This week’s main story got me wondering, what is bravery?Bravery typically rouses images of daring heroes rescuing poor maidens from the clutches of some dangerous evil. But what about today? There are soldiers fighting for their countries and firefighters saving lives, but what of everybody else? There might well be times of crisis (such as in today’s story) when conventional acts of bravery come into play but in our ordinary lives of going to work, caring for families, making ends meet, how are we to be brave? Nathaniel Hawthorne said that “A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world”. But there are countless people displaying bold acts of bravery day in day out. Whether it be living with an incurable disease or fighting poverty, surviving with a broken heart or simply facing each day alone, the courageous too often go unrecognised. These people may not be heroes in the traditional sense of the word and there are no medals for their efforts but their bravery is unquestionable. How then to be brave? Someone once said that bravery is the capacity to perform even when scared half to death. Courage then is not the absence of fear, but the strength to confront that fear. Bravery is standing up for what we believe in. It takes courage to choose what to believe rather than allowing others to tell you. It is defending others from lies or bullies and befriending the lonely or in need. It is stepping out of what is comfortable, and doing what is right. Bravery is telling the truth. One of the hardest things to do is to be honest, especially when you know there are consequences of such honesty. It is a courageous man who can admit when he is wrong and take responsibility for his actions. Would you be brave in the face of danger? I hope you never need find out. Instead, with all the seemingly more mundane challenges life throws at us, let us act with a courage more mundane but no less noble. After all, fortune favours the brave.
