"...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 . . . "
Sometimes I read your work and instantly have something to say. Sometimes, though, I have to sit with it first. I could see her through your eyes, and I want to know more about her. What does she think about? What does she claim herself to be? What is she capable of? What WOULD she be capable of if someone actually recognized her for what she is? The story reminds me of the girl on the Nat Geo cover so many years ago. Brilliant green eyes and a fierceness that you wouldn't expect. I have nothing to offer in the way of commentary, only more questions. Thanks for the daily cud to chew on. ;)
Yes! These are good thoughts, even more so in that they will be answered but open our eyes to all around us. Thanks for jumping in and getting my own mind spinning, Kit.
Superb writing, Sam! You were in that moment alert enough to perceive in an instant that woman’s nature.
“How was her rebellion possible in a world designed to drown out this light? “
If she had grown up in a more facilitating environment, she would have been a world beater. She won the genetic lottery and lost the zip code lottery. Luck’o’the draw (for those of us who include luck/fate in the “success” algorithm).
You may have read it already but Bing West wrote a book already in 1972 “The Village” which chronicles his 495 days in the “Village” of BEEN KNEE AH) with a Civilian Action Platoon. I served with Gunnery Sargent Lange in Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd MARDIV from January 1979 to July of that same year. He was our Company Gunny. He had been a young NCO in a CAP unit. It was about as down in the grass as you can get. He was very helpful to a very young green 0302 Platoon Commander. Hell of a guy. I am guessing while the terrain and weather were substantially different than Afghanistan, the kind of close contact with enemy and “friendly” were similar. CAP’s were very successful. General Lewis Walt helped to create them and he was a stout defender of the concept and supported them as much as he could as I Corps Commander. Westmoreland hated the idea, was generally of the mind that he was still fighting on the wide plains of Germany in the Fulda Gap, we can only guess at what might have been, if Westmoreland had listened to a real combat leader. Walt had two Navy Cross’s among many other awards and decorations. I knew a Forward Observer (0802) who got in the shit and was calling for everything and anything. He had vivid recall of Lt. General Walt getting on the radio and personally letting him know they were going to give him all they needed and they were going to get them out of the shit. To your point Sam, it is a personal environment. Too many are drawn to the siren song of drones and rockets and sanitary war fighting. We have not progressed far from Omar Bradley’s view of Nuclear Giants and Ethical Infants. They mostly reside in Washington, DC and “think tanks.” Boy there is an oxymoron if there ever one…think tanks… we carry on regardless.
Sam, like you, they were amazingly understated “hero’s”. I would say by 1978/79 any Marine in the infantry staff Sargent and above and Captain and above that I served with at had 13 months in the RVN. Just huge sources of knowledge, practical and otherwise!
That is well framed, Baird. She was a sight to behold, and to your point, what might she have accomplished had she been fortunate enough to be born here? Or maybe it would have inverted—maybe she would never know what she had here. How many here today do not even realize? It is quite the dilemma.
Sam, was thinking same thought, had she won the “zip code” lottery where would she be? Where is she now? There finality in the moment, and still this one will sort of haunt me. I bet that there were Marines and Soldiers from the Vietnam conflict that encountered this same “woman.” After a while it becomes tiresome when the legacy media has nothing good to say or report, everything an angle, and here in a short wonderfully written post we get to the heart of the matter. One fleeting moment of defiance perhaps beauty in a shit storm. You blow me away Frogman….and that is really hard to do to one of the world’s greatest cynics. Cheer up Marine! Things could be worse! So I cheered up! Sure enough things got WORSE! Then I read this post. Grabbed my P38, cracked open the scrambled eggs and ham, lit the heat tab and kicked back.
There is reality and then there is what is talked about by the intellectual class. I prefer boots on the ground... it's dirtier and yet cleaner, more wholesome.
I do like your frequent reminders of how little we appreciate what we have here. I sometimes think about how amazing it is that we can have heat and hot water at the push of a button. That all used to take hours in a day that we now doom scroll away. Better and worse for sure!
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.
Sometimes I read your work and instantly have something to say. Sometimes, though, I have to sit with it first. I could see her through your eyes, and I want to know more about her. What does she think about? What does she claim herself to be? What is she capable of? What WOULD she be capable of if someone actually recognized her for what she is? The story reminds me of the girl on the Nat Geo cover so many years ago. Brilliant green eyes and a fierceness that you wouldn't expect. I have nothing to offer in the way of commentary, only more questions. Thanks for the daily cud to chew on. ;)
Yes! These are good thoughts, even more so in that they will be answered but open our eyes to all around us. Thanks for jumping in and getting my own mind spinning, Kit.
Superb writing, Sam! You were in that moment alert enough to perceive in an instant that woman’s nature.
“How was her rebellion possible in a world designed to drown out this light? “
If she had grown up in a more facilitating environment, she would have been a world beater. She won the genetic lottery and lost the zip code lottery. Luck’o’the draw (for those of us who include luck/fate in the “success” algorithm).
You may have read it already but Bing West wrote a book already in 1972 “The Village” which chronicles his 495 days in the “Village” of BEEN KNEE AH) with a Civilian Action Platoon. I served with Gunnery Sargent Lange in Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd MARDIV from January 1979 to July of that same year. He was our Company Gunny. He had been a young NCO in a CAP unit. It was about as down in the grass as you can get. He was very helpful to a very young green 0302 Platoon Commander. Hell of a guy. I am guessing while the terrain and weather were substantially different than Afghanistan, the kind of close contact with enemy and “friendly” were similar. CAP’s were very successful. General Lewis Walt helped to create them and he was a stout defender of the concept and supported them as much as he could as I Corps Commander. Westmoreland hated the idea, was generally of the mind that he was still fighting on the wide plains of Germany in the Fulda Gap, we can only guess at what might have been, if Westmoreland had listened to a real combat leader. Walt had two Navy Cross’s among many other awards and decorations. I knew a Forward Observer (0802) who got in the shit and was calling for everything and anything. He had vivid recall of Lt. General Walt getting on the radio and personally letting him know they were going to give him all they needed and they were going to get them out of the shit. To your point Sam, it is a personal environment. Too many are drawn to the siren song of drones and rockets and sanitary war fighting. We have not progressed far from Omar Bradley’s view of Nuclear Giants and Ethical Infants. They mostly reside in Washington, DC and “think tanks.” Boy there is an oxymoron if there ever one…think tanks… we carry on regardless.
You've met some heroes. Two Navy Cross's... that is remarkable. Too many incredible warriors from Vietnam will never be known. Thank you for sharing.
Sam, like you, they were amazingly understated “hero’s”. I would say by 1978/79 any Marine in the infantry staff Sargent and above and Captain and above that I served with at had 13 months in the RVN. Just huge sources of knowledge, practical and otherwise!
That is well framed, Baird. She was a sight to behold, and to your point, what might she have accomplished had she been fortunate enough to be born here? Or maybe it would have inverted—maybe she would never know what she had here. How many here today do not even realize? It is quite the dilemma.
Sam, was thinking same thought, had she won the “zip code” lottery where would she be? Where is she now? There finality in the moment, and still this one will sort of haunt me. I bet that there were Marines and Soldiers from the Vietnam conflict that encountered this same “woman.” After a while it becomes tiresome when the legacy media has nothing good to say or report, everything an angle, and here in a short wonderfully written post we get to the heart of the matter. One fleeting moment of defiance perhaps beauty in a shit storm. You blow me away Frogman….and that is really hard to do to one of the world’s greatest cynics. Cheer up Marine! Things could be worse! So I cheered up! Sure enough things got WORSE! Then I read this post. Grabbed my P38, cracked open the scrambled eggs and ham, lit the heat tab and kicked back.
There is reality and then there is what is talked about by the intellectual class. I prefer boots on the ground... it's dirtier and yet cleaner, more wholesome.
Thanks Charles.
I do like your frequent reminders of how little we appreciate what we have here. I sometimes think about how amazing it is that we can have heat and hot water at the push of a button. That all used to take hours in a day that we now doom scroll away. Better and worse for sure!
Enlightening and intriguing. Beautifully written.
Thank you for reading, Dave.
I'm reminded of the old military and police saying, "If they look at your eyes and not your gun, they're a threat."
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.