka seltzer is amazing. As in, Merlin the Wizard amazing.
Naps are also good. And on that note...I bid you all adieu for now.
I shall now return to eating chicken noodle soup (which really is the best thing you can have after, or while, being sick). My sister noted that Campbell's should just sell cans of the broth. Not sure why someone hasn't thought of that already. Also good...applesauce, herb tea, soda crackers, alka seltzer. Alka seltzer is amazing. As in, Merlin the Wizard amazing.
Naps are also good. And on that note...I bid you all adieu for now.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Rain
Once again, it is raining. I grew up in a small town outside of Portland, Oregon, so rain was a substantial part of my formatory years. Like the wind in the tricities or the big sky in, well, big sky country. But having gone that many years with it, rain has come to mean something to me. Home.
I can remember leaving the state for what would become seven years of college. I happened to attend a school in a Rocky Mountain state where they do not have a great deal of rain. Instead, they have sun and they have snow. Rain came maybe 3-4 times a year it seemed. In fact, it was so rare that I can clearly remember one summer storm shower, while living in a place called Hampton Court. After the thunder and lightening and that great dirt smell that fills the air, the slightly warm rain came down. I remember wearing sandals and going crazy, like I was a farmer and this meant the drought was over. I just danced around, jumping in inch-deep puddles. Of course, with so little rain, when it did come we also got worms. Not just a few. Thousands of them. Traveling to and from the campus soon became a routine in balance and high stepping. But not to worry, no worms were harmed in the walking that occurred.
I remember the first night I lived in New York City. It was a Sunday night and I had only flown in to JFK a few hours before. By the time my friend (who also had an internship there) and I reached the apartment, it was almost dark. She insisted on taking me to Broadway Street (having lived there the previous summer). When I got there, this kid from the small town had never been anywhere bigger. Every scene you ever see in the movies with all the billboards and lights and people...it's all true. All of it. And then it began to rain. Not a small steady drizzle, an armada of rain. For a moment the world seemed to go sideways; I was just an extra on some Hollywood lot.
And of course, I can still remember returning to New York City several years later for some volunteer work. A fellow volunteer and I were heading to an appointment and it started raining that larger-than-life New York City rain. Normally, people head for the buildings and it is amazing how many people you meet that way. But this time, we had an appointment and in a Dr. Seuessian sort of way could not/should not/would not be late. We ran for it. People cheered and clapped, whooped and hollered. We just kept running, laughing at ourselves and the ridiculous situation (no umbrellas--the sky had looked fine). By the time we got there we were soaked through. Two drenched young women with small puddles forming beneath us.
There's a line in the movie Anna and the King that talks about how much of life is made up in tiny moments. Maybe you, like I, have come to see how true that is. Some moments stay with you all your life. Not because they are gigantic, earth-shattering, life-changing moments. But because they aren't. Because they are simply tiny moments of a familiar scene in an unfamiliar way, like the rain. But those moments are unforgettable and strung together become a way to understand your life and the changing view you have of the world. When I am in unexpected places, no matter how far, I am really only one rainfall away from home.
I can remember leaving the state for what would become seven years of college. I happened to attend a school in a Rocky Mountain state where they do not have a great deal of rain. Instead, they have sun and they have snow. Rain came maybe 3-4 times a year it seemed. In fact, it was so rare that I can clearly remember one summer storm shower, while living in a place called Hampton Court. After the thunder and lightening and that great dirt smell that fills the air, the slightly warm rain came down. I remember wearing sandals and going crazy, like I was a farmer and this meant the drought was over. I just danced around, jumping in inch-deep puddles. Of course, with so little rain, when it did come we also got worms. Not just a few. Thousands of them. Traveling to and from the campus soon became a routine in balance and high stepping. But not to worry, no worms were harmed in the walking that occurred.
I remember the first night I lived in New York City. It was a Sunday night and I had only flown in to JFK a few hours before. By the time my friend (who also had an internship there) and I reached the apartment, it was almost dark. She insisted on taking me to Broadway Street (having lived there the previous summer). When I got there, this kid from the small town had never been anywhere bigger. Every scene you ever see in the movies with all the billboards and lights and people...it's all true. All of it. And then it began to rain. Not a small steady drizzle, an armada of rain. For a moment the world seemed to go sideways; I was just an extra on some Hollywood lot.
And of course, I can still remember returning to New York City several years later for some volunteer work. A fellow volunteer and I were heading to an appointment and it started raining that larger-than-life New York City rain. Normally, people head for the buildings and it is amazing how many people you meet that way. But this time, we had an appointment and in a Dr. Seuessian sort of way could not/should not/would not be late. We ran for it. People cheered and clapped, whooped and hollered. We just kept running, laughing at ourselves and the ridiculous situation (no umbrellas--the sky had looked fine). By the time we got there we were soaked through. Two drenched young women with small puddles forming beneath us.
There's a line in the movie Anna and the King that talks about how much of life is made up in tiny moments. Maybe you, like I, have come to see how true that is. Some moments stay with you all your life. Not because they are gigantic, earth-shattering, life-changing moments. But because they aren't. Because they are simply tiny moments of a familiar scene in an unfamiliar way, like the rain. But those moments are unforgettable and strung together become a way to understand your life and the changing view you have of the world. When I am in unexpected places, no matter how far, I am really only one rainfall away from home.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Recycled Thoughts on Love and Pizza
It's the new year. I'm filling out job applications. But I wanted to say something. Nothing coming to mind, I thought I would recycle some old thoughts of mine via a saved e-mail sent to a friend. The topic: love for a pizza man.
Okay...I did some serious thinking today. Are you ready for this?Pizza. I am going to marry the man who is like pizza.
Okay. Take me seriously for a moment. I really thought about this. Not the cruddy $5 pizza that drips with oil even after an entire paper towel roll. Nor the frozen foods section kind that's factory made and there are a billion of them and they take 15 minutes to unthaw but they taste like it too. And I'm also not talking about the super fancy cannot-eat-it-except-in-a-suit kind. I'm just talking regular pizza-place-sit-down-restaurant-pizza-parlor pizza.
Sunshine Deli Pizza. This must be the best pizza in all of America. I have eaten pizza in Utah, Montana, Oregon, and even 3 out of 5 New York burroughs. Sunshine Deli Pizza puts them all to shame. And to think,it's been here, in my hometown and the next town over, pretty much my whole life. How could I get so lucky? God just loves me. Now, I have shared this pizza with not just US travelers, but world travelers. And you know what? It is voted the very best in America. Only Italy has one better. And I'd expect that from Italy. They invented the darn stuff.
So yeah, back to pizza. Quality ingredients. Carefully made. Not just thrown together with whatever is around. Good stuff. Real stuff. Stuff you can count on. The problem with cheaply made pizza is that it is a cheap experience. You look at it, you lift it up to drip off the oil. You look again. You just KNOW that pizza is going to give you heart trouble sooner or later. You just know.
So, I like pizza. I like the way you can dress it up, dress it down. I like the way it comes ready to eat. It can be complicated. It can be simple. You can eat it with a fork and knife on china and silk napkins. You can eat it with your hands watching a movie. Pizza is flexible and it has this basic relaxed kind of attitude. It is very hard to be arrogant or intellectually snobby being pizza. (Again, this is why you have to be careful to get good ingredients.) Morning, noon, or night. Or even late late night. There is no time limit with pizza. Any day, any time. Kind of an all-around kind of meal.
I like that concept. I like the way the pizza smell lingers on your hands even after you've washed them. I like the way the pizza taste lingers in your mouth and throat even after you've brushed your teeth, brushed your tongue, and flossed. It's still there. In the morning when you first wake up, you can kind of taste the pizza in your throat. You can't quite get rid of it and you don't want to.
I like eating pizza hot, luke warm, and cold. I like that you can eat pizza hot, luke warm, and cold. And I really like eating pizza the next morning for breakfast. I like the leftover concept of pizza.
Don't read too much into this. It's just something I thought about as I sat outside for lunch and ate a leftover piece of cold pizza from SunshineDeli today. I ate it and realized how much I enjoyed it and that got me thinking....
Okay...I did some serious thinking today. Are you ready for this?Pizza. I am going to marry the man who is like pizza.
Okay. Take me seriously for a moment. I really thought about this. Not the cruddy $5 pizza that drips with oil even after an entire paper towel roll. Nor the frozen foods section kind that's factory made and there are a billion of them and they take 15 minutes to unthaw but they taste like it too. And I'm also not talking about the super fancy cannot-eat-it-except-in-a-suit kind. I'm just talking regular pizza-place-sit-down-restaurant-pizza-parlor pizza.
Sunshine Deli Pizza. This must be the best pizza in all of America. I have eaten pizza in Utah, Montana, Oregon, and even 3 out of 5 New York burroughs. Sunshine Deli Pizza puts them all to shame. And to think,it's been here, in my hometown and the next town over, pretty much my whole life. How could I get so lucky? God just loves me. Now, I have shared this pizza with not just US travelers, but world travelers. And you know what? It is voted the very best in America. Only Italy has one better. And I'd expect that from Italy. They invented the darn stuff.
So yeah, back to pizza. Quality ingredients. Carefully made. Not just thrown together with whatever is around. Good stuff. Real stuff. Stuff you can count on. The problem with cheaply made pizza is that it is a cheap experience. You look at it, you lift it up to drip off the oil. You look again. You just KNOW that pizza is going to give you heart trouble sooner or later. You just know.
So, I like pizza. I like the way you can dress it up, dress it down. I like the way it comes ready to eat. It can be complicated. It can be simple. You can eat it with a fork and knife on china and silk napkins. You can eat it with your hands watching a movie. Pizza is flexible and it has this basic relaxed kind of attitude. It is very hard to be arrogant or intellectually snobby being pizza. (Again, this is why you have to be careful to get good ingredients.) Morning, noon, or night. Or even late late night. There is no time limit with pizza. Any day, any time. Kind of an all-around kind of meal.
I like that concept. I like the way the pizza smell lingers on your hands even after you've washed them. I like the way the pizza taste lingers in your mouth and throat even after you've brushed your teeth, brushed your tongue, and flossed. It's still there. In the morning when you first wake up, you can kind of taste the pizza in your throat. You can't quite get rid of it and you don't want to.
I like eating pizza hot, luke warm, and cold. I like that you can eat pizza hot, luke warm, and cold. And I really like eating pizza the next morning for breakfast. I like the leftover concept of pizza.
Don't read too much into this. It's just something I thought about as I sat outside for lunch and ate a leftover piece of cold pizza from SunshineDeli today. I ate it and realized how much I enjoyed it and that got me thinking....
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Year Hero Musings
Ah, another year is upon us. And since this is supposed to be a blog about heroes and sidekicks, I had better do more of that and less speechmaking about waffle shortages and Christmas trees.
It isn't easy to be a hero, no matter what kind of hero you are and to whom. Not only do you have to deal with the problems of a name, a costume, a secret identity, a secret lair, and a day job, you also have to deal with the fact that some people will not understand you, some people will hate you, and some people will demean you. But that isn't why you do it, is it? "One did not do the correct thing for recognition or praise. Even at a cost, the correct thing was done because it was correct. That was duty. She would not betray it."
You see, for a hero, truth and justice and righteous living mean something. And they'll both live and die for it. They won't be perfect at it, but they will keep trying. "Those who hold to the Light must be prepared to defend it with their lives." Each and every day, in little ways, you see people try to do that. I know we all know that people have hidden monsters inside them. We learned that from Nazi Germany and the SS soldiers, the 1960s electric shock and prison guard experiments, and 4 years in public high school. But what we do not know, what we most often ignore even within ourselves, is the hidden hero. You know what I mean. The moment someone does something kind and it surprises even them. The thousands who hid Jews in their homes, those who risked their lives to create the United States of America, the Underground Railroad, the person who refuses to help their friend commit a crime or immoral act, someone who speaks the truth boldly fully aware of the cost. Although there are millions of examples of people doing these things every single day, my favorite example from the movies has to be Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings trilogy (as written by Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson).
Sam is not the one you think of as a hero at the beginning. He's sweet and kind and his life involves a small town and working up the gumption to ask Rose to dance. He is a good man but not a brave or heroic one. And yet he possesses honesty, a hopeful heart, and loyalty. He makes a promise and he keeps it despite the cost. And by the end, of all the characters we come across, he is one of the most heroic, perhaps because it was so unexpected (most especially to him). We all knew Aragorn was and would be a hero, just like Legolas, Gimlee, and Gandalf. They were born to it and trained for it. We suspected Frodo would do important things; he had the ring. You could even suspect Merry and Pip because they showed initiative (albeit to get into trouble) and iniative is an essential quality for heroes. But Sam doesn't have those things. And it doesn't matter. Heroes are not made so by education or training, but by character. And character exists within the poor, huddled masses yearning to be free just as much as it can exist within the educated officiates.
The one thing about heroes though, is that they are never truly comfortable afterwards. They are forever apart from the rest. "To sheltered and peaceful people who live in warm homes and sit in comfortable chairs and sleep safely at night, there can be no realization of the desperation of men running and fighting for their lives against enormous odds." And so the hobbits sit apart, looking at all the others, knowing this is and is not their home because they are and are not the same. Life is different because they are different. But they continue to live and that is key. Heroes don't stop just because evil is vanquished for a day, a decade, or a lifetime.
So to all the heroes out there, and especially those that fight daily to protect and defend, God bless. May your new year be filled with light.
It isn't easy to be a hero, no matter what kind of hero you are and to whom. Not only do you have to deal with the problems of a name, a costume, a secret identity, a secret lair, and a day job, you also have to deal with the fact that some people will not understand you, some people will hate you, and some people will demean you. But that isn't why you do it, is it? "One did not do the correct thing for recognition or praise. Even at a cost, the correct thing was done because it was correct. That was duty. She would not betray it."
You see, for a hero, truth and justice and righteous living mean something. And they'll both live and die for it. They won't be perfect at it, but they will keep trying. "Those who hold to the Light must be prepared to defend it with their lives." Each and every day, in little ways, you see people try to do that. I know we all know that people have hidden monsters inside them. We learned that from Nazi Germany and the SS soldiers, the 1960s electric shock and prison guard experiments, and 4 years in public high school. But what we do not know, what we most often ignore even within ourselves, is the hidden hero. You know what I mean. The moment someone does something kind and it surprises even them. The thousands who hid Jews in their homes, those who risked their lives to create the United States of America, the Underground Railroad, the person who refuses to help their friend commit a crime or immoral act, someone who speaks the truth boldly fully aware of the cost. Although there are millions of examples of people doing these things every single day, my favorite example from the movies has to be Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings trilogy (as written by Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson).
Sam is not the one you think of as a hero at the beginning. He's sweet and kind and his life involves a small town and working up the gumption to ask Rose to dance. He is a good man but not a brave or heroic one. And yet he possesses honesty, a hopeful heart, and loyalty. He makes a promise and he keeps it despite the cost. And by the end, of all the characters we come across, he is one of the most heroic, perhaps because it was so unexpected (most especially to him). We all knew Aragorn was and would be a hero, just like Legolas, Gimlee, and Gandalf. They were born to it and trained for it. We suspected Frodo would do important things; he had the ring. You could even suspect Merry and Pip because they showed initiative (albeit to get into trouble) and iniative is an essential quality for heroes. But Sam doesn't have those things. And it doesn't matter. Heroes are not made so by education or training, but by character. And character exists within the poor, huddled masses yearning to be free just as much as it can exist within the educated officiates.
The one thing about heroes though, is that they are never truly comfortable afterwards. They are forever apart from the rest. "To sheltered and peaceful people who live in warm homes and sit in comfortable chairs and sleep safely at night, there can be no realization of the desperation of men running and fighting for their lives against enormous odds." And so the hobbits sit apart, looking at all the others, knowing this is and is not their home because they are and are not the same. Life is different because they are different. But they continue to live and that is key. Heroes don't stop just because evil is vanquished for a day, a decade, or a lifetime.
So to all the heroes out there, and especially those that fight daily to protect and defend, God bless. May your new year be filled with light.
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