Growing up in the South, nothing seemed as manly for a young boy as some sort of wound. A cut, bruise, sprained ankle, black eye (if you won the fight), or a broken bone were trophies for Southern boys. And, if those laurels were covered in bandages stained with a little blood, or a plaster cast, even better.
Now, the best thing that could happen and to get the most attention, hopefully from a young lady, was for that wound to heal into a permanent scar. Then, you had a story and a “tall tale” to tell. Southerners love a good embellishment.
I have at least two scars. The first caused by a vicious shark bite on a South Carolina beach. Although, it really was only a cut on my forearm from the tail of a surfboard, just requiring a few stitches. The other, a knife wound in my side, inflicted by my villainous, criminally-minded, older brother, who was always jealous of me, which led to a high-speed military police escort to the Navy hospital, saving me from bleeding out in the presence of my hysterical mother. However, I actually just fell out of a peach tree onto a broken Coke bottle, although the military police escort is not an exaggeration. I still have both cherished scars, and narratives grow bigger as the scars grow smaller.
Presently, tattoos seem to be all the rage. They are scars of a sort, and I suppose some have purpose and meaning. My wife has two, and both have deep meaning – one of forgiveness and one of remembrance. Even if it’s a passing fad, there is an affection for this type of scaring. But, there are other types of scars, less sought after, but much more costly.
In the political dissident sphere, there are profound wounds, inflicted with the deepest of cuts. These can be caused by betrayal, usually by those you thought were your friends. These scars can also be abandonment by your family, or those who could not stay the course to see the final victory. Exposure to attack by the enemies of our people, causing great harm, including loss of livelihood, spouses, children, and even imprisonment are Dissident Right scars. There are also deep wounds that can lead to suicidal thoughts and even death. They are mental, emotional, and physical wounds not uncommon to worthy struggles.
These wounds take longer to heal, and are harder to cherish. But, they must be embraced, learned from, and accepted for their purpose. These are the scars that we will show to generations to come, tell great tales about, remember victories and defeats, and immortalize heroes that have borne the deepest wounds. These scars will be the trophies of our struggle, and we will be the better for them.
Scars are what they are,
The breaking of the flesh.
What men treasure most.
Laid open in a painful burst,
Freshly exposed to all.
Scars are what people see,
The joining together of the broken.
What men treasure most.
What is not known in the visual,
But seen by true seers.
Scars are what we hold,
The things we grasp tightly.
What men treasure most.
Held hard fast deep in our souls,
Cherished by their owners.
Scars are what we seek,
The finding of what matters.
What men treasure most.
The treasury of who we are,
Found on heart bloodied parchment.
Scars are what we want,
The truer self reserved.
What men treasure most.
Making our appearance weaker,
Knowing they have made us stronger.
Service to God and honor to the South.
You really had me going about the knife injury 🙂 – Quality as usual.