Shu

I would like to introduce you to my hero.
Though there are many real life people whom I admire,
this character embodies the spirit of resilience that I look up to.

This is Shu from a video game and anime series called Blue Dragon.
Japanese games tend to develop a great deal of depth in their characters,
and Shu is one of the strongest I've encountered.

As we define our lifestyle and our purpose, Shu comes to my mind often;
especially when the challenges become seemingly insurmountable.
His mantra is to not give up, ever.

I'm writing about this tonight because we met someone today who told me the same thing.
As we talked about the goals we have for our family and community,
he said don't give up, ever.

I often wonder about all of the back-to-the-land movements over the last five decades,
and why they seemed to fizzle out and never generate the inertia needed to exact a greater change in our culture.
It's the old story of the hippies who turned into yuppies.
Why did they give up?

Today I said that I hoped that our family would persevere and see our goals through to the end.
Our guest told me not to hope.
Hope is for people who look wistfully at an unknowable future.
To act is to transcend hope and forge the future rather than allowing it to unfold without you.

Against all odds you make the future.
Not only do you actualize yourself but your environment with it.
Shu knows that.

It's how I feel everyday.