Recapturing your spirit
The ClubHouse: General Discussions - Jan -Apr. 2001: April:
Recapturing your spirit
Bijoux | Wednesday, April 11, 2001 - 11:13 am  This is the story of David. Right before the start of WWII, David, a young man of 17, and a friend joined the merchant marine. They sailed in the South Pacific, where they also became friends with a young German man. David was an artist, and, as they sailed from island to island noticed the preparations the Japanese were making for war, and sketched them. When WWII broke out the sketches were sent to Washington, DC. David, a Native American, was fluent in Navajo and sent to Europe. (The US transmitted all secret documents and war plans in Navajo - a code never broken by the Axis powers). David was captured by the Germans and tortured. The worst being when his feet were nailed to the floor for three days while additional acts were committed against him. The Germans finally sent him to a concentration camp because, as a Native American, he was not worth being sent to a prisoner of war camp. En route, the German who he had befriended in the South Pacific saw him, and placed him on the train for the POW camp. At the end of the war David was found in the POW camp in a semi-conscience state. The Americans said that he couldn’t possibly be theirs and sent him to Russia. The Russians said he wasn’t theirs and sent him back to the Americans. David spent the next 2 years in a VA hospital going in and out of consciousness. David finally regained consciousness, but was partially crippled and could only walk with heavy braces on his legs. He decided to return to his tribe to say good-bye and to live the rest of his life in the VA hospital. When he arrived the villagers sat him down and had him tell his story. While David told his story, no one else said a word, let just witnessed what he said. For the most part David told his story in a detached manner. The only time he didn’t was when he was describing the actions of one particular guard in the POW camp. This guard would force maggots and raw chicken gizzards down David’s throat while David was too weak to stop him. At the end of the story a council was held about what to do. They led David into a pond, took away his crutches and left him there. They then told him that he needed to call back his spirit because everyone needs a spirit if they are going to survive. The way to call back his spirit was to forgive the people who hurt him. David then imagined a set of strings leading to the individual events that had took a part of his spirit. One by one he went through the events, and as he forgave the people involved, imagined cutting the string. Finally he came to the string that linked him with POW guard. David said I forgive you, and cut the string. Right after he did this, a voice inside his head said David, that was the only way that I could keep you alive. David walked out of the pond and never went back to the POW camp. |
Bijoux | Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 02:34 pm  This was a story that ended up having a profound effect on my life, so I thought I'd share. No interest? |
Moondance | Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 02:44 pm  I am sorry Bijoux ... it hits so close to home and was an emotional read... I had to wait to respond. I am Native American and when I hear these stories about spirit... how powerful we are it is a bit overwhelming. Thank you for sharing... that story will stay with me in my heart |
Norwican | Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 02:45 pm  Sorry Bijoux, it's a wonderful story. I read it yesterday but did not have time to comment at that particular time. I do thank you for sharing it. It's very inspirational. |
Willi | Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 03:52 pm  It's beautiful and touches upon something very important I'm going through right now...Trying to forgive someone who did something heinous so that I can recapture my spirit. Thank you for sharing...It reinforces that one never knows how much of an impact something they communicate can have on someone else. |
Bijoux | Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 05:01 pm  Thank you for the kind words Moon, Norwican, and Willi. Hang in there Willi. I really had to suck it up to do it the first time. Had a hard time overcoming my bias that the other person should deserve it. Just remember, its about being good to yourself. |
Willi | Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 05:55 pm  You are so right...Forgiving someone frees yourself. |
Lancecrossfire | Thursday, April 12, 2001 - 06:02 pm  Bijoux, there are times for me when I have to read and absorb a post; kind of let it crawl around inside of me--this is one of those times. I appreciate you for sharing this, and wonder of I would be able to do this. I hope I don't have to find out. Congratulations for your success. |
Karuuna | Saturday, April 14, 2001 - 06:36 pm  Bijoux -- thanks for posting this. Stories that concern WWII are quite impactful for me, for personal reasons. Now I'll share one of my own. This story was told to me by someone who heard it from a student of this particular professor (at least that's the story!). It's a story that I carry around in my heart, and whenever I'm tempted to give in to my more selfish emotions, I remember it. I'm doing this from memory, so I've probably screwed up some of the details, for that I apologize. It was the last day of the spring semester. The weather was summer hot, and the air conditioning wasn't working in the old meeting hall. The students had already listened to a more than hour long review of all the concepts they'd be tested on during the final. And the professor asked if there were any more questions. A few of the students shuffled nervously, hoping that no one would dare speak up. Of course, there was always one. A rather withdrawn, nerdy and fairly unpopular fellow raised his hand. As 150 other students turned to glare at him, the professor nodded at him and said "yes?" The student paused nervously and then blurted out "Professor, what is the meaning of life?" A 150 other students audibly moaned. Not just a question, but a question that was guaranteed to last another hour! The meaning of life?! The Professor paused for a moment before answering. Then he looked up at the students and told this story. "I was a child in Poland during the Nazi occupation. At that time in our village, there were often small skirmishes on the edge of town between the last remaining resistors and the Nazis who passed thru on their way to other conquests. One day as I was playing with my friends, we heard gunfire and even though we had been lectured by adults to flee and take cover at that sound, we couldn't contain our curiousity and went to have a look. When we reached the area, the local resistance members were fleeing for the forests, and a half dozen Nazi soldiers lay dead. Scared but fascinated, we moved in to pilfer anything of value before the clean up crews would come. One of the Nazis had been on a motorcycle, and his machine lay on the ground by his motionless body. As I approached it, I saw that the mirror of the motorcycle had been broken. Not knowing why, I stooped to pick up the shattered remains of the mirror, as if I planned to piece it back together. Then we heard a shout, and the adults came to chase us off the scene. Before I ran, I slipped a piece of that mirror into my pocket. Later, I took out the broken bit of mirror, and ground down the edges on a rock, until it was smooth all around. And I kept it." At that point, the professor pulled out his wallet, and pulled out an old piece of mirror, with rough, worn edges. He pointed it toward the students, and manuveured it around until he caught a bit of light streaming in from the window. Then he twisted again it just slightly, so that the light reflected on the student who had asked the question. "You see, my friend, we are all just like this. By ourselves, we are just broken bits, like this mirror. But if we stand just the right way, keeping ourselves turned toward the light, any one of us alone can reflect that great light into any dark place, and bring light to it. And *that* is the meaning of life." |
Moondance | Saturday, April 14, 2001 - 06:42 pm  Wow Kar, once again you have blown me away |
Fruitbat | Saturday, April 14, 2001 - 09:36 pm  I love this story Karuuna, thanks. |
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