I suppose when we look at people of standing from our past, it is natural to look to your own country and creed. Over time, my outlook has changed, and I think I've become a little more right wing. By that, I mean I'm not as liberal in my views. So I think I look at characters that had to be self disciplined, or what I believed to be so.
Therefore, with that view in mind, I hope you can indulge my choice of favorite characters from history. I'm picking three and will list them for reasons over time.
1. Queen Elizabeth I of England: born 1533 to died 1603
I believe she was a person of exceptional substance and was around at the right time and in the right place. I'm not so sure the Queen would have thought so when she was going through her many trials and tribulations. She must have thought her life was cursed at first. Being thrown into the tower by Queen (Bloody) Mary. The threat of execution hanging over her head. However, she came through this to gain a very unsure thrown of England. Surrounded by many men who wanted her dead. Others that might gain power through marraige to her. Advisors who tried to put, what they believed, the countries best interests at heart. (By finding suiters for her.) She had to become very strong to take on so many protagonists. Then came Mary de Guise who ruled as regent in Scotland. She died in 1560 and then followed Mary Queen of Scots, who also laid claim to the English thrown. When this turbulent trouble was horrendously delt with, it brought about the Spanish Armada. In turn this colossus was defeated too. Looking back, her riegn seems like a complete success story, but it must have been very un-nerving to be in her precarious position. She must have had an iron nerve to come through it all.
2. St Francis of Assisi: born 1182 died 1226
Sometimes you can admire people that you don't always want to emulate or necessarly agree with. By that, I mean entirly agree. However, I think St Francis of Asissi must have been a very tenacious person and it is obvious that he went through an extreme change as a young man. Maybe in this day and age, we might suppose he had a nervous breakdown. I think he was very dissalusioned with the world about him, but I don't think his philosophy of walking about in rags and bare feet with his followers would be constructive for all persons to follow. But again, there is still the word 'yet' in my head and I can't help but admire and be facinated by him. He rocked boats and did form orders that achieved so much in that day and age when he lived and also had great influance after passing away.
During his younger life he took to drinking and womanising and had a very reckless atitude. He joined the military and went to war against Perugia in Italy. He was captured and confined for a year. It is believed that during this time he thought deeply about himself and the world he lived in. Upon release, he went back to his home of Asissi and fell ill. During this time he went through more tortured thoughts on his outlook to the world about him. He recovered and began to become reclusive with his deep thinking. He went to Rome on behalf of the poor and when he came back he took in lepers.
His father began to dispare of him and there was conflict between them, but he remained stubbonly convinced that he was doing something right by embracing poverty.
He gained followers and then moved about the district from town to town preaching. Once again, this time with followers, he went to Rome and got an audiance with Pope Inocennt III who allowed him to found a modest order at first, but of course it grew.
To me, this man is an enigma, because I don't think I would get on with him if I ever met him, but I still believe he must have been an extreamly sincere man - obviously devoted. For these reasons, he intrigues me.
3. Margaret Thatcher
Well I would not mind betting that there are a lot of people shouting "No Way" But then there will be as many appluading. When I was 18 years of age, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of United Kingdom and she gave the country a blooming big kick up the arse. The trouble was, I don't think she always knew when to stop kicking and many of us imagined we had bottoms that were constantly smarting. The reason I have picked Margaret Thatcher is because I am 49 now and I own my house because of her. I did not appriciate it at the time. I thought she was as hard as nails, which she was.
I worked in the Royal Mail (Post Office) throughout the 1980s decade and it seemed to be a rather turbulant time. I remember the unemployment and the clashes with the unions, most notabley the miners strike. Everyone that confronted her was swept aside and I was one of the young who thought she was too harsh.
As much as it pains me to say this, I believe she got more right then she got wrong. I can visulize myself as a young man in his twenties - full of high ideas and morales - being disgusted with this older me, who is writing this. But if I could, I would like to reach down that time corridoor and grab myself by the coller. I'd spit. "You are so full of Bull - you know nothing and she will do you right in years to come." She did, and to be fair on Maggie, she is one I did not appreciate at the time. I think a lot of us secretly miss her. Sometimes undesirable ellements took the country on and I could not have wished such enemies upon a more formidable opponent. (I almost felt sorry for them)
If I could make one complaint to Margaret Thatcher it would be: Why did you steam roller through the Pole Tax without properly reviewing such things. It could have been a good idea if you had taken the many variables of income into the equation. You really did drop the ball on that one and then it was the old "And you to Brutus" from most of your ministers. It all stemed from the Pole tax - I'm certain it did. You could have had a few more years, but for that.
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