It would be easy to make an ass of myself trying to say something profound on the passing of Nelson Mandela, But I know enough to know, at the end of the day, how little useful I can say about him.
So I will try not to do it and instead keep things short. What I really want to say is that I am glad to have lived in the same time as a man who was a genuine moral force and who had genuine moral character.
He was a great man, with all the complexities they possess. And he changed the world. My thoughts to my South African friends. Category: Uncategorized. This was a man who, given the chance for revenge against those who had wronged him and millions of others, decided that the best course was not revenge, was not payback, was not even the legal system, but rather something new: forgiveness in exchange for utter honesty.
This took more moral courage than I could ever dream of having. We have lived in the time of greatness. The loss feels so personal. Maybe because there are few people in real life who are truly that good, that noble, who are also effective leaders; who really changed the world for the better.
It sounds weird, but thinking about Mandela always made me feel joyous and grateful; the fact that he was in the world and just by existing was a challenge to be larger-minded, to be a better person. I agree with CaseyL. It is saddening when someone of his quality departs from this life. A true example of the best of us. May he never be forgotten. O Captain! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
