Live Well. Tell No One.
The Field Review: TFR-057
Ernest Hemingway and I never crossed paths in our lifetimes. Thirteen thousand and five days sit between the end of his story and the beginning of mine.
Everything I know about him comes from the stories he wrote, accounts of his life written by others who knew him, and many more who acted like they did. To many, Hemingway is the gold standard of words and masculinity. To me, he was the first writer who turned “a book” into “literature”.
I don’t remember exactly what grade I was in when The Old Man and the Sea was assigned, but I remember the realization that there was a lot more going on in this story under the surface.
The great thing about stories is you get to decide what they mean to you.
It’s not a long book. But in those few pages, I found a quiet, powerful lesson of an old man’s struggle that meant something to me even as a young boy.
I’ve read it maybe ten times since then, give or take a time. And every read, I develop a greater appreciation for my interpretation of the lesson.
The end of The Old Man and the Sea is the part that always sticks with me. The old man is towing his giant marlin back to port when a mako shark takes a forty pound chunk out of it.
In this moment, given the current and how far he is from Havana, the old man knows that more sharks will follow now that there’s blood in the water. He will try to fight them, but the result is inevitable.
By the time he returns to shore, nothing remains but the skeleton. No meat to sell. No trophy to display. No photos to be taken. Just the memory of the fish and the fight it took to bring him in.
“You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him."
You could take that line and apply it to hunting. Or fishing. Or any moment where pride meets purpose. But to me, this section isn’t about fish at all.
It’s about living for yourself, irregardless of what others think.
The old man caught the fish of a lifetime. Fought for it. Nearly died bringing it to shore. No one but him ever saw the full beauty of that fish. All they saw was a skeleton.
But the old man saw it. He was there. He knew what happened. And he didn’t tell anyone.
He didn’t post about it. Didn’t call a friend. Didn’t wake the neighbors or head to the bar to tell everyone what he’d done.
He shouldered his mast and walked it uphill alone. Then he went to bed.
The story was already written. That was enough.
I’ve talked before in The Field Review about my relationship with social media. For years I felt that pull, and the expectation to post and keep people informed of the highs in my life. But lately, I don’t feel the urge to explain myself. No desire to prove anything.
It’s not because life isn’t good. Because it is, it’s never been better. My wife and I are continuing to build a great life with a son on the way.
Honestly, I’ve started to believe that sharing every ounce of that online takes something from it. You can live a good life and keep it to yourself.
“Let him think I am more man than I am and I will be so.”
There’s power in knowing what you’ve done, even if no one else does. There’s strength in knowing that some things are just for you.
You don’t become more by telling people you are. You become more by living like you already are. And if it’s good enough, you don’t need to say a word.
Live well. Tell no one.
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Venture Onward,
Jack
Interesting analysis. I wonder if Hemingway would have vlogged his hunting trips if he could. I think the empty lives of the characters in the sun also rises could also be a prescient criticism of social media’s vast sea of vain influencers. Although, Hemingway was horribly vain too according to his critics.
Nice article Jack, I find that posting online and keeping up to date with everyone else can be a challenge and most of the time I can't be bothered for it. I do prefer the quieter approach, but sometimes feel a need to put myself out there (especially from a business point of view).
How do you balance needing to show up online for your work/business with living a quiet life?
Also, haven't read the book, I will add it to my list.