He’s very famous. Skater kids and hipsters are representing
him well.
But I’m pretty sure they have no idea who he is and what he stood for.
Who he is in the states is completely different than who he
is in Nicaragua and the rest of Latin America.
I found it interesting when I was on my way to Ometepe Island
in Lake Nicaragua, that the ferry was named after him. A potent statement for
public transportation, I thought.
Che Guevara.
I was delighted to have a conversation with a man on a
chicken bus the other day about him, too… “His picture is everywhere, and
people have no idea what he did. He was a &@#$ murderer, man!�
David, the man I was sitting next to, lived in Miami as a
kid. And I was overjoyed, after he tested my Spanish, when we dove head first
into Nicaraguan politics (in English, praise God). Despite profanities
accompanying every sentence, David had such knowledge and insight. A man that
knew the facts…not just what people wanted him to know or understand. I sat in
the corner of the bus and listened to all the things I was never taught in high
school and college. Really freaking interesting stuff, y’all! The history of
Central America is crazy. And their history, like anyone’s, is affecting the
current status of the country as a socialist nation.
But I’m not here to talk about politics. Well, not
necessarily.
I’m here to talk about courage. Courage as I’ve come to
understand it after my conversation with David.
He told me story after story of men that have come into
power in Nicaragua after going to Harvard and West Point. Also, men coming to
Nicaragua killing natives and creating a situation where the natives were
killing each other, all because of an ideology of a person or group trying to
enforce their idea.
That story isn’t new. And it’s not just the story of Nicaragua.
Let’s get real…it’s the story of pretty much every tribe and tongue.
One of the last things David said before we hopped off the
bus was, “yeah, but I just smoke a joint and drink a beer. I can’t change the
world.�
And I told him I didn’t think that was true of him. Inside I
wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, in all honesty. Because I believe we
can change the world…
Men like Che Guevara have changed the world. They have left a
legacy. It’s true…
But what a spinelessness legacy to leave behind.
Anyone can grab a gun and shoot a man standing in their way.
Anyone can manipulate a group of people with smooth and persuading words.
Anyone can lead a group of people to accomplish for themselves their selfish
desires.
But what a crap is that?
Valor.
Integrity.
Men standing on those things…that’s courage.
A man that can figure out how to solve problems with his
mind and discernment, that’s courage.
A man that truly stands for the honor and betterment of the
people, not his own aspirations, that’s courage.
I’ve been faced with this a lot lately. Getting angry and
retaliating is so much easier than taking the time to completely understand a
situation and going at it properly to diffuse emotion. A solution is always
possible. It might mean giving up what you think should happen, which also
means you have to actively listen to the other side to come to an agreement.
Mankind is so quick to bring things to an abrupt end when they see that they
won’t get their way. That leaves the other person unheard, angry, and bitter.
Most of the time they react in a spiteful way…thus perpetuating the problem.
Y’all let’s use our brains and hearts to diffuse situations.
There would be a lot less war that way…
It’s time for red-hot hearts. It’s time for ice-cold brains.
It’s time to change the world.
