This image caught my attention yesterday. And it begged introspection.
It was taken somewhere in Hamburg in 1936. The details of exact location and occasion are relatively insignificant: The context is crystal clear. The audacity even clearer.
I stared long and hard at this faded photograph:
The claustrophobic crowd;
The unified movement;
The blind adoration of a skewed ideal;
The undeniable malleability of the human mind.
And the scandalous presence of single-minded courage in the midst of it all.
Scandalous.
Single-minded.
Courage.
It does not equal keeping in step with the masses.
It does not equal disregarding the masses.
Nor does it equal railing against the masses.
It is the tenacious decision to stand
Independent from the masses,
While remaining in the midst of them.
That is courage.
***
*I’d be remiss to not credit the name of this man: Mr. August Landmesser, the impact of your audacious acts of courage has outlived you. Thank you for the inspiration to do likewise.
I love this photograph. Thank you for sharing it.