I was almost 4yrs old when the family and I sat in front of the t.v. to watch The Wizard of Oz.

I must admit that the Cowardly Lion had me all confused...."Is he one of 'those'?? Why's he wearing a bow???"

Ah....that damned lion....I thought he was gay.

But now that I'm a lot older; a little (a little) more mature I actually feel a great depth of conviction when I watch the character of the Cowardly Lion.

I've come to learn, in my oh so humble and young life, that courage almost doesn't exist--or to word it better: courage dose not exist for a person until after the fact. No one has really exemplified courage until they have taken the initiative to conquer their fears.

I mean, think about it: you've got this lion that's practically afraid of everything, and yet the sissy manages to see himself thorough all kinds of strange trials; all to gain courage, and to help his friends. Is that not the definition of courage in it's most simple form? To endure and overcome what you are afraid of, especially for the sake of others? The same points can be seen in the character of Don Quixote as well.

This is why things like courage and other virtues are said to be earned. They don't just appear in your character when you decide that you're ready to incorporate them into your reputation. They are introduced to your character in the face of all that that opposes such virtues, and embedded there after you've overcome them even at the cost of great suffering and or sacrifice.