The Story of the Hurricane
October 25th 2006 11:40
Earlier this year I read the biography of a man named Reuben Carter, a man also known as the Hurricane. He has been many different things. Boxer, soldier, philosopher, mystic and leader of men. His life is quite a remarkable tale, well worth reading of.
I think the main thing I got out of this book (aside from a deep offence at the movie which originally I quite enjoyed but now dislike not because of the performances, but because of the way some of the story ws told) was the fact that I could relate to the main character, a real man. Funnily enough, I've never read too many biographies (I guess the Bible counts, though I rarely conciously think that way) but after this year, having read a couple, I think I will start to read them alot more often.
Reading it, I could see parts of myself in Mr Carter. His anger, his general dislike of people, his insecurity and urge to prove himself through a physical means touches part of my own life. He did boxing, I did martial arts. Both of us built a confidence on how well we could kick ass (this being said though, I have no illusions about my abilities; I was only ever an amateur when it came to hitting people in interesting and creative ways) and how we could deal with conflict with others. Usually by being nastier than they were (I was a fairly nasty SOB through highschool and some of it is still there, not much of it, but some of it).
But it also showed me how dramatically a man could change, and change for the better. He did pretty well begin life as an asshole, but he matured dramatically. His time in prison actually helped him become a better person. It changed the shape of his heart. He went from a hating, angry, insecure brawler to a man determined to see love and virtue spread where he went. He went from a man that prized his physical gifts to a man that saw into his own spirit. There is one quote that I absolutely loved:
"After all that's been said and done - the fact that the most productive years of my life, between the ages of twenty nine and fifty, have been stolen; the fact that I was deprived of seeing my children grow up- wouldn't you think I have the right to be bitter? In fact, it would be easy to be bitter. But it has never been my nature, or my lot, to do things the easy way. If I have learned nothing else in life, I've learned that bitterness only consumes the vessel that contains it. And for me to permit bitterness to control or infect my life in any way whatsoever, would be to allow those who have imprisoned me to take even more than the twenty-two years they've already taken. Now, that would make me an accomplice to their crime - and if anyone believes that I'm going to fall for that....then they are green enough to stick in the ground and grow!"
JoshZ
I think the main thing I got out of this book (aside from a deep offence at the movie which originally I quite enjoyed but now dislike not because of the performances, but because of the way some of the story ws told) was the fact that I could relate to the main character, a real man. Funnily enough, I've never read too many biographies (I guess the Bible counts, though I rarely conciously think that way) but after this year, having read a couple, I think I will start to read them alot more often.
Reading it, I could see parts of myself in Mr Carter. His anger, his general dislike of people, his insecurity and urge to prove himself through a physical means touches part of my own life. He did boxing, I did martial arts. Both of us built a confidence on how well we could kick ass (this being said though, I have no illusions about my abilities; I was only ever an amateur when it came to hitting people in interesting and creative ways) and how we could deal with conflict with others. Usually by being nastier than they were (I was a fairly nasty SOB through highschool and some of it is still there, not much of it, but some of it).
But it also showed me how dramatically a man could change, and change for the better. He did pretty well begin life as an asshole, but he matured dramatically. His time in prison actually helped him become a better person. It changed the shape of his heart. He went from a hating, angry, insecure brawler to a man determined to see love and virtue spread where he went. He went from a man that prized his physical gifts to a man that saw into his own spirit. There is one quote that I absolutely loved:
"After all that's been said and done - the fact that the most productive years of my life, between the ages of twenty nine and fifty, have been stolen; the fact that I was deprived of seeing my children grow up- wouldn't you think I have the right to be bitter? In fact, it would be easy to be bitter. But it has never been my nature, or my lot, to do things the easy way. If I have learned nothing else in life, I've learned that bitterness only consumes the vessel that contains it. And for me to permit bitterness to control or infect my life in any way whatsoever, would be to allow those who have imprisoned me to take even more than the twenty-two years they've already taken. Now, that would make me an accomplice to their crime - and if anyone believes that I'm going to fall for that....then they are green enough to stick in the ground and grow!"
JoshZ
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Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
The champion of the world..."
Bob Dylan
Comment by Josh Z
Comment by Josh Z
Apologies to all concerned.