Quest for Freedom--A Story Of Pure Courage
The Nazis stormed into the house of Stanislavsky Lech, who was Jewish, herded the entire family out at gunpoint, packed them into an overcrowded train, filled with the stench of death and despair, and sent them to Krakow.
Then, before his eyes, Lech saw his entire family shot. Somehow, he managed to live from one day to the next, in a numb, oblivious, zombie-like state. Impatiently, he awaited his own death. But one day, he realized, that his own death was not an unavoidable truth. He could, in fact, do something about it: he could make an attempt to escape.
Once he had made his decision, he didn't know how to execute it. He only knew one simple thing: his decision was irrevocable, and, somehow, he had to find a way to act on it.
As the weeks passed into months, he interrogated his fellow prisoners. "How can we escape?" he would ask. He became a nuisance, an irritation. "It's hopeless," they would echo. "Stop hurting yourself," they would plead. Some would abuse him openly; others would turn away in silence.
In turn, he rejected their answers, their silences, their overbearing despair. There has to be a way, he told himself, and I will find it. This is my revenge: by surviving I will prove that the Nazis aren't invincible and that they don't have complete control of our wills and that they can't do what they like with us.
Each day he would run a dialogue through his head. "Today I choose to escape from this nightmare. I will not continue to be a victim. I will not accept these conditions. I am a man, with rights and dignity, and I will, so help me God, find a way to let the whole world know about what is going on here. I will escape. There is no doubt in my mind. How can I escape today, perhaps right now? There is a weakness in their security.
They cannot watch us every minute. There is something I need to find, and I will find it today, something that I have overlooked, something that will bring me freedom. There is a weak link here, somewhere. I will find it."
The urgency of his question pounded on his heart and mind every waking moment, and it followed him into his dreams.
Then, one day, as dismal as any other, he saw what had been before him all along. The Nazis would let the corpses of naked men, women and children, shot because they were too weak to work in the labor camp, pile up on the ground before a truck would come and haul them away. With typical efficiency, the truck would only come when there were enough bodies to fill it up.
Hiding behind a bush, he stripped off all his clothes, then dived into the mound of corpses. He lay still, pretending to be dead, the nauseating odor of death all around him. He lay there for a day. More corpses were thrown on top of him. He did not flinch. Finally, the truck came. Rough hands pushed his inert body into the truck.
In the truck, many more hours of horror passed. Finally, his body was dumped into an open grave.
He waited until nightfall before climbing out.
The sweet smell of night, the fresh breeze, filled his lungs as he ran twenty-five miles to freedom.
Resource Box
Saleem Rana got his Masters degree in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life
Copyright 2004 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It's a shareware article.
 Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:50:00 GMT Bernanke hints at possible interest rate cut - MarketWatch
MarketWatch - By Greg Robb, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke opened the door on Tuesday for a possible interest rate cut to help rescue the economy from a severe downturn, admitting that the global panic in the financial ... Video: Bernanke signals possible rate cut Bernanke: Economic outlook weaker Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:18:10 GMT Wells Fargo may get lion's share of Wachovia deposits: report - MarketWatch
MarketWatch - By John Spence, MarketWatch BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Wells Fargo & Co. may get as much as 80% of Wachovia Corp.'s deposits, with the remainder likely going to Citigroup Inc., according to a published report Tuesday. Citi, Wachovia, Wells temporarily halt litigation Wachovia shares waver as Citi, Wells Fargo wrangle Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:17:51 GMT Thai Army Sends Troops to Help Police Keep Peace - Washington Post
Washington Post - Thailand's military agreed Tuesday to deploy hundreds of unarmed soldiers to the streets of Bangkok to help police restore order after violent clashes between police and protesters that left at least 1 person dead. Video: Raw Video: Tear Gas Fired at Thai Protestors Troops deployed as one dead, hundreds hurt in Thai protests Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:12:03 GMT Qantas Involved in Another Air Incident - New York Times
New York Times - By Liz Robbins It has been 20 years since Dustin Hoffman’s character Raymond Babbitt in “Rain Man” made Qantas synonymous with air safety, claiming he would only fly the Australian airline because it had never crashed. Qantas passengers arrive in Perth after mid-air ordeal Fifteen badly hurt as Qantas jet drops Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:24:06 GMT Sleuth's Presidential Debate Watch Game - Washington Post Washington Post - Tonight's debate watch games probably won't be as much fun as last week's Palin Bingo. But don't fret, there are still games to be played during this second presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. 'Aggressive' debate expected between McCain, Obama * McCain looks for way to stop Obama's momentum Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:08:21 GMT AIG's ex-CEOs blamed for crisis - CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com - House panel chairman says executives got undeserved riches, while ex-CEOs blame accounting rules and market conditions for leading to $85B bailout. Joe Cassano: The Man Who Brought Down AIG? AIG CEOs Blame Each Other, Accounting for Insurer's Downfall Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:11:18 GMT Cough, Cold Drugs Not for Kids Under 4 - WebMD
WebMD - By Miranda Hitti Oct. 7, 2008 -- Don't use over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold drugs in kids younger than 4. Leading makers of over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold drugs are putting that message on the products' labels, according to the ... Cold, Cough Medicines for Children Get Added Warnings (Update3) Drug Companies Say No Cold Meds for Kids Under 4 Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:48:20 GMT Increase Online Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... "The scars you acquire while exercising courage will never make... Read More We all have those moments, don't we? We're right in... Read More This week is part three of our five part series... Read More Last week we started a five part series on The... Read More Ally Becker came home from school after Varsity basketball practice... Read More I have counseled individuals, couples, families and business partners for... Read More Life is about constant, predictable patterns of change. For the... Read More What if every experience in your life is sent to... Read More A high school senior, looking forward to going to college,... Read More Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 3,... Read More 1. How do I love myself?2. How can I feel... Read More Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 2,... Read More Why do we wait so long, before we start thinking... Read More Think of an adventure that you might like to take.... Read More Lance Armstrong has already proven he is the greatest athlete... Read More Big Fat Lie 1: Your personality is formed and unchangeable... Read More Child abuse is a much more common event, than is... Read More You've probably heard of the popular saying "It's better to... Read More Right now many people are facing tough times. Life as... Read More First, let me share a quote from Ashlee Simpson's latest... Read More There is an old story that tells of a man... Read More I have no idea how it started or who launched... Read More Isn't that an appealing title? How to Have an Effortless... Read More Researchers are seeking to identify how dolphins communicate. Unfortunately it... Read More In the streets of Bogot, a child - named Simon*... Read More
Adsense
websites
Courage That Changes Your Life
Meatballs: Friend, or Foe?
The Seasons Of Life, Part 3 of 5
The Seasons of Life, Part 2 of 5
I Believe in You!
Healing The Abandonment Wounds
The Seasons of Life, Part 1 of 5
The Most Powerful Question Ever Asked?
Tomorrow May be Too Late
A New Strategy
About Self Love
Myth And Reality
Why Does it Take So Long to Slow Down
Live the Adventure!
Lance Armstrong an Inspiration
3 Big Fat Lies that Deserve to Die
Abused as a Child
The True and Magnificent Power of Giving
Triumphing Over Tough Times
Blasting Out of the Shadows: The Power of Your True Voice
Go Ahead, Toss the Starfish!
TIES that BIND
How To Have An Effortless Life
Dolphin Figurines evoke images of wild dolphins: How Do Dolphins Communicate?
A Childs Plight
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Five Minutes Before the Miracle
Even though this article was next on my idea list,... Read More
Fickle Fates
Direct Answers - Column for the week of April 19,... Read More
A Plan Of Attack
Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 28,... Read More
Experiences in My Life Prompted Me to Never Give Up
Many people think that their life is a disaster that... Read More
To Thine Own Self
Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 6,... Read More
Abused as a Child
Child abuse is a much more common event, than is... Read More
The Most Important Investment You Can Make For Your Old Age - And No, Its Not Money!
When I was twenty-two, I was befriended by a woman... Read More
How to Put the Sizzle Back in Your Relationship with These Seven Goal Setting Tools
Goal Setting and Relationships?That is not as weird as it... Read More
Everybody is Somebody
I wrote about my life and all that I have... Read More
Three Bricklayers
The story of the three bricklayers has been around for... Read More
A Teller Of Tales
Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 10,... Read More
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Whoever coined this phrase is a genius. Life finds ways... Read More
Delay Can Reveal Doubts
Confident Expectation! The feeling of 'confidence' is the assurance that... Read More
The True and Magnificent Power of Giving
You've probably heard of the popular saying "It's better to... Read More
Inspiration: Some Things Ive Noticed Along the Way So Far
Let's file this one under the heading of random musings... Read More
Getting Past Those Blah Days
Get It OutWhen something is bothering you, whether be a... Read More
Launch Yourself Into Living
Memorial Day weekend, 2004, found my wife and I along... Read More
Does Your Childhood Hold You Back?
Have you come to a point in your life and... Read More
Food for Thought
We all love picnics. They represent a fun time as... Read More
Taking the Leap of Faith
So often we stop and look at our lives and... Read More
The Bright Side of Loneliness
Recently a romantic relationship came to an end and I... Read More
The Power of Gratitude
When my older son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity... Read More
Accept Every Invitation
How often do you decline an invitation because you have... Read More
The One Thing You Really Want
There is one thing you want...My guess is you want... Read More
Adversity, What Is It Good For?
As I sat down to write this article, I was... Read More
Inspirational |