The Tough

(Talking in the pub with an older chap I know a little. There was some boxing on the TV on the wall across from us.)

“Tough? You’re asking who’s tough?

“Well I think whoever you are, you’ll have a weakness.

“Knowing that, that’s a big struggle. Learning yourself and living with what you’ve learned – that’s hard. That’s really hard.

“You can act tough but you’ll always be a person. You know. You have to be someone. That means you’ll have weak spots. Everyone’s vulnerable somehow, whatever they say.

“Most likely you try and fool yourself that you’re tough. Maybe you try and fool other people too. Well, that’s you who’s the big fool.

“People who are properly honest, that’s who I respect. People brave and honest enough to seek for truths about themselves, the real truth.

“Someone who’s properly honest about themselves, that’s someone I’d call tough.

“What would be a good photo to show that kind of tough?

“I don’t know.

“Maybe something broken. Something broken but still there.”