The Power of Legend

I am 27 years old.

I am a college graduate.

I still sit by campfires on starry nights with a sword in my hands, staring into the flames and thinking about the past.

I remember the stories I was told as a child, and I choose to believe in them. Many of these stories may have been based on real historical figures anyway, so there is no delusion involved. As for the others, I ask the flames "so what if they weren't real?"

George

Arthur Pendragon

Robin Hood

Beowulf

Roland

Whether real or not, these men have been revered as heroes for centuries. Some have been spoken of for over A Thousand Years. Why? What do they matter? Who were they? What did they do that was so important, or so noteworthy, that even now, at this very moment, somewhere there is a father telling his son these stories? His father told him these tales, and his father before him, all the way back to the time of his most ancient ancestors.

G.K. Chesterton said "Fairy tales don't tell children there are monsters; They know that already. Fairy tales tell children that monsters can be defeated." THAT is what these men were, or at least, that is what their stories say they were, whether their monster was a dragon, a fell beast, a tyrannous king, a territorial enemy, or a magical sorceror. These warriors stood up to a challenge and either defeated it for the good of others, or died trying, believing that what they were fighting for was worth dying for. In this way, they became HEROES, and passed into legend, attaining that which all heroes are granted:

True Immortality.

I sit by the campfire at night, gripping the hilt of my sword, paying silent homage to warriors of hundreds of generations past, wishing I could have known them, trained under them, or at least met them.

I also think of the modern heroes: men I look up to as some of the finest warriors on Earth. Perhaps it's simple patriotism, or perhaps it's elitist nationalism, but I don't care. Either way, I believe America is the single greatest country in the history of Earth. I believe America is Stronger, Freer and BETTER than any nation this world has ever seen, and it is for these reasons (among others) that I believe we produce the greatest warriors of our time:

Army Rangers

Force-Recon Marines

Navy SEALS

In the nations of our enemies, people whisper about these people as boogeymen to scare their children. Marines are called Devil Dogs, but they wear the title proudly. Eleanor Roosevelt said "The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale and lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!"

But to return closer to the point, Winston Churchill said "We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." I think of those rough men, and the hundreds of thousands of warriors like them that have come before them, and I tighten the grip on my sword. It is in me too, the lust to fight. To feel blood and adrenalin screaming through my body like an electric current, and feel the razor-sharp edge of my blade bite deep, shearing through the flesh and bone of my enemy in a righteous cause. I want to protect those whom I love, or at the very least, someone who cannot protect themselves, and find themselves an unjust victim of a senseless wrong. Chesterton also said "A warrior fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." This is why I train. This is why I am always armed. "I will not let you steal my life or that of another without a fight, and if you try, I will kill you or die trying."

I feel I am underestimated. This is understandable. I am small, and my attitude lends itself more to smiles than to growls, more to dancing than to fighting. Most of the time, I don't mind. The desire to make people happy and laugh is strong in me, too. I enjoy the thought of being someone's best friend, worthy of their trust and companionship. When I am asked for advice or my opinion I do my best to guide those who trust me enough to ask, and I am honored to be so trusted. A less significant side effect of being underestimated is a tactical advantage. I relish the thought of shocking my enemy as my skill surprises him, and I overcome him because I outsmarted him.

But sometimes...

It really, REALLY gets under my skin when people think I am not capable of doing certain things, or that they are superior to me when they know nothing about my past or training. It's even worse when people think these things even when they DO know. Those are the times I feel I am closest to lashing out in anger, or challenging them to prove their boasts. "I am capable of MUCH more than you think, and I can prove it!" In 2000, I was a National Champion. Since then, I have only expanded my knowledge of martial arts, and I feel I am the better prepared for it.

I have not trained in combat with the sword, but these days, the pistol IS the modern sword. In the Middle Ages, those that could carry a sword DID carry a sword whenever and wherever possible. They practiced with it and kept it sharp and clean, ready for battle at any moment, because they knew that their world was a dangerous one. Our world today is no less violent. Brigands and thieves still lurk in dark shadows, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting, if they draw too close. Murderers and rapists hunt the night with malice in their hearts and weapons in their hands. When my turn comes, I want to be able to say that I surprised them, outsmarted them and overcame them. If killing is necessary, so be it.

My hand tightens on the grip of my sword because I too, want to be a legend. Perhaps, one day A Thousand Years from now, fathers will tell their sons my story.

"Word fame is the coinage we trade, and it's up to you to fill your pocket." -Sir James the Holy.