August 22 is the anniversary of the 1922 assassination of the Irish revolutionary leader who secured Britain’s agreement to an Irish Free State. Sadly, he fell victim to short-sighted comrades who wanted total independence immediately or nothing. Michael Collins was controversial but brilliant, and willing to sacrifice his own life for the benefit of Ireland.
One story which the Collins 22 Society attributes to him is an interesting reflection on the sort of people who change the world for the better versus the sort of people who just sadly or apathetically watch disaster unfold. “The course of life and labour reminds me of a long journey I once took on the railway,” Collins said. “Suddenly, there was a breakdown ahead, and passengers took the event in various ways. Some of them sat still resignedly, and never said a word. Others again, went to sleep. But some of us leaped out of that train, and ran on ahead to clear the road of all obstructions.”
Of course, all of us would like to think that we are the heroes, the sort who run to clear the road, though if you’re like me, you might have discovered through a car accident or sudden death that planning how to handle crises and how one reacts in a split-second moment of catastrophe are two different things. The good news is every single person can be a hero, either in a small way or a large way.
Even those of us who are not naturally daring or automatically galvanized into action can practice for such actions. Indeed, America and Ireland both exist as independent nations precisely because thousands or even millions of ordinary people committed themselves to fighting for freedom over many years.
Some of us have to take ordinary and unglamorous but still necessary actions, such as helping friends and family sign up to vote, standing up to bosses and coworkers who are woke radicals, attending rallies against tyrannical policies, speaking at school board meetings, contributing to disaster relief, volunteering at church, educating kids, and canvassing for patriotic candidates.
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Then there are exceptional events, by which I mean that only some people experience them — such as mass shootings, major car accidents, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and wars. Only a very small percentage of men receive a Medal of Honor, a Purple Heart, or a Presidential Medal of Freedom. But there are still countless unsung heroes who win wars, rescue and rebuild during natural disasters, help accident victims, or provide emergency aid to strangers in a shooting or stabbing. Perhaps the perfect quote for such men is Adm. Chester Nimitz’s description of Iwo Jima Marines and sailors, “Uncommon valor was a common virtue.”
The point is that only individuals who are willing to take on some risk and face problems head-on will ever change the world for the better. If everyone sat resignedly or went to sleep every time there were a breakdown, no one would ever complete a journey. And if America, Ireland, or any other country wants to see major reform and revitalization, it must have hundreds of thousands of citizens willing to step up to the task.
