What im really feeling right now.
What is Courage?
Courage, to me, as little as a week or two ago, was only the textbook definition that it’s the ability to stand up for oneself when confronted. Then, a student at my high school, someone that I had been in classes with as a freshman and sophomore, changed how I think about courage. He killed two people while driving drunk down the wrong side of I-77. This made me reevaluate what I think courage really is.
He had been drinking before he arrived at a party where he continued to drink. At any time during this period, had a single person in his vicinity had the courage to tell him to “just stay here tonight” or to “just give me your keys,” 2 people would be alive right now and he would not be in a coma. That is why my idea of courage has morphed into this: the ability to, not only stand up for oneself but, to stand up against a friend when you know that they are in the wrong.
In this situation there were literally dozens of people who could have, but didn’t, act courageously. This does not have to be in the sense of the word as in saving puppies from in front of busses or saving a damsel from a charging freight train, but little things can be courageous too. These are the things in life that go unnoticed, but make the difference between an acquaintance and a truly great friend. Great friends will tell you when you’ve had enough, when you should go home to finish up work, when you are going just a little too fast, or when they just need to talk to you; acquaintances and even some friends won’t.
The world we live in now needs more courageous people in this sense of the word. The speed that everyone in today’s fast-paced world makes the small things like these not seem important, even when they may be better than the larger acts of courage. As shown by the incident with the student at my school, one sentence of courage from any one of dozens of people could have saved at least two lives and possibly a third.
My mother has a saying that goes something like this: “The only mistakes that I truly regret occurred while under the influence of alcohol and around people I didn’t really know very well.” I think this basically sums up what I am trying to say here. Courage by anyone can mean a lot to people and I really think it should happen more.
This really turned from something with a good message to more of a tired rant. whatever. its the thought that counts i think.
Courage, to me, as little as a week or two ago, was only the textbook definition that it’s the ability to stand up for oneself when confronted. Then, a student at my high school, someone that I had been in classes with as a freshman and sophomore, changed how I think about courage. He killed two people while driving drunk down the wrong side of I-77. This made me reevaluate what I think courage really is.
He had been drinking before he arrived at a party where he continued to drink. At any time during this period, had a single person in his vicinity had the courage to tell him to “just stay here tonight” or to “just give me your keys,” 2 people would be alive right now and he would not be in a coma. That is why my idea of courage has morphed into this: the ability to, not only stand up for oneself but, to stand up against a friend when you know that they are in the wrong.
In this situation there were literally dozens of people who could have, but didn’t, act courageously. This does not have to be in the sense of the word as in saving puppies from in front of busses or saving a damsel from a charging freight train, but little things can be courageous too. These are the things in life that go unnoticed, but make the difference between an acquaintance and a truly great friend. Great friends will tell you when you’ve had enough, when you should go home to finish up work, when you are going just a little too fast, or when they just need to talk to you; acquaintances and even some friends won’t.
The world we live in now needs more courageous people in this sense of the word. The speed that everyone in today’s fast-paced world makes the small things like these not seem important, even when they may be better than the larger acts of courage. As shown by the incident with the student at my school, one sentence of courage from any one of dozens of people could have saved at least two lives and possibly a third.
My mother has a saying that goes something like this: “The only mistakes that I truly regret occurred while under the influence of alcohol and around people I didn’t really know very well.” I think this basically sums up what I am trying to say here. Courage by anyone can mean a lot to people and I really think it should happen more.
This really turned from something with a good message to more of a tired rant. whatever. its the thought that counts i think.