The question arose, unbidden, in the dark-of-night sojourns of my sleepy mind.
Fools and heroes...
Are they one and the same?
Or, are they entirely different?
Are they the opposite ends of a finite pole?
Or, are they locations on a circle that has no poles, no beginnings, no ends?
Taking risks that any 'sane' person would 'know' were outlandish.
Articulating dreams that stand in stark contrast to 'reality'.
Standing by those dreams when everyone, everything, stands in the path of their realization.
Believing in the impossible.
Seeing the unimaginable.
Stepping into the unknown without protection.
A fool's errand?
Or the makings of a hero?
If you stop to consider, regardless of whether we shall name this person
fool or hero,
the synergies are many.
So, what is it then, that marks a person
a fool or hero?
Is it the outcome of the person's endeavors?
If so, then we would add to the category of fool
Aung San Suu Kyi, her years in prison, and a country still in desperate turmoil;
Nelson Mandela, his numerous years in prison, and a country still ruled by the wealthy;
Mahatma Gandhi, his self inflicted starvation to stop the fighting, and a country divided;
The mothers of disappeared children in war torn countries who search endlessly...
Are these the ones we would relegate to the court of fools?
Their visions weren't realized and they suffered greatly.
Yet, few would consent to add their names to the court of fools.
So, if it is not the dreams nor the outcomes the person sought to realize,
then, what is it?
Is it the actions taken, or the timing of those actions?
To this, I submit a question...
How can one possibly predict the many implications of one's actions?
I assert that it is humanly impossible to know what ripples one will create with her actions,
and that ultimately, the fool and the hero, have to act in semi-darkness.
So, fools and heroes alike,
step into the unknown,
take action based on a vision,
and know not what may come.
Some are lucky in that their actions mingle with the currents of humanity
to result in changes across the generations.
The M15 popular uprising in Spain is living out Gandhi's dream of nonviolent demonstrations.
Like M15, social movements across the globe recite the words and vision of Gandhi.
He could not stop his country from fighting, but he has inspired generations.
Some are unlucky in that their courageous endeavors go unnoticed, or are silenced
by those more powerful than themselves.
Mothers are still searching. Many will never find their children.
But, they are still searching.
They are still searching.
Be they our fools?
To be a hero or a fool takes vision, courage, the audacity to believe one can make a difference.
This, mind you, is not a fairy tale.
The journey is never easy, and many times stretches beyond the person's life.
There are not always 'happily ever after' endings.
And the 'right' do not always vanquish the 'wrong'.
Yet, some will venture forth
on a fool's errand or a heroe's journey.
And, at day's end,
who are we to judge?
For while we debate and pronounce our judgments,
fools and heroes
are creating our world.
Fools and heroes...
Are they one and the same?
Or, are they entirely different?
Are they the opposite ends of a finite pole?
Or, are they locations on a circle that has no poles, no beginnings, no ends?
Taking risks that any 'sane' person would 'know' were outlandish.
Articulating dreams that stand in stark contrast to 'reality'.
Standing by those dreams when everyone, everything, stands in the path of their realization.
Believing in the impossible.
Seeing the unimaginable.
Stepping into the unknown without protection.
A fool's errand?
Or the makings of a hero?
If you stop to consider, regardless of whether we shall name this person
fool or hero,
the synergies are many.
So, what is it then, that marks a person
a fool or hero?
If so, then we would add to the category of fool
Aung San Suu Kyi, her years in prison, and a country still in desperate turmoil;
Nelson Mandela, his numerous years in prison, and a country still ruled by the wealthy;
Mahatma Gandhi, his self inflicted starvation to stop the fighting, and a country divided;
The mothers of disappeared children in war torn countries who search endlessly...
Are these the ones we would relegate to the court of fools?
Their visions weren't realized and they suffered greatly.
Yet, few would consent to add their names to the court of fools.
So, if it is not the dreams nor the outcomes the person sought to realize,
then, what is it?
Is it the actions taken, or the timing of those actions?
To this, I submit a question...
How can one possibly predict the many implications of one's actions?
I assert that it is humanly impossible to know what ripples one will create with her actions,
and that ultimately, the fool and the hero, have to act in semi-darkness.
So, fools and heroes alike,
step into the unknown,
take action based on a vision,
and know not what may come.
Some are lucky in that their actions mingle with the currents of humanity
to result in changes across the generations.
The M15 popular uprising in Spain is living out Gandhi's dream of nonviolent demonstrations.
Like M15, social movements across the globe recite the words and vision of Gandhi.
He could not stop his country from fighting, but he has inspired generations.
Some are unlucky in that their courageous endeavors go unnoticed, or are silenced
by those more powerful than themselves.
Mothers are still searching. Many will never find their children.
But, they are still searching.
They are still searching.
Be they our fools?
To be a hero or a fool takes vision, courage, the audacity to believe one can make a difference.
This, mind you, is not a fairy tale.
The journey is never easy, and many times stretches beyond the person's life.
There are not always 'happily ever after' endings.
And the 'right' do not always vanquish the 'wrong'.
Yet, some will venture forth
on a fool's errand or a heroe's journey.
And, at day's end,
who are we to judge?
For while we debate and pronounce our judgments,
fools and heroes
are creating our world.
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