Zen Pencils by Gavin Aung Than for August 02, 2013
July 31, 2013
August 05, 2013
Transcript:
A small boy is shown being beaten by bullies. He returns home to his father who hugs him. The next time he sees the bullies, he has a hammer to defend himself. "Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. " 'Invictus' by William Ernest Henley
With others, I am dismayed at the conclusion of this strip. The point of being master of your fate and captain of your soul is not that you get revenge (especially in that fashion) but that you remain who you are in spite of any circumstances. Many have died “bloodied but unbowed,” and are considered victorious for having done so. Not saying virtue lies in taking whatever is handed out, but in staying true to your best self.