Who are heroes? (Social Issues)

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I wrote this essay at the end of 1999 for my daughter. Another thread made me think of it. Maybe it won't be so criticized this year. Can yo guess who I used as examples? A LOT happened that year and my daughter was just old enough to understand some of it and ask questions. A challenge to me to find the answers. So this was what I came up with I guess. (Another I found that year was her perspective at 5-years-old of why Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Important. My child the philosopher!)

TODAY’S HEROES

They say a generation lost their heroes. Political heroes, war heroes, discrimination heroes, music heroes. External heroes. But how many are seeing the new heroes that are coming from that generation? Internal heroes. Individuals who reached inside themselves and did what they knew to do, in spite of opposition, disdain, even public embarrassment and private humiliation.

Individuals who stepped out of their own pain to continue to participate in their society, continued to just do their job, even continued to follow the same path that was subject to the criticism of masses who lacked vision or faith in themselves much less something outside their realm of everyday life.

These were heroes who had dreams realized, and other dreams shattered. Lives were saved and lives were lost, all based on the actions taken or decisions made by this small group of people.

A hero who gave more of herself than she had to give to those the world turned their back on--the sick and dying--and a giving that was surely not glamorous. Because she believed in the right to die as well as to live with dignity.

A hero who stood in front of an audience of thousands after the brutal loss of his son, and did his job, because he saw in it an obligation and responsibility, A hero who honored himself as a father.

A hero who once played a hero to a generation, then suffered not death, but limitations and restrictions that would have caused many to remain silent behind closed doors--encouraged by public attitude to "accept" not only the limitations forced by an accident, but limitations forced by the attitudes of non-tolerance of a society. Who "stood up" and said, "When I walk again!"

Friends, neighbors, strangers, who take an extra step to lend a hand, who make an extra hour in the day, who write a letter, sign a petition, take a public or private stand for or against a cause. Heroes who may simply survive a disease, or a trauma, or a memory, with dignity and grace and enough belief in the power that there are lessons to be learned by all of us, and then use themselves to create an example for others not so able to follow. To live through experiences and share them, though often difficult, so that others may not have to.

Heroes who said no...and paid the price. Heroes who said yes...and paid the price. Heroes who simply acted on their beliefs, often in silence, in deed, in word, and in simply being. Who used their energy for more than themselves.

What a loss if we were to ignore that these are our heroes, and not talk about them with our children, our neighbors, even strangers. What a true loss to neglect to talk openly about WHY they are heroes. What a loss to not acknowledge them, with words, or deeds, or a sharing spirit of our own.

I hope my child will see her heroes in these people who are living their lives today, and that our history will, indeed, show humanity at its best as we approach a new generation and a new world.

Be a hero.

-- mb - texas (beneng@bigfoot.com), February 07, 2002

Answers

Amen

-- (homespun@stellarnet.com), February 07, 2002.

thank you! I really appreciated that! I know a number of heros. one is currently in the midst of a horrible time with a law suit he slapped on his employer (with other employees) which happens to be a capital of a major city. this lawsuit is well deserved, but it is a scarey thing for him to be doing, but is the right thing to do. i am very, very proud of his courage.

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), February 07, 2002.

Excellent!Well written! You should lenghten this a little and submit it to readers digest.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), February 07, 2002.

Just a follow up. For some reason, thru the end of 1999 (or even into 2000) the world dealt with a number of losses, 'news stories', and other issues. After all, some of us just were not interested in the Clinton scandal.

The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, caught my 5-year-olds attention, and (no discredit to royalty, and certainly with respect to this particular loss), then we saw on TV the news of the loss of Mother Teresa in India. I spoke with my daughter about these two people (as much as I knew from the news about them), and realized that I knew much more about Mother Teresa than I realized because of her work with the victims of Aids in India, and I had read a number of written articles about her perspective and beliefs about the dying living with dignity. She gave completely of herself to a group of people that, in effect, were turned away from, scorned and disdained by society.

My daughter is a fan of Bill Cosby. When the news was released that his son was murdered, my daughter heard and asked about him. We read in the newspaper that the weekend after this happened, he kept a commitment to a stage performance where he gave his usual excellent performance in the midst of a horrifying sorrow. I heard that the audience gave him a standing ovation, not only for the quality of his performance, but for his professional commitment to his appearance in the circumstances. In case you have ever tried to get a ticket to one of his 'in person' performances, you might appreciate the difficulty and cost of such a feat. He did for his audience.

Finally, we watched a news piece about Christopher Reeves who has been campaigning for reforms and research to deal with the difficulties he faces. Of course, by 5, my daughter KNEW Superman!!! Also, I had the personal honor of seeing him in person at a seminar in Houston the previous year. This guy is SUPERMAN! in spirit. If you EVER have a chance to see this guy, take it. It's amazing just to be in the same auditorium with him, much less to stand a few feet away.

I started talking with my daughter, and we still do, about people who are doing difficult things in the world around us. Not just on the news, but our neighbors, friends, teachers, everyone. We have friends who have struggled with their own battles, and we have dealt (and deal) with our own. We aren't special ... just doing our best and worst on a daily basis.

If you like this piece don't wait to read it in print in a magazine somewhere. I'm too lazy to submit it, and I was greatly criticized by a number of people when I wrote it for the message being "stupid" or something like that. Oh well. Sometimes things need a generation or two to be appreciated. I set it aside, but didn't throw it out.

So print a copy for someone who is having a tough time, or for someone you appreciate, respect, or just have admiration for. Pass it along. The day I get it back from someone when I need to be reminded of it, then I'll know it's gone full circle.

Just sign it 'benjamin' (small case b).

Thanks for the appreciation. mb - texas

-- mb - texas (beneng@bigfoot.com), February 07, 2002.


Hey, mb, you are a hero too. It takes a lot of emotional guts to share stuff like that not only with us but with your child-you cared enought about something that was important to generously pass it around to other with asking for something back. There are lots and lots of heros-most are like you-quiet everyday people going out of their way to do what they think is important.

-- Kelly (KY) (homearts2002@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.


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