Just a Man

 

Summer is winding down (feel free to boo and throw tomatoes). This means someone is about to throw a switch that turns my “other life” as a teacher–and a more regular blogger–back on.

What better way to kick off this season than with a story from history (one of many I’ll be spending the next 9 months boring highschoolers with)?

Marcus Aurelius ruled Rome from 161 AD to his death in 180 AD (but he kinda gets the shaft because Caesar’s name is the one that always ends up in lights).

My favorite Marcus Aurelius story? As the legend goes, he hired a servant to follow him as he walked the empire’s streets. Every time a citizen bowed to his or her knee or called out some compliment or word of praise, Marcus Aurelius instructed the servant to whisper in his ear, “You’re just a man. You’re just a man.”

He also had a quote that belongs alongside Abraham Lincoln’s claim that “the best way to test a man’s character is to give him power.” Marcus’ version: “Wrestle to be the man philosophy wished to make you.”

Every time I hear the story, I think three things:

1. I want to have that perspective.

2. I want to nurture the kind of friendships that offer the balance of that servant’s words.

3. I ALSO want to be the kind of servant who follows the leaders who AREN’T necessarily getting the accolades they deserve. I want to whisper a reminder to them, “You may be just a human, but what you’re doing is significant. You may be just a man, but your life and vision matter.”

I want to be the kind of person whose heart recognizes talent and worth, even if the crowd isn’t applauding.

Know what I mean?