Carry Your Shield (2 Min Read)

Our current situation reminds me of a story I heard about the Roman legions from Ryan Holiday.

During times of war, the Roman legionnaires had a rule. You could drop your spatha (sword), drop your spear, and even lose your armor, but there was one thing you couldn't drop, your shield.

Dropping your shield in battle was punishable by death. That's how seriously the Romans took their simple shields.

The reason was quite simple. Your spatha, spear, and armor were only there to protect you, but your shield was there to protect everyone around you.

For that reason, it was considered the most potent tool the legions had in warfighting. You carried your shield for the people around you, not for yourself.

I'm sure those shields could become quite heavy during a long and drawn-out battle under the scorching sun in Tunisia. I'm sure they were a burden, and a nuisance as the soldier steadily advanced toward the Sassanids.

Despite the discomfort, the faithful legionnaire never dropped his shield.

Keep in mind, the shields were far from perfect, arrows, and spears still found their way in, people were injured and killed. But, the soldier continued carrying his shield because, despite its faults, it offered meaningful protection to the people he cared about. Those people did the same for him.

The Romans legions understood that caring for those around you, protecting the group first, was ultimately the best strategy to protect yourself. They saw carrying their shield not as a burden, but as their duty to their fellow man.

So yes... Tarrant County is requiring us to wear masks, but we're not going to focus on that. At ProCore, we're going to focus on carrying our shield. Not for our benefit, not because they are a perfect defense against the enemy, and certainly not because it's comfortable.

We're choosing to see it as our duty to those around us, and the community we care about. I hope you will too.