Real Courage

You risked your life, but what else have you ever risked? Have you ever risked disapproval? Have you ever risked economic security? Have you ever risked a belief? I see nothing particularly courageous in risking one’s life. So you lose it, you go to your hero’s heaven and everything is milk and honey ‘til the end of time. Right? You get your reward and suffer no earthly consequences. That’s not courage. Real courage is risking something you have to keep on living with, real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness. Real courage is risking one’s clichés.
- "Another Roadside Attraction", Tom Robbins

The men and women who risked their lives on 09/11/01 were heroes - both those who didn't make it, and those who survived. For those who live on, their heroism has probably transformed them more than we can know. In living after such an experience, do people now have to choose to *live* heroically? Real courage might be exemplified on another level when each of those men and women went back to work the next day - and as they put their uniforms on once again, serving even now. The risk of losing your life might be small compared to living it out in courage every day *after* something like that has invaded your life.

Yesterday was the third anniversary of the tragedies ot 09/11/01. Today is the anniversary of somebody having to go back to work.