Martyr to the cause
I will speak what’s in my heart
In the name of love
Many people think of the word, martyr as meaning one who sacrifices himself or herself. Yet that concept was a later interpretation. The original meaning of the Greek word, martys, was of one who bears witness to what he knows or has seen. However, it also came to refer to the fact that someone who is truly committed to the truth would be prepared to die for the sake of truth; thus, a martyr.
Nervous, she closed the door. She reached for the key, started the engine. She looked, expectantly, at the man sitting in the passenger seat.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Drive through the gate and turn left, please.”
She put the car in gear, revved the engine, and started her driving test.
Anger that cannot be expressed in words of single syllables
Spoken with such venom as to frighten e’en the brave
Words, frustration-born and vicious, defamation in their wake
To punish those whose motives are only true and just
Speech that tolerates no mercy with honour cast aside
Respect a mere illusion the upright to deride
Assassinate the character of those who came to help
Creating phantom sickness to cover true intent
Wild accusations flying ‘gainst those who came to rescue
Whose only “crime” is caring, who saved you from yourself
A soap box, neatly positioned to spout specious arguments
Before so-called friends, while victims stay publicly silent,
Protecting the integrity of those dishonouring them
And of those who would suffer most
And why?
Perhaps a need to justify a conscience seared with sin
Perhaps because of jealousy barely hidden deep within
Perhaps because of knowing the ignored advice was wise
Perhaps because the innocent are unable to defend themselves
Brazen conduct masquerades as indignation
Against the protectors of future generations
A challenge thrown down to those who turn the other cheek
Be careful what you wish for, oh would-be assassin
You might just get it
And who will you hide behind, then?
What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done when no one was watching?
I took that journey into myself, that “road less traveled”. And I came out the other side a better person.
If the salary was the same, what job would you be doing right now and why?
I’ve always said that I’d rather have a lower paying job that I enjoy than a higher paying job for which I struggle to get out of bed.
The salary isn’t important. If you don’t like the job, or the people you’re working with, you’ll struggle to get up every morning and eventually the salary will not seem as important and you’ll lose it, anyway.
The reality is that most jobs pay a living wage by law. The real problem isn’t the salary; it’s what we do with the salary. When we overspend, we go looking for a high paying job that we don’t like. Far better to live within the means provided by a lower paying job that we enjoy.
One of the things I’ve learned since I’ve retired is that we waste stress on work. Once we leave, someone else takes over. And they could have taken over long ago if we had left sooner. We are not as irreplaceable as we’d like to think.
So, the salary isn’t the important thing. It’s more about enjoying the life you can afford than striving for the one you can’t.
