COURAGE
Word of the Week for 3/16/2020 by Jordan Thomas, GMC Prep Cadet
Courage has always been with me but on one day in particular, my courage was tested to its greatest lengths. It started as a normal day in Milledgeville. My family and I decided to go to the river with friends to swim. It had rained a lot the previous days and the river had risen more than we thought. My brother, some friends, and I started swimming and playing in the water. We were all laughing and having a great time, but then, all of a sudden, I saw my brother get caught by the fast current. I had to act quickly or my brother would have been swept away; I dove for him and tried to pull us both back to the shore. The current was too strong for me and I immediately begin being swept downstream as well. Although it seemed like an eternity, we were only in the water for about thirty seconds before a stranger acted. He jumped in saving us both.
When I think about that day, I think of the courage it took a “Good Samaritan” to rise to the occasion and act. There are many ways in which one can think about the word “courage”. After experiencing what could have been a very tragic incident for my brother and me, I believe that courage also means to give of oneself even if that mean risking your own life for another. This man did not even know who we were but made the decision to jump in and save us demonstrating what true courage is.
This moment in my life has been with me for a long time, and I think about what if I didn’t try and save my brother, would he still be here today. I am glad that I can say that I had the courage to jump in and try to save my brother. This man who saved us is a true example of courage. He didn’t have to do what he did but it’s the fact that he did it without thinking of his own life. The word honor means an utmost respect for something or someone. I try to honor this man everyday by exhibiting his courage on that dreadful in my everyday life. Courage is something that we all have and simple displays of courage can show a person’s true character.
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