Editor’s note: This is an article by Kailey Rhone, one of the newest additions to The Demo Tape staff.
I have a crimson-colored Mirriam-Webster Dictionary on my book shelf. Amongst its pages is the definition for the word “brave.” An adjective, it means “having or showing courage.” In an alternate definition, this five-lettered word means “making a fine show.” The image that is inextricably linked to this particular description is a sword-wielding Aragorn look-alike, cutting down a dragon and claiming victory for his kingdom. Bravery is chivalry, bravery deserves fireworks and fanfare.
But my mind wanders and stumbles upon a few questions: must bravery be a grand gesture performed against the will of one’s less valiant nature? Can one be considered brave even if their actions are seemingly insignificant? How is bravery defined? And must it always be boldly dressed?
The more I used my insecurities as a defense, the more visible I actually became.
When I was in high school my hair was so long that it reached my lower back. As someone who was acutely aware of personal imperfections, I was constantly under the cover of this hair, using it to shield my face away from those I swore were judging me for reasons formulated by my imagination. There came a point, at the cusp of a new life in college, that I second guessed the validity in the choice to hide myself away. The more I used my insecurities as a defense, the more visible I actually became. With the knowledge that my life would soon drastically change, I decided that my hair would too. So I cut it all off, so short that I had been called a boy on occasion. But I heard another comment a number of times, “You were so brave, I could never cut my hair that short.”
Before scheduling the appointment, walking into the salon, and taking a deep breath as the scissors chopped piece by piece, I had never considered getting my hair done “brave.” Brave is dressed in a uniform and being sent overseas. Brave is rushing into a burning building for a helpless family. Brave is arguing for human rights; it isn’t a show of courage to get a haircut.
…Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage…And I promise you, something great will come of it.
Courage is a word that means “the ability to do something that frightens one.” The range of fears is infinite and unique to each individual, and making the choice to overcome them is as hard to make as the actual process of doing so. In a fantastic movie called “We Bought a Zoo,” Matt Damon’s character, Benjamin Mee, says: “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”
I was surprised to discover that I felt no regret after having cut a good twelve to fourteen inches of hair. There was a sense of freedom in having no inhibition as well as no longer having a curtain to hide from the world what I believed was wrong about me. Brave, for me, was defined by my decision to defy my nature completely for the sake of instilling in me the notion that if I could be brave in a short moment, if I could filter all the nonsense built from fear, then something great was possible.
Rather, bravery is a moment of clarity, sometimes, perhaps, a moment of impulse
How can bravery be defined when the experiences of this abstract concept vary amongst all of us? “Brave,” a small word that requires big actions. I have begun to think that this is not the case at all. Rather, bravery is a moment of clarity, sometimes, perhaps, a moment of impulse. But bravery, in all its forms, does not always wield a sword or wear armor. Sometimes it’s dressed in a plain t-shirt and a pair of jeans, on a man or woman just trying to do the best that they can.
