Sharpen The Blade

The Individualist & Man of Honor

Where do the qualities derive that the individualist, the man of honor, celebrates? They are passed from man to man, father to son. The most awesome responsibility any man faces is to communicate the qualities of an honorable individualist to his son. No matter what may be your life experiences, no matter how often your courage has been tested, any man who is not intimidated by this very grave responsibility only pretends to have the qualities of the honorable individualist

History, mixed with folk lore, has bee used throughout the history of civilized man to teach these qualities. One of the oldest stories is that of William tell, a 14th century Swiss. He was known as brave, unwilling to bow to any man, and cool in the face of adversity. He was also known for his extraordinary skill with a bow and arrows.

At that point in history, Switzerland was under the domination of the Puritans. Gessler, the lord and tyrant of the area, demanded that all of his subjects should bow to his hat which he placed on a pole in the center of town. Tell laughed at the swinging hat and answered that he would not bow even to Gessler himself. A tyrant like Gessler could not allow such conduct as it might catch on with those of less fiber than Tell. Gessler decided to demean Tell. He ordered the police to seize Tell's son. In the public square, with a large crowd gathered, the boy was placed in front of Tell. An apple was put on the boy's head. Tell was ordered to shoot the apple from his son's head or the police would kill the boy. The boy, clearly doing well in his apprenticeship with his father, in the skills of a man, stood straight and tall, cool and brave, as his father shot the apple from his head.

As Tell and his son were to leave, Gessler saw that Tell had another arrow secreted in his coat. Gessler, whose obnoxious bullying qualities were second only to his stupidity actually asked Tell the purpose of the second arrow. Tell, considering all that could have gone wrong a movement by his son, a gust of wind, a tremble in his own hand that would have resulted in his sons' death, replied "Why, for your black heart, Sir, if anything had gone wrong."

As an individualist and an honorable man, Tell would bow to no man. He was cool, calm, and brave under the most harrowing of conditions. More importantly, he had successfully taught those same qualities to another young man, his son.

If you found yourself smiling a knowing understanding smile as you read this, you not only share those qualities, but you either have or are teaching those qualities to an apprentice honorable man, your son.

There is no promise that William Tell will attend the N.T.I. You are promised, however, that you will see a lot of other men who smiled the same smile you just smiled.

	The Individualist & Man of Honor Where do the qualities derive that the individualist, the man of honor, celebrates? They are passed from man to man, father to son. The most awesome responsibility any man faces is to communicate the qualities of an honorable individualist to his son. No matter what may be your life experiences, no matter how often your courage has been tested, any man who is not intimidated by this very grave responsibility only pretends to have the qualities of the honorable individualist History, mixed with folk lore, has bee used throughout the history of civilized man to teach these qualities. One of the oldest stories is that of William tell, a 14th century Swiss. He was known as brave, unwilling to bow to any man, and cool in the face of adversity. He was also known for his extraordinary skill with a bow and arrows. At that point in history, Switzerland was under the domination of the Puritans. Gessler, the lord and tyrant of the area, demanded that all of his subjects should bow to his hat which he placed on a pole in the center of town. Tell laughed at the swinging hat and answered that he would not bow even to Gessler himself. A tyrant like Gessler could not allow such conduct as it might catch on with those of less fiber than Tell. Gessler decided to demean Tell. He ordered the police to seize Tell's son. In the public square, with a large crowd gathered, the boy was placed in front of Tell. An apple was put on the boy's head. Tell was ordered to shoot the apple from his son's head or the police would kill the boy. The boy, clearly doing well in his apprenticeship with his father, in the skills of a man, stood straight and tall, cool and brave, as his father shot the apple from his head. As Tell and his son were to leave, Gessler saw that Tell had another arrow secreted in his coat. Gessler, whose obnoxious bullying qualities were second only to his stupidity actually asked Tell the purpose of the second arrow. Tell, considering all that could have gone wrong a movement by his son, a gust of wind, a tremble in his own hand that would have resulted in his sons' death, replied "Why, for your black heart, Sir, if anything had gone wrong." As an individualist and an honorable man, Tell would bow to no man. He was cool, calm, and brave under the most harrowing of conditions. More importantly, he had successfully taught those same qualities to another young man, his son. If you found yourself smiling a knowing understanding smile as you read this, you not only share those qualities, but you either have or are teaching those qualities to an apprentice honorable man, your son. There is no promise that William Tell will attend the N.T.I. You are promised, however, that you will see a lot of other men who smiled the same smile you just smiled.