Bravery can not simply be taught, bravery is something of an acquired trait that most us use everyday without even realizing it.
“However, this would live on in history as one of the most triumphant moments for the United States of America and for the beloved Marine Corps.” A piece from one of my first posts titled “Representative Work”. When those men landed on Iwo Jima, you can be sure that the last thing on their minds was about how brave they were being. The main focus for these men was to stay alive and win the battle so that the United States could win the war. Like mentioned earlier, bravery is in our lives everyday. It doesn’t have to always be so substantial or mean almost certain death to make one brave, however it definitely sets the standard pretty high when you look at it from that angle.
If paying the ultimate sacrifice to protect those on the homeland is bravery in the raw, does that mean seeing someone being bullied by a large group of people and stopping to help the poor soul out not constitute as bravery? No, bravery like many things has no boundaries. Some of the smallest everyday actions fully constitute someone being brave, often time not realized.
“When people ask how, I say a fire took them.” Jacqueline Woodson’s response when asked how her parents passed away. Most would not recognize the bravery in these words at first glance, after deeper analyzation it becomes ever so clear. To be able to give such a transparent response about such a serious question is bravery in its epitome. When others in like situations are asked about such matters this isn’t a typical response you would expect to be given. This could be for many reasons, not just because the individual isn’t brave about what happened. This could be that they aren’t comfortable speaking about the situation or haven’t come to terms with the events that unfolded.
Among all my blog posts, one in particular stands out to me when we bring up the topic of bravery. The specific scene I chose from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hamlet receives a visit from his dead father the ghost. He is given information regarding his fathers betrayal. Instead of immediately turning to loved ones and friends with this news, he waits and finds his opportune moment for revenge. Hamlet is figuratively screaming bravery from this moment on throughout the play. With all the odds stacked against him, his determination to avenge his father and put his soul to peace is astonishing. Comparable to something of that a marine fighting next to his brothers in arms to keep everyone safe at home.
Wealthy Body 