Fill the Stage

Daniel Dignan

Fill The Stage

“Character is Destiny”

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Archives for June 2025

Archery

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Archery is an old military art that was used by ancient armies, including those of the Greeks. Perfected by Teucer in Homer’s Iliad within the Trojan War, it was one of the first long-distance personal-use weapons. Greek heroes, such as Hercules and Odysseus, employed bows and arrows in warfare, with the latter using them in defense of his home and family.

In modern times, fictional characters like Robin Hood and J.R.R. Tolkien’s elven hero Legolas have popularized the bow. Today, archery is an Olympic sport, and thousands of people compete in tournaments and clubs worldwide.

Archery is great for developing hand-eye coordination and can be an exciting and fulfilling activity to learn. If you’re interested in learning, I recommend looking up archery clubs in your area. An introduction lesson should include basic safety, equipment instruction, and shooting technique. Shooting an arrow requires deliberate practice; my instructor said there are 14 steps to it.

Also, you’ll need to select a bow type; several options are available. Olympic bows are different from bare bows or traditional long ones. (I recommend taking an introduction lesson before you buy equipment.) Some of the best equipment is made in South Korea, where many young people enjoy and compete in the sport.

Even if you decide archery is not for you, it’s worth trying. If you take a few lessons, you will get the feel of it, build your confidence, and increase your knowledge of the sport.

As you learn the ropes, keep this video in mind. An archery master named Lars Anderson has reminded us what archery in combat might have been like thousands of years ago.

Robinson Crusoe

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Shipwrecked near an island, Robinson Crusoe is on the knife-edge of death. He nearly drowns swimming to shore, struggles ot salvage supplies, builds a fortress, grows food, notches the passage of days on a piece of wood, and hews a boat using crude tools. Not knowing if he would ever return home and realizing that his life had changed forever, he finds peace and happiness in unexpected ways.

The story is unforgettable. I felt like I was on the island with Crusoe, struggling to survive. It made me wonder if I could do what he did. Could I grow food and improvise to stay alive?

The book has sold millions of copies and has inspired other famous stories, such as The Swiss Family Robinson, and movies like Cast Away.

The story is enjoyable to read and is filled with wisdom, revealing the importance of parental counsel, diligence, contentment, and gratitude. One of the most potent scenes, something I will never forget, is the scene of Crusoe nearly drowning, trying to swim ashore. Another is his epic effort to build a fortified house. His agony and diligence are things I won’t forget.

Crusoe’s difficulties transform him forever.

I recommend buying a book version with the N. C. Wyeth illustrations.

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The Tale of Troy

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This adventure story, by Roger Lancelyn Green, is a short retelling of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, two of the greatest epic stories ever told. The Iliad is about the Trojan War; the Odyssey is about a husband’s struggle to return home. This short book offers a retelling of both, but it also provides background and additional details not found in Homer’s works.

Green was a friend of C.S. Lewis and encouraged him to publish The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He’s known for retelling classic stories and myths, such as in Tales of the Greek Heroes. He uses primary sources on the great Trojan War and its heroes and main characters, such as Agamemnon, Menelaus, Paris, Helen, Achilles, Hector, Ajax, Aeneas, Odysseus, Telemachus, and Penelope.

I read Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey before I read this book, but that is not necessary. This book will help you learn about Homer’s stories, and it does so in an enjoyable way. However, I do recommend reading the Iliad and the Odyssey when you are in high school.

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Tales of the Greek Heroes

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Every civilization has ancient stories and tales that part history and part myth. They pass on what ancient peoples believed to be essential for future generations.

Many of the West’s ancient stories come from Greece and Rome. The Greco-Roman stories include tales of gods and heroes, such as Prometheus’ gift of fire to humanity, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Hercules’ labors and battles against the giants. The stories help us understand what the ancient Greeks and Romans valued and wanted to be remembered for. They also help us know what has influenced the West and our own lives.

The Greeks highly valued physical strength, courage in war, and hospitality. They believed that truthfulness, work, marriage, family, and one’s city are sacred. Finally, they believed in a supernatural world, sin, and the need for atonement.

Many lessons can be learned from the ancient tales: curiosity does not always lead to a good end (Pandora’s box); a happy marriage requires more than attraction and emotional attachment (Jason and Medea); individual persons have dignity and should be treated with respect (Procrustes’ bed); our desires can cause us to do bad things that lead to destruction (Siren’s call); and the road to greatness requires enormous self-sacrifice (Hercules’ labors).

Roger Lancelyn Green’s Tales of the Greek Heroes entertainingly retells the ancient stories. He is an excellent writer and does a great job weaving the tales into a unified narrative.

These stories provide background for two of the most famous Greek tales, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

Prince Caspian

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Over one thousand Narnian years after the events in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the children are called back to Narnia. They find themselves in a place they do not recognize, near an old, deserted castle. A dictator rules Narnia, one who no longer believes in the old creatures or Aslan.

However, a young Narnian prince, named Capsian, still believes in Aslan. He is being educated in the ways of leadership by a half-dwarf named Cornelius. One day, he will become king in place of the dictator, his uncle. But suddenly, everything changes, and he must flee for his life. At this point, the most exciting adventure begins.

This story is about the loss and regaining of what is true and good. We see the talking creatures who still believe in Aslan but are in hiding, and those who do not accept the truth and seek to destroy the old beliefs forever. A great battle looms, and the question arises: will Caspian, the young prince, survive, or will Narnia forever sink into darkness?

C.S. Lewis’s imagination and the surprises he weaves into this story are shocking: dancing trees, celebrations, a duel, and a heroic mouse. A young leader’s training and struggle to act wisely and courageously are on full display. This is a page-turning story of leadership and the source of happiness.