At his hanging, Edward “Ned” Kelly of Australia said, “Such is Life.”
His journey to the gallows in 1880 started when he shot Constable Fitzpatrick, an officer who was attempting to arrest Ned’s father for stealing horses. Ned was supposedly also angry that the constable was romantically pursuing his sister. So, there was Ned, now a criminal of his own making, on the run.
With some friends he fled into the bush, where four policemen encountered him at Stringybark Creek. Ned killed three of them. The killings made him both infamous and famous. For the upper class, Ned was a common criminal and murderer. For the lower class, he was an incarnation of Robin Hood, a guy who defended his family. Like Robin Hood who fought the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and who fled into the forest, Ned and his followers posed a threat from the bush.
The story even turns a bit more medieval-like. Ned fashioned some iron armor to wear. However, in a gun battle in the town of Glenrowan, his armor failed against bullets, and Ned was captured. Ned stood trial, was condemned to death, and was hanged. That’s when Ned uttered his, “Such is life.”
No, Ned. Life doesn’t have to be “such.” Yes, there are extraordinary circumstances; sometimes we encounter what we would ordinarily avoid. But, Ned, we make life—that is, we make “a life.” Maybe you should have said, “Such is my life.” You pulled the trigger. You fashioned the armor. You became the criminal. Such was your life.
We don’t have to be folk heroes and outlaws like Ned to say to ourselves, “Such is my life. What am I making it?”
His journey to the gallows in 1880 started when he shot Constable Fitzpatrick, an officer who was attempting to arrest Ned’s father for stealing horses. Ned was supposedly also angry that the constable was romantically pursuing his sister. So, there was Ned, now a criminal of his own making, on the run.
With some friends he fled into the bush, where four policemen encountered him at Stringybark Creek. Ned killed three of them. The killings made him both infamous and famous. For the upper class, Ned was a common criminal and murderer. For the lower class, he was an incarnation of Robin Hood, a guy who defended his family. Like Robin Hood who fought the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and who fled into the forest, Ned and his followers posed a threat from the bush.
The story even turns a bit more medieval-like. Ned fashioned some iron armor to wear. However, in a gun battle in the town of Glenrowan, his armor failed against bullets, and Ned was captured. Ned stood trial, was condemned to death, and was hanged. That’s when Ned uttered his, “Such is life.”
No, Ned. Life doesn’t have to be “such.” Yes, there are extraordinary circumstances; sometimes we encounter what we would ordinarily avoid. But, Ned, we make life—that is, we make “a life.” Maybe you should have said, “Such is my life.” You pulled the trigger. You fashioned the armor. You became the criminal. Such was your life.
We don’t have to be folk heroes and outlaws like Ned to say to ourselves, “Such is my life. What am I making it?”
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