What One Views As Control
What One Views As Control
Lawrence Holloway, in my novel Neighborly Rivalry, is portrayed as a man of great stature, control, intelligence, wealth, and valor. He built a financial empire for himself and passed his legacy down to his son, Richard, to manage the wealth as Lawrence faded into the shadows.
The saying goes: with great wealth comes great power. However, with great wealth can also come greed and corruption—which is exactly what happened under Richard’s management.
Lawrence was aware of Richard’s transgressions but remained silent, leaving the business uninterrupted. As long as the companies continued to thrive, Lawrence would not interfere. But when tragedy struck Richard, the emotion of revenge took control. As a result, the downfall of the enterprise Lawrence created soon followed.
The Illusion of Power
At the end of the novel, we witness Lawrence, now an elder in his seventies, facing a shadow of his former self. The man who built this empire has now lost everything: his wife decades ago, his granddaughter a little over a decade ago, and his son just hours prior.
Now, his financial empire is crumbling as the police make their way into his home. Lawrence had entrusted “control” of his legacy to his son, but Richard lost that control when he lost his wife and daughter.
Lawrence could have let the police take him to spend the rest of his days in prison, but for a man like him, that wasn’t an option. He was not going to let someone else control his every waking hour. Instead, he decided to take back the control he had once entrusted to others and end it all on his own terms.
A Universal Struggle
Control is a funny thing. We all, in one way or another, have control issues, for a better choice of words. Some of us never want to render control over to someone; others don’t know how to hold on to it long enough.
We live in a time of several wars going on now in the East—wars that truly are a result of various forms of control. Some want to control others’ land and minerals; others want to control the financial sector of the world. Others are fighting to protect their country and maintain control of leadership and government.
The Cost of Ego
This mindset of control, especially in its negative forms, has led to global disorder. Everyone, everywhere, is feeling these wars. It boils down to the same issues we saw with Lawrence.
Who really is in control? What really is being controlled? Is “true control” merely a grand illusion we cling to until the consequences of our ego finally catch up with us?
When we act out of a God complex—convinced we are entitled to what belongs to others—we aren’t actually in control. We are simply being driven by the emotions and mindsets of pride and greed that lead to our downfall.
Lawrence Holloway’s story ends in an empty room with a final, desperate act of “control”. It serves as a stark reminder for all of us: whether it’s an empire, a family, or a nation, true leadership requires compassion and consideration. Without them, we are just sitting in the dark, waiting for the door to open.