A Small Bang

     The beginning is multiplicitly the easiest and hardest thing to achieve. It sets the boundaries and establishes the foundation that all future work will  rest upon. As the guilds of medieval Europe enforced, the masterpiece marked the beginning of a man's independent career to which all his other work must either match or surpass. The beginning remains, nonetheless, the first stone placed which opens up the full range of possibilities. Alternatives are viable and characteristic distinctions are, as yet, undefined. The enthusiasm of the outset holds the enticing mystery of freedom, openness, and allowance. Thus, I will start at the beginning as all things must.

     Two things should prompt a man forward through life. 


     The first sets the limits for that life and is recognized as the provider and arbitrator between a man and his woes. The deity of a man's life, that eternal being lending encouragement and support while supplying tests and obstacles to challenge even the strongest and bravest, this God deserves a hat-tipped his way. Pia pium, godliness, reflects the purpose of existence and the path that is traversed over a lifetime. However, even as we strive to become more godly in word, thought, and action, these words, pia pium, reflect a much deeper meaning in conduit. Holy. Pious. Honest. Patriotic. Dutiful. 
     Each of these words describes a small, yet necessary, cornerstone to the foundation of the phrase and is a part of its origin from the beginning. Holiness, to be set apart for a sacred purpose, defines a man's life as distinct, unique, and purpose-filled. Piety, religious steadfastness and conviction, cherishes religious and traditional ideals within. Honesty, truth and integrity, praises a man who confronts the reality before him, unwavering regardless of challenge. Patriotism, the love for and recognition of your community and culture above that of yourself, requires fine-tuned priorities to develop the rightness of emotion and reason in every aspect of life. Patriotism ties closely with duty. Duty, to do what needs to be done even when obstacles extract high costs, is nearly synonymous with sacrifice. 

"The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training - sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when He created man in His own image. No physical courage and no brute instinct can take the place of the Divine help which can alone sustain him. (Gen. Douglas MacArthur)"

     Although not a technical derivative, the perfect word to summarize and define pia pium is sacrifice. God sacrificed to give you life, physical and immortal. Following religious, national, and cultural ideals always involves sacrifice of self. Duty, a higher calling, often involves the sacrifice of life. Duty for family, a father's love. Duty for country, the defense of those you love against a great threat. Duty for religion, involving ostracism from society and potentially martyrdom. Sacrifice is one of the highest callings of a man's life.
     The second supplies the internal motivation for a man to prioritize and achieve. A strength hidden not only within his physical form a but also within the character of the man himself. This is what pushes a man forward through depression, the desperate charge, ultimate ruin. This is the gut-wrenching urge to never quit, never be subdued, and to maintain control over his surroundings. Virile agitur: manliness. A more accurate translation is "the manly thing is being done." A true man cannot sit by and watch the world change around him quietly. He constantly reacts and exerts himself in a way that is distinct and forceful. Suck it up and do what needs done. Period.


     Two things should direct a man forward through life: Godliness and Manliness.


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Agatha Tyche