Courage

The other week, a friend told me about something very brave that he did when he was being bullied as a child, that I am almost certain I would not have had the courage to do myself at that age. I already knew he was a wonderful person before, but this story just reminded me that courage is a character trait I not only admire a lot in people, but to a certain extent also expect of those I love and/or respect. There might be a colleague at work (and I believe we all know such a someone) who likes to think of themselves as a fierce critic and radical, but who puts on a completely different face and tells a different version of their story depending on the circle of people they are with. I really don't have much patience with and respect for this type of person. There might also be a friend who has been telling the same story for decades about a grudge they hold against their parents for not letting them pursue certain studies or be with a certain partner when they were teenagers, forgetting that while they were complaining about it for literally decades, they could have done something about it when they became old enough to not have to ask their parents anymore. I'm not saying I am perfect myself and it is only other people who fail to live up to my very high standards, quite the contrary, but I have really been trying to be courageous whenever due, not always for my own sake. Perhaps it is not coincidence that this song is a staple in my work-playlist.