Take a moment and think back to when your alarm woke you this morning. Think about what you accomplished as the day progressed. Think about yesterday, the day before yesterday and the day before that. How many times did you text somebody, listen to the radio, check Facebook, update Twitter, or have a cell phone conversation with someone you care about? Maybe you shared laughs with a coworker or became frustrated by your boss. Some of us might have had what we consider to be a bad day. Truth is, every time we take part in these seemingly routine tasks, for better or worse, happy, sad, angry or mad, we take for granted the fact that we live in a country that gives us these opportunities each day. We should always make known our appreciation for these opportunities and for those who sacrifice themselves to give them to us. Unfortunately, the outspoken thankfulness tends to get lost in our daily routines.
This past Monday we observed Veterans Day, the one day a year Americans should make veterans past and present know we appreciate them and the sacrifices they made and continue to make, to ensure our safety and freedom. As I read through the thankful Facebook posts and news articles Monday morning, I stumbled upon a quote that stuck with me, even never having strapped on a uniform. The quote read “He who is brave, is free”. The direct correlation to the military was obvious. To enlist and serve, especially in today’s uncertain political environment takes a tremendously brave individual. However, the quote translates to those of us who haven’t worn the uniform as well. In life we often become comfortable with what is familiar. Familiarity leads to complacency and from complacency we achieve a “regular” life with little fear.
Outside the military, how many of us can say we stared into the face of adversity willingly, simply because we wanted something other than complacency? For me, this was my first Jiu-Jitsu tournament and subsequent tournaments to follow. Staring across the mat at someone who is as confidently afraid as you are, and wants to submit you as badly as you do them, was one of the scariest journeys I have ever willingly embarked upon. However, when the ref signals the beginning of the match and you engage in the sport you’ve trained in for months or years, everything in your mind is forgotten and nothing else matters. Especially in early tournaments, the panic felt can be compared to the sensation of drowning, but eventually you calm down and “do Jiu-Jitsu”. The panic is replaced with fatigue and before you know it the match is over. At that moment you look back and feel like you can conquer the world. Win or lose you overcame a fear most people feel during confrontation simply by being on the mat. Suddenly routine tasks and daily annoyances take up no space in your mind. The bravery it takes to be in front of people and deal with such a challenge has given you freedom.
Nothing can be compared to the feeling of military combat for those who haven’t experienced it, and in my opinion, those like myself who haven’t served should not try to empathize with that feeling because doing so would never give the feeling justice. Rather, we should thank those braver than us for giving us our freedom. Even though most of us will never know the feeling of war, we should all strive for a life that seeks the opportunity to be brave, so when we hear or see the quote “He who is brave, is free”, we can say we truly understand.
-Adam
