Courage is not a concept that can be taught. It can be fleeting, present in a moment of sheer terror like trying to stop on ice, or part of the character that identifies one individual from another. To be courageous is not easy. It can take a lifetime of experience before one feels courageous enough to step into the river at flood stage.
Having interviewed people who were said to be courageous and scenes where courageous acts occurred, I think it is quite clear that one of the prerequisites for courage is modesty. Friends and family will salute and sing the praises of a person who demonstrates courage. Their voices are often loud enough to herald the act and raise the hero. The hero, however, is modest, praising others who helped and declining the well-earned praise.
Dialysis is hard on a body. Because the kidneys are no longer working, many chemicals and processes that are found in a normal person’s daily life are no longer working. Thanks to machines, most of these problems can be mitigated, allowing the person with the illness to contribute to the community over many years. One learns patience, perseverance and perspective when dealing with this problem. Yet at times, the proverbial question “Why me?” will come to mind. In these dark moments, courage is often the only succor one will find.
Peggy [Smythe] fought a long and hard battle against kidney disease. Friends and family cheered her on and she worked tirelessly to help others work to improve their own lives. Through catastrophes large and small, she strove to brighten the day and lighten the burden all dialysis patients face. By example, she demonstrated how deep the well of courage can be. This gracious gift pays for a future for others who will have to face many of the same issues. Well done.
Oft there are moments when people are asked to be courageous. It is to the individual that the task falls to find courage. When and where it may be cannot be foretold. It is the part of a person that defines character: a selfless act of rescue; a moment of cheer on a bleak horizon of despair; unexpected acts of charity and kindness; and selfless love for the people who are beside one on this road — these are moments when courage comes alive and gives all of us pause. It is in that moment that we find beauty. Clouds clear off and skies open to fields of sunshine and blue.
These are precious moments to memorialize and remember the humble power of a singular act. This is courage.
Orpheus Allison is a photojournalist living in The County who graduated from UMPI and earned a master of liberal arts degree from the University of North Carolina. He began his journalism career at WAGM television later working in many different areas of the US. After 20 years of television he changed careers and taught in China and Korea.
