November 25, 2007
True Grit
Every so often we hear of men like this South Carolina farmer, guys who -- when faced with a life or death decision -- grit their teeth and do the unthinkable.
He's so matter of fact about his ordeal, no histrionics, no weepy self-recriminations. I suspect this is the attitude -- the emotional make-up of our ancestors, the products of a more stoic time -- that settled the American Frontier, fought and won our independence from Britain, defeated the Confederacy.
And they -- like, I'm inclined to believe, this farmer -- did it all without the "benefit" of years spent in public schools, self-esteem boosting edjimicational professionals urging them to set aside outmoded, macho impulses like courage, honor, physical endurance and the ability to persevere.
Our ancestors were made of sterner stuff than blue-state metrosexual males; this fellow makes me wonder if there's something oddly enervating about living in big cities.
After all, had he been the typical 21st Century city-dweller, he'd have had close at hand:
- bottled water;
- an iPod;
- a Venti, half-caf soy latte.
Carrying a knife -- much less being prepared to use it -- isn't usually part of the modern American male's personal kit. Maybe it ought to be.
Yikes.
Posted by Mike Lief at November 25, 2007 10:03 AM
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