9/5 Class

Today during class, we went over the real meaning of "A Message to Garcia." This piece of text was published as an inspirational essay in March of 1899. This specific piece of text was reprinted as a pamphlet and a book due to its popularity. It sold over forty million copies and it was translated into thirty-seven different languages. Also, this short story was made into two movies. One which was created in 1916 and another in 1936. This text was so popular that it had a slang expression, "take a message to Garcia" which meant get-it done and take the initiative. The backstory to this short story is very interesting. This took place in a Spanish-American war. Garcia, was a revolutionary who was seeking independence from Spain. Rowan was an army officer who graduated West Point in 1881. McKinley, who was the 25th president of the United States of America who was assassinated in his sixth month of his second term by an anarchist. The main message from "A Message to Garcia," is 'The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honors, but for one thing. And that is the initiative. What is the initiative? I'll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told.' The Greeks came up with a word for things that leads us from initiative to excellence. That word is Areté. This means you hold excellence of any kind, has moral virtue and mostly, the act of living up to ones full potential.