"...her slavery did not even need chains." Excellent. I think that chains are little needed in order to enslave masses of people. So many people are so easily led, why bother with the chains? Coerce/convince one of their leaders to lead them where you want them to go, and they will go where they are led.
Fredderick Douglass started out barely aware that he was a slave. No chains. But he wondered why he was treated differently, why he wasn't equal and equally free as those around him. Other slaves around him did not wonder so much. Douglass freed himself from the inside out. That is how it must be done.
Douglass is a perfect example. Before I had seen the tribal areas, I had no conception of what it must be like to be raised with the assumption you are worth nothing. To see a natural rebellion against it as Douglass and this woman did is an epic wakeup call.
Sam, you are describing what I call “the moment of truth”. There are big and small moments of truth that we all experience, all the time. You saw and experienced the ultimate one - life or death.
I am also thinking if that moment of choosing correctly can come for many in the voting booth. There are many fence sitters (undecided) that the election could be decided by. I know that this example most likely involves a lot of mental gymnastics, but there is a final moment of truth that one could change their mind.
If Iran (or the CIA) kills Donald Trump in the next four weeks, I am curious how that will affect the election. Will JD Vance be bumped up and given the option to choose his VP? It seems likely. No less likely than martial law being declared to prevent the presidential election.
Beautiful writing, Sam. Rebellion has to start somewhere. Your story reminds me of this quote from John Steinbeck: “Our species...has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man. Nothing was ever created by two men...Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man . . . "
What you witnessed and so clearly expressed may be the underlying source of our survival instinct….not just as individuals but as biological life forms with an amorphous sense of our connection to the cosmos.
Many of the earlier pieces had a different foundation, so it may strike you differently. This piece marked something of a turning point for me. I appreciate the comment, Kyle.
It is as Frankl said: that everything can be taken from you but the last of human freedoms. Your ability to choose... not your circumstances, but your attitude within those circumstances (paraphrasing). Man's Search for Meaning is one of my absolute favs. What's incredibly ironic about that "last of human freedoms" is that many people choose the opposite. They'd rather be a slave to their circumstances, blaming their plight on this, that, or the other. They never relish in the liberating power of that freedom. They are slaves to emotion and negative energy dragging them into bondage.
Thanks Sam. Great essay. I discovered you through my friend, Dee Rambeau. Thanks for your thoughts and your service. I just retired from the Navy after spending 24 years on active duty, 12 enlisted, 12 commissioned. Worked with the SEALs for one tour at NSWG-1 in Coronado and deployed to Iraq as the J1 for CJSOTF-I. Made a lot of great friends and learned a great deal about another side of the service I loved. Keep up the great writing.
"...her slavery did not even need chains." Excellent. I think that chains are little needed in order to enslave masses of people. So many people are so easily led, why bother with the chains? Coerce/convince one of their leaders to lead them where you want them to go, and they will go where they are led.
Fredderick Douglass started out barely aware that he was a slave. No chains. But he wondered why he was treated differently, why he wasn't equal and equally free as those around him. Other slaves around him did not wonder so much. Douglass freed himself from the inside out. That is how it must be done.
Douglass is a perfect example. Before I had seen the tribal areas, I had no conception of what it must be like to be raised with the assumption you are worth nothing. To see a natural rebellion against it as Douglass and this woman did is an epic wakeup call.
I love this comment.
Powerful writing!
Your search for meaning in the moments of your own life are inspirational, especially in a world that insists that we care about so many distractions.
I really appreciate it John. The more the world tries to ruin introspection, the more I think we should lean into it.
Sam, you are describing what I call “the moment of truth”. There are big and small moments of truth that we all experience, all the time. You saw and experienced the ultimate one - life or death.
Thank you Barry, that is exactly what it was. It hit me all the harder because I never expected to see it there of all places. Now I know better.
I am also thinking if that moment of choosing correctly can come for many in the voting booth. There are many fence sitters (undecided) that the election could be decided by. I know that this example most likely involves a lot of mental gymnastics, but there is a final moment of truth that one could change their mind.
If Iran (or the CIA) kills Donald Trump in the next four weeks, I am curious how that will affect the election. Will JD Vance be bumped up and given the option to choose his VP? It seems likely. No less likely than martial law being declared to prevent the presidential election.
Some days I despise the Leftist nonsense I see on Substack and then I have to remember, I went looking under the tabs to see if it was there…Doh.
Then, I accidentally read an article with an intriguing title…and am blown away by the profundity of many writers on Substack, once again.
Respect, for your deep soul-search .. reading this work was a beautiful exercise in paying attention.
I read, I listened, I watched, I felt, I learned … you covered the bases.
Thank you.
You are most welcome, Syd. I'm glad you found some value in it.
You nailed it, my brother.
Thank you, Paul. You probably know this extremely well given your background. It is a powerful perspective.
Beautiful writing, Sam. Rebellion has to start somewhere. Your story reminds me of this quote from John Steinbeck: “Our species...has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man. Nothing was ever created by two men...Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man . . . "
Steinbeck nailed it, excellent reference. Thank you for dropping this here.
Wow this really hits hard at our human condition
A really Profound moment when time stands still
Thank you Todd, I'm stoked you enjoyed it.
What you witnessed and so clearly expressed may be the underlying source of our survival instinct….not just as individuals but as biological life forms with an amorphous sense of our connection to the cosmos.
This is well said. I believe this is true. We only need to look within to access it.
Alright, I’m going back and reading all of your work from the start. No more waiting on you sharing these previous gems. Powerful piece
Many of the earlier pieces had a different foundation, so it may strike you differently. This piece marked something of a turning point for me. I appreciate the comment, Kyle.
It is as Frankl said: that everything can be taken from you but the last of human freedoms. Your ability to choose... not your circumstances, but your attitude within those circumstances (paraphrasing). Man's Search for Meaning is one of my absolute favs. What's incredibly ironic about that "last of human freedoms" is that many people choose the opposite. They'd rather be a slave to their circumstances, blaming their plight on this, that, or the other. They never relish in the liberating power of that freedom. They are slaves to emotion and negative energy dragging them into bondage.
Solid work on this piece.
Rock on, thank you Cory.
Thanks Sam. Great essay. I discovered you through my friend, Dee Rambeau. Thanks for your thoughts and your service. I just retired from the Navy after spending 24 years on active duty, 12 enlisted, 12 commissioned. Worked with the SEALs for one tour at NSWG-1 in Coronado and deployed to Iraq as the J1 for CJSOTF-I. Made a lot of great friends and learned a great deal about another side of the service I loved. Keep up the great writing.
Matt, welcome aboard! I just checked out your publication and signed up as well. Looking forward to reading more of your work.