A Death of Courage

~ ten thousand days in the fire ~

There is no death more ignominious than that of the self-proclaimed warrior rushing headlong into battle, pathetically hoping to steal eternal glory for themselves, and failing every time.

All of them, wishing they were named Achilles, when in reality there never was such a man.

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A quick and relatively painless death, whether by sword or otherwise, is always the easy way out.

That is the way of cowards, paralyzed by fear of choice, forced instead into a false certainty of illusory action.

In reality, non-action.

It takes much more courage to face the long and winding road with open eyes, slow and laborious, harsh and dolorous, always painstaking but with no guarantees of ultimate promise to be gained.

The end of this particular path is plain for all to see.

Infirmity and illness—that is the true warrior’s death.

Be brave.

— yoav golan