There is a funny thing about courage.
Most people think courage belongs to the brave guy. The tough guy that never seems scared. The one who walks into a hard situation like he owns the joint. Some people are just wired that way.
The real test comes for the rest of us.
The runner or broker who feels the knot in their stomach before they walk onto the trading floor. The school counselors who have to swallow hard before making the tough call, saying the difficult thing, or standing their ground when it would be easier to keep quiet.
That is where the quote comes in.
“The courage of a coward is greater than all else.”
Because when a scared man finds the nerve to stand up and fight, that isn't natural courage, but an earned courage that comes out of nowhere.
It is the kind of courage that shows up at 4:30 in the morning when the alarm goes off and you’d love to stay in bed, but you need to get out to the barn. It is the courage that keeps a father moving when the bills are stacked on the kitchen table. It is the courage that makes a man admit he was wrong or take responsibility when nobody else is willing to.
That kind of courage isn’t flashy. It isn't Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis.
It is more like absinthe in a Sazerac. It isn’t the whole drink. It is just a rinse in the glass. That small touch changes the character of this gorgeous cocktail. I had to sneak that in because it is National Absinthe Day.
Most days we are not heroes. We are just regular people trying to do the next right thing even when we are scared.
And that, believe it or not, might be the bravest thing there is for the single mom, the tired dad, the over worked nurse or the doubting pastor.
Go put your pants on, one leg at a time and leave your cape in the box under the bed.
You Chalkheads are all courageous to someone in your life.
