In Search of Glory

“There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend not their homes alone but the tenets of faith and humanity on which their churches, their governments, and their very civilization are founded. The defense of religion, of democracy, and of good faith among nations is all the same fight. To save one we must now make up our minds to save all.”

Franklin Roosevelt address to the Congress

There are very few times when we get an opportunity to do something that we could really called glorious and a lot of us spend an entire life without possibly even one opportunity. What is sadder however is that when these very few opportunities arise most of us are caught lacking in our response to them. Generations of teaching that put self preservation above all makes us end up "exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage".

However I am working on a premise here that we all seek a life of glory. That need not be true. Not everyone needs to romanticize life on a 70 mm screen with Dolby digital sorround sound the way I do. Lets keep them aside for a moment while their contribution in terms of fulfilment of duty and creation of a social fabric cannot be over looked they aren't the ones who create history.

This brings me to my next basic question... is life meant to be one where your endeavour is to create history or one of honour, glory in every small thing we do. I sincerely believe that people who are not flashes in the pan but real history creators are ones who lead this life of glory every single day in every minute detail. That is why when the real opportunities come by they are ready to respond in a way that become legends long after they are gone.

There is however no guarantee that we will get opportunities but if we lead this path of everyday honour and glory then one thing I can guarantee... you can hold your head high every single day and look at anyone in the eye and sleep sound at night and if I may say so be a happy man. Trust me, this is one of the toughest things to do and I ve lost my way on this path before and today hope to have regained it.

I however still seek that calling that will give me glory in my own eyes and give some amount of fulfilment and meaning to my life. My greatest fear is that I ll move to so far ahead in life that I won't be able to seek it out or worse even recognize it even if it decides to present itself.

So maybe the best way is to lead this everyday life and stay a seeker for that calling. What do you get at the end of all this? Maybe a chance that when you die they will say as they say at the end of the movie Troy "I was priviledged to have lived in the time of Achilles"