Who are your heroes or heroines?
Hey rebels,
I read somewhere that people feel there aren’t any real heroes any more. I don’t agree.
About two years ago, I went to the wake of an elderly relative. The man’s son-in-law gave one of the most beautiful unscripted speeches I’ve ever heard. He told us that his father-in-law had been an “everyday” hero to him because of his devotion to his family. It changed forever my own definition of a hero.
Before that wake, I thought a hero had to be someone who ran into a burning building or something else extraordinary. I know that a lot of folks look up to sports figures as hero’s for breaking records or to billionaire’s for making tons of money.
Now I believe that a hero can be the person next door who takes care of his or her ailing parent or the person who reaches out to someone in need with a kind word. It can be you or me. We can all be heroes and heroines.
My husband is my everyday hero. He can fix anything that goes wrong in this old home of ours, from electrical to internet to plumbing. He keeps this place running and from the enthusiasm he does it with, I can see that it’s one of those labors of love people talk about. Thanks Jimmy!
Who are the everyday hero’s in your life? I’d love to know!
Muse thx, Giulietta
RSS
That’s beautiful, Giulietta. Thanks…
I’ve always been strangely hard to impress, not because I was anything special in comparison, but I possessed a really high set of expectations that neither I, nor anyone else, could meet. For the longest time in job interviews, if I was asked one of those box questions about who I would consider my mentor, I would say Abraham Maslow, the psychologist and father of the Hierarchy of needs and the concept of self-actualization. I chose him because, at that time, I thought his work had influenced me, my life, in the most positive way.
That perspective has changed in the last several years. I have a mother that is starting to slip away to Alzheimer’s, but who I see clearly now as a hero. She kept us sheltered and held it together when my dad left us, in spite. of years of mental health issues and the absence of an education past the eighth grade. She’s my hero.
My father, with whom I was estranged for many years, eventually managed to address his problems with addiction. He’s married now and living int he UK, retired after ending a late career surge that allowed him to go back to teaching English Lit. He taught me how to read when I was young and gave me a love for books. He’s my hero.
And the list goes on. In their own ways, most of the people I consider friends are heroes to me, for who they are, for their passion and unselfishness. I’ve been fortunate and feel… well, blessed. I don’t think heroes are uncommon anymore – we just needs eyes with which to see.
Thanks for saying it, Giulietta; you’re a hero too.
Hi Michael,
As always, you are an awesome and heroic commenter! Sorry to hear about your Mom. What an amazing heroine she is. Glad to learn you’ve reestablished ties with your Dad. It’s never too late to get back in touch with our relatives.
I agree with you, that it’s our eyes that need adjusting in order to see the heroes and heroines that surround us.
g.
Guilietta, I think that, for me, the problem is not that there shouldn’t be heroes, but that the word hero gets corrupted.
I see that there are three things that can happen to a person on a pedestal: 1. They get knocked off. 2. They get dusty 3. They get self-important.
Not always, but that’s been my experience. I truly believe that either nobody is special or everyone is. Sometimes when someone sees the situation with my health they say, “Oh, I could never do that, you’re my hero.’ at that point, they have made it hard for us to be equals.
If they think they could never do something I (or you, or anyone) can do, then they may quit trying to do that thing, even if it’s something they would love to do.
Sorry to run on so long. I guess I just want there to be one big pedestal that everyone can get up on top of. Your story about the funeral is beautiful, and if anyone is a hero, that guy probably deserves it as much as anyone.
Awesome post!
Hey Josh,
Yes, everyone is a hero in his or her own way! Let’s all get on the pedestal – that way you can’t get it knocked out from under you. I understand what you’re saying when someone says you are a hero and it makes for an unevenness. Hopefully, that person is your hero and the pedestal stays full!
Thanks for stopping by.
Giulietta
Giulietta –
A great question and post – I love your identification of the every day hero. I used to think the same way you did – that heroes had to be famous and do something truly astounding. Frankly it was hard to find many people in the public eye that stood the test of time.
Now I look at most people i meet and see them as heroes. The people you see on the street, the bus, the train who are making their lives better and helping others. Once you start to dig into an “ordinary” life you find a hero in waiting. A charity giver, a volunteer, a visionary in their own backyard. I have lots of heroes now and meet more every day.
Take care,
Phil
Hi Phil,
Love “hero in waiting.” That’s such a neat way of looking at it. Given the opportunity, so many of us have been or will be everyday heroes/heroines.
What you said just made me realize how wonderful it would be to look for the hero/heroine in all folks. Thx. G.
Hi Giulietta – It’s my first time here, just popped over from Phil’s site. I love that you’re a muse! We all need a muse. And I firmly believe in heroes and heroines. I agree with what Phil says, and I feel so lucky because in my work I meet ordinary heroes and heroines every day. I get to witness each person’s unique hero’s journey, and that is truly a gift to be there during the quest. So thanks for writing about this; it’s a great topic.
Patty, thanks for stopping by.
New readers are a cause for celebration! Glad you mentioned the hero’s journey we are all on. If more of us could see it as that, the struggle would make more sense.
See you! G.
Hi G – I have the privilege of encountering heroes/heroines every single day of my life. Simply because, without them, I would have no life at all!
Hi Tracy,
Sounds like we may need a new holiday: the everyday hero/heroine day!
Great of you to stop by again.
G.
I am blessed to have people in my life who come to my rescue, sometimes without realizing it. Serving others, simply because they feel compelled to do so, makes someone a hero to me.
Great definition Angie! How wonderful to have such heroes …
G.
It was the shock of my life a few years back when one of my friends said I was the bravest person he knew. I hadn’t been running into flaming buildings, that’s for sure!
He said that I was willing to push past my comfort zone and risk my dignity and that was why I was brave.
It’s a definition I’ve used since. there are no end of heroes in the world. 🙂
Hey Catherine,
I’ve read your blog many times and you are indeed brave! You put it all out there. I love that you are willing to “risk your dignity.” what’s dignity anyway? do we hide behind it?
Thx for commenting! G.
> Wouldn’t a thriving society filled with active participants of all ages be more vibrant
It sure would! Action is contagious.