WHEN MIND AND STRENGTH HAD GONE

By Peter vuono

(Dedicated to the heroes and victims of Mandalay Bay 10/1/17)


     It is stated in the first chapter of John- "In him was the life and the life was the light of men. and the light shined in the darkness and the darkness grasped it not" It is clear that interwoven in the perfidious carnage foisted upon the innocents of Mandalay Bay,  many lights of bravery shined through the shroud of darkness. People acted as human shields even with strangers. Others used their vehicles as ambulances to transport the wounded. Still others used their own clothing or hands to add pressure to bullet wounds and it gives us hope in knowing that these selfless virtues have prevailed since the beginning of time .
    I once wrote a short tale about an ancient MMA fighter, Polydamas of Satoussa; so strong that he could hold back a horse drawn chariot and kill a lion  with his bare hands. The 6"8", 300lb. Pankratiast, who lived 2600 years ago. held up a cave ceiling that was collapsing just long enough for his friends to escape. He did not survive. However, his spirit and the same fortitude the heroes of Mandalay Bay had shown prevailed and as was predicted in the book of John, "The darkness gasped it not".
   As a kid, one of my favorite books was HG Wells Time Machine. A story which takes place 800,684 years from now. There were two kinds of people, one terribly savage and another peaceful, helpful and intrepid. This second type helped the Time Traveler escape certain death just like Polydamas and the true to life heroes of yesterday. And  it is the heroes and victims of Oct1, 2017 that make me believe the last line of Wells' tale will prevail even 800,000 years from now- "When mind and strength had gone gratitude and tenderness still lived on in the heart of men"