The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times(40)
Jane chuckled. “He had a great sense of humor, a very British sense of humor.
“And he didn’t hide away from what was going on. During the terrible weeks of the Blitz, when London was bombed night after night, he often went to give words of encouragement to the people sheltering in the Underground stations, people who were shocked by the loss of life, the screams of the injured, the destruction of their homes. He inspired a renewed determination in everyone to go on fighting Hitler to the bitter end.”
Jane told me her memory of the Battle of Britain, about all those young British pilots, joined by those from Canada, Australia, and Poland, in their Spitfires and Hurricanes, who risked their lives day after day; when so many died as they fought the superior strength of the Luftwaffe. It was a decisive moment in the war. Hitler had realized Germany could not gain mastery over the sea until his Luftwaffe destroyed the British air force. And when it became clear this was not happening, and that he could not defeat the Royal Air Force or the morale of the British people, he called the air attack off.
“Churchill’s famous words about the RAF still bring tears to my eyes,” said Jane. “After all the acts of heroism and the tragic loss of young lives—‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’
“So many people died in that war, Doug. Not only in the armed forces but thousands of civilians caught up in the fighting and the bombing. And not just the Allies—the German people, too.”
We were both silent for a moment, absorbing the truth of what Jane had just said and honoring the many who’d died. “Looking back now, what do you think the lasting lesson was that you took from the war once it was over?” I asked.
“Well, it goes right back to what we’re discussing,” Jane said. “I was beginning to understand what people are capable of and how an indomitable determination can motivate and inspire a nation and turn what seems an inevitable defeat into victory; that with courage and determination the impossible becomes possible.”
I paused the recording there and we decided it was time for a quick stretch and a little more coffee. As I refilled our mugs, I noticed Jane was studying the floor where a shaft of morning sun was lighting up the pattern on the carpet. “What are you thinking about?” I asked, starting the recording again.
“I was just thinking about how disaster and danger can bring out the best in people. World War Two created so many heroes, those who risked their lives to save their comrades or their battalions—all those Victoria Crosses for bravery. So many of them awarded posthumously. The resistance fighters, men and women, who went undercover to fight the Nazis in any way they could—and, by the way, many of them were Germans. And when they were discovered, they so often refused to give away the names of others in the network, even when they were tortured. I used to lie awake, feeling sure I would not have the courage to keep silent while my fingernails were torn out, praying I would never be put to the test. And there were all those who risked their lives to help the Jews escape or hid them in their homes. And the quiet heroism of the citizens of London who endured the Blitz and helped each other. They displayed their grit and Cockney sense of humor day after day as their houses were destroyed around them.”
“I think this is always the case—disasters always lead to stories of altruism and bravery,” I said. “I’ll never forget seeing the firefighters running into the flaming, collapsing buildings on 9/11 as the terrified, dust-covered people were running out. Or seeing all the international relief workers rushing to help when there’s an earthquake or devastating hurricane. And during last summer, witnessing all the people battling the wildfires and rescuing the trapped humans and animals in Australia and then California.”
“Yes,” said Jane, “all these stories of heroism, of courage, of self-sacrifice illustrate the indomitable spirit that is so often revealed by danger. Of course, it is there all the time, but so often nothing happens to call upon it.”
“I suppose examples of the indomitable human spirit rallying us to ‘fight the unbeatable foe’ and ‘right the unrightable wrong’ have been with us throughout history.”
“Indeed,” Jane said, “you only have to think of David and Goliath. And another picture comes to mind of that lone man confronting the tanks of the Chinese Army in Tiananmen Square with his shopping bags. Both of those examples seem to symbolize the indomitable courage that is sometimes shown when people stand up against a seemingly invincible force.
“And there are all the indigenous people in so many parts of South America who are standing up against the vested interests of governments and big business as they try to defend their traditional lands from logging and mining. They are prepared to sacrifice their lives, and they often do.”
“It’s true,” I said. “Even as we’ve witnessed horrifying acts of cruelty and self-interest in politics lately, there have always been people who are willing to risk imprisonment, beating, torture, and even death in order to resist tyranny, injustice, or prejudice.”
“Yes,” Jane said, “think of the early suffragette movement in England, led by Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst, when the women tied themselves to the railings outside the House of Commons as they fought for women’s right to vote. And think of the number of people, all over the world, who have tied themselves to trees, or climbed up into the branches, to try to protect a forest from the bulldozers.”