In 1964 Nelson Mandela began his prison sentence at Rodden Island, the former site of a leper colony and the insane. For the next 27 years, Mandela would only be known as prisoner number 46664. Day after day for 27 years he labored in a limestone quarry, chipping away at white rock under a bright and merciless sun. Without the benefit of protective eyewear, Mandela virtually destroyed his tear ducts, which for years robbed his ability to cry. Then on February 11, 1990 something surprising happened: Mandela was released from prison.
The world wondered how he would respond. Would he rage at the world and the oppressive system that had him imprisoned? Would he express regret for the suffering his convictions had caused him? Instead, Mandela quietly spoke of the nobility of being able to suffer for what we believe.
"To go to prison because of your convictions," he said, "and be prepared to suffer for what you believe in, is something worthwhile. It is an achievement for a man to do his duty on earth irrespective of the consequences."
