I was once called a hero for something I did, and it made me a little uncomfortable. I know everyone has their own heroes, but how many of us ever have a chance to become a hero? We all want to make something of our lives, to make a difference, to matter. This is one of our six basic human needs, the need for significance. Deep down inside us, we all want to be important. We want our life to have meaning and significance. I can imagine no worse thought on my dying bed than to think my life didn't matter.
So when I ask how many of us ever have a chance to be a hero, I'm not necessarily thinking about being a hero on the national or world stage. The way we throw the word around so casually these days, I even wonder if your definition of a hero and mine are the same.
So who might our heroes be anyway?
We see sports figures exalted to so-called hero status all the time. Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods, etc... all great athletes but are their achievements on the court or field worthy of the hero title? What about the players of old...Gale Sayers, or Lou Gehrig, or Mickey Mantle? Billy Crystal has carried a Mickey Mantle baseball card in his wallet since he was old enough to carry a wallet. Sounds to me like the Mighty Mick is Billy's hero. But what do these people stand for? What are their values? What have they done, what have they taught us, how did they deal with the everyday pressures of life that we would want to imitate? In other words, how do their lives or achievements make this world a better place to live?
Perhaps we are confusing the term "hero" with a role model.
--role model--
A person who serves as an example of the values, attitudes, and behaviors associated with a role. For example, a father is a role model for his sons. Role models can also be persons who distinguish themselves in such a way that others admire and want to emulate them. For example, a woman who becomes a successful brain surgeon or airline pilot can be described as a role model for other women.
(The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third EditionCopyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.)
Basketball player Charles Barkley once said that he wasn't a role model. Nicole Ritchey recently said the same thing. They may not be positive role models, but they are role models all the same. Some kid somewhere is looking with great interest at these people and will grow up trying to emulate this hero of theirs. This poor kid will model himself or herself after the very people who don't want to be role models. How do we let this happen? Doesn't hurt the role model but we'll have another supposed superstar who has grown up learning bad behavior and a spoiled brat mentality from their "hero." All because we throw money at these people hand over fist. When did our values get so skewed?
Where have all our real heroes gone? What happened to Superman who fought for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way"? Who fights for that now? Our politicians? Give me a break. Our actors and sports figures and other people of fame? Give me an even bigger break ! ! ! Anyone remember G.I. Joe? When I was a kid, G.I. Joe was the MAN ! ! ! He could take on entire armies all by himself and wipe them out without really breaking a sweat. I saw him do it with my own eyes day after day right in my back yard. He didn't demand $millions for just showing up either.
Some might think of Jack Bauer of "24" as a hero. Jack isn't perfect, as anyone who watches knows… and the actor who plays him, Keifer Sutherland, has his own personal demons to battle, but who wouldn't want someone like Jack on our side? I sure would. I've never heard Jack ask how much he's getting paid or try to renegotiate his contract because some other CTU agent might be making more money. He just gets the job done because we need him. Sound like our superstar athletes?
What about other actors who portray heroes? John Wayne comes to mind. He seemed to be a pretty good role model... or was it the characters he played? It's hard to differentiate sometimes. I don't recall ever hearing about him being involved in a paternity suit. I don't remember reading about him in a nasty holdout because he felt he wasn't being treated fairly. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with standing up for your rights, but what some people believe to be a "right" is actually a privilege. Is the fact that he wasn't popular fodder for the National Enquirer types to mean that he was boring and uninteresting? Quite the contrary I think. Good, solid, American role model. Am I wrong about this?
Look... I really like the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." I think it's a well made and acted motion picture, and I always feel sad for them when they meet their ultimate fate at the end. The reality is that these guys (the real BC & SK) were nothing more than thieves and bullies but I always find myself liking them when I watch the movie. This is what the make believe world of Hollywood and professional sports has done to us. It's all flipped upside down and we look at those who should be regarded as a drain on our society as heroes and role models. Yakov Smirnoff said it right... What a country.
It's not just movies and sports either... look at television these days. Two words: Reality Show. Will the next "American Idol" be a hero? What about the next "Survivor" or the winners of "Fear Factor"? How about the Osbornes? Or Dog the Bounty Hunter or even better yet... Anna Nicole Smith and her reality show? She would be a great "hero" or role model for some little girl to look up to, wouldn't she?
"The Biggest Loser" winner could certainly be someone to look up to if you are trying to lose weight. I'm sure to some people Jared who lost all that weight eating at Subway is a hero. I could live with someone looking up to him as a role model, but a hero? Maybe to the corporate types at the Subway offices.
Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) made a difference. He was a reality show guy who walked the walk and taught us about the animal world we live in. He showed us his work, he shared his family with us, and he had a deep passion for people and animals that we could actually feel through the television screen. Would that we could all have that kind of passion for something worthwhile.
I remember watching the television in the 4th grade at Hill Elementary School in Austin, Texas as Neil Armstrong stepped off that platform and onto the surface of the moon. Man oh man... he was certainly a hero for a while wasn't he? He was to me. After that I had pictures of the Earth from the moon and of the moon itself in my room... all because of him and NASA. Everyone on Earth knew who he was and every kid wanted to be an astronaut. Do our children today even know who he is?
Martin Luther King, Jr. energized an entire race of people by telling them to believe in themselves and that energy is still felt today. He had a dream and was able to make the whole nation understand what his dream consisted of, and because of that dream we see signs of increased racial equality more and more. There may be those who will disagree with that but let me tell you, things certainly are different from when I was a kid. Was MLK Heroic? I think so. He had to know that he was stirring up a firestorm and someone would be gunning for him, and he did it anyway because he believed in the strength of people and that what he was doing was for the better good.
Mother Teresa decided that she would devote her life to easing the pain of those who suffered around her and that whether they lived or died, they would do so with dignity. Did she ever ask for anything for herself? More money to buy better clothes? A limo to take from place to place in style? Nope. Hero !
Steve Irwin, Neil Armstrong, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi... these people made huge differences in the eyes of the world, to be sure. But there are other kinds of heroes. Everyday heroes who don't make national headlines.
When I think of heroes, I think of the simple ordinary acts of people that change this world for the better. The mother who raises her children to be strong and true to their beliefs. I think of the father who comes home tired and worn down by a day of work and still finds the energy to play catch with his son or let his little girl use him for "dress-up". Parents who actually help their children learn to be a productive member of, instead of a drain on, society. I think of people donating blood over and over again for people they will never meet. I think of volunteers at hospitals. I think of firefighters rushing into burning buildings or police who answer dangerous calls on a daily basis. The list goes on and on... and does so out of the spotlight and glare of sensationalist reporters.
A hero to me is a person who volunteers for the Big Brothers or Big Sisters programs. Someone who tutors or mentors without regard for monetary compensation is a hero to me. Soldiers who fight or die for a cause they may or may not personally believe in, but do it in the belief that their actions will help to preserve freedom and the very American way of life we all are so fortunate to enjoy... are these not heroes? If not them, then who?
"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today, at home, and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - John F. Kennedy
We don't hear things like this these days. People don't really talk this way anymore. Very few people today will go out on a limb like that. We've become too politically correct. People today seem to shy away from the very idea of being a hero, afraid of the responsibility that goes along with it, or afraid of being taken to court for breaking someone's sternum while saving their life. Charles Barkley and Nicole Ritchey don't want to be known as a role model because they would have to take some responsibility for how they have taught our children to act. What a sad commentary on what we've become.
We all can be a hero to someone. We all can be role models, and probably already are. The question then becomes, what kind of role model am I? We all can make a difference... sometimes a big one. Where is it written that we can't stand up for truth, justice, and the American way ourselves? Who says that making even a small worthwhile difference in the lives of our fellow man isn't heroic? I'm just asking. I had my chance once... maybe it made a big difference to someone, maybe not. I may never know, but then I really don't need to. I did what needed to be done and I hope that if some youngster someday discovers what I did, he or she will consider it an act worth trying to emulate. Am I a hero? Not even close. Not because I don't want to be a hero... I do. It just doesn't apply in this case.
So why was I called a hero? I certainly didn't seek the title or go out of my way to have people call me that. At a time in this country's darkest days when everyone was throwing around the word "hero" casually, I stood by and smiled and let my friends and family pat me on the back and give me ovations and tell me what a brave and heroic deed I had done. While "brave and heroic" may or may not be true, I would have felt more comfortable being hailed a positive role model. I was recognized by civic organizations and congressmen and written about in a national magazine when the truth of the matter is that I felt more like John Kennedy when he was asked how he'd become a hero... "It was involuntary; they sank my boat."
I was thrust into a situation and answered the call. Just an ordinary guy doing my ordinary job under extraordinary circumstances... and someone was paying attention.
Hero or role model... either way I hope I'm worthy because somewhere, someday, I'll do or say something that will make someone want to be like me and if it's because of my own carelessness or bad behavior or because of the size of my bank account, then I've failed that person, and society.
So if you want to know, here it is... you certainly deserve to know if you’ve read this far.
Read the article here
Until next time...
So who might our heroes be anyway?
We see sports figures exalted to so-called hero status all the time. Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods, etc... all great athletes but are their achievements on the court or field worthy of the hero title? What about the players of old...Gale Sayers, or Lou Gehrig, or Mickey Mantle? Billy Crystal has carried a Mickey Mantle baseball card in his wallet since he was old enough to carry a wallet. Sounds to me like the Mighty Mick is Billy's hero. But what do these people stand for? What are their values? What have they done, what have they taught us, how did they deal with the everyday pressures of life that we would want to imitate? In other words, how do their lives or achievements make this world a better place to live?
Perhaps we are confusing the term "hero" with a role model.
--role model--
A person who serves as an example of the values, attitudes, and behaviors associated with a role. For example, a father is a role model for his sons. Role models can also be persons who distinguish themselves in such a way that others admire and want to emulate them. For example, a woman who becomes a successful brain surgeon or airline pilot can be described as a role model for other women.
(The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third EditionCopyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.)
Basketball player Charles Barkley once said that he wasn't a role model. Nicole Ritchey recently said the same thing. They may not be positive role models, but they are role models all the same. Some kid somewhere is looking with great interest at these people and will grow up trying to emulate this hero of theirs. This poor kid will model himself or herself after the very people who don't want to be role models. How do we let this happen? Doesn't hurt the role model but we'll have another supposed superstar who has grown up learning bad behavior and a spoiled brat mentality from their "hero." All because we throw money at these people hand over fist. When did our values get so skewed?
Where have all our real heroes gone? What happened to Superman who fought for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way"? Who fights for that now? Our politicians? Give me a break. Our actors and sports figures and other people of fame? Give me an even bigger break ! ! ! Anyone remember G.I. Joe? When I was a kid, G.I. Joe was the MAN ! ! ! He could take on entire armies all by himself and wipe them out without really breaking a sweat. I saw him do it with my own eyes day after day right in my back yard. He didn't demand $millions for just showing up either.
Some might think of Jack Bauer of "24" as a hero. Jack isn't perfect, as anyone who watches knows… and the actor who plays him, Keifer Sutherland, has his own personal demons to battle, but who wouldn't want someone like Jack on our side? I sure would. I've never heard Jack ask how much he's getting paid or try to renegotiate his contract because some other CTU agent might be making more money. He just gets the job done because we need him. Sound like our superstar athletes?
What about other actors who portray heroes? John Wayne comes to mind. He seemed to be a pretty good role model... or was it the characters he played? It's hard to differentiate sometimes. I don't recall ever hearing about him being involved in a paternity suit. I don't remember reading about him in a nasty holdout because he felt he wasn't being treated fairly. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with standing up for your rights, but what some people believe to be a "right" is actually a privilege. Is the fact that he wasn't popular fodder for the National Enquirer types to mean that he was boring and uninteresting? Quite the contrary I think. Good, solid, American role model. Am I wrong about this?
Look... I really like the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." I think it's a well made and acted motion picture, and I always feel sad for them when they meet their ultimate fate at the end. The reality is that these guys (the real BC & SK) were nothing more than thieves and bullies but I always find myself liking them when I watch the movie. This is what the make believe world of Hollywood and professional sports has done to us. It's all flipped upside down and we look at those who should be regarded as a drain on our society as heroes and role models. Yakov Smirnoff said it right... What a country.
It's not just movies and sports either... look at television these days. Two words: Reality Show. Will the next "American Idol" be a hero? What about the next "Survivor" or the winners of "Fear Factor"? How about the Osbornes? Or Dog the Bounty Hunter or even better yet... Anna Nicole Smith and her reality show? She would be a great "hero" or role model for some little girl to look up to, wouldn't she?
"The Biggest Loser" winner could certainly be someone to look up to if you are trying to lose weight. I'm sure to some people Jared who lost all that weight eating at Subway is a hero. I could live with someone looking up to him as a role model, but a hero? Maybe to the corporate types at the Subway offices.
Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) made a difference. He was a reality show guy who walked the walk and taught us about the animal world we live in. He showed us his work, he shared his family with us, and he had a deep passion for people and animals that we could actually feel through the television screen. Would that we could all have that kind of passion for something worthwhile.
I remember watching the television in the 4th grade at Hill Elementary School in Austin, Texas as Neil Armstrong stepped off that platform and onto the surface of the moon. Man oh man... he was certainly a hero for a while wasn't he? He was to me. After that I had pictures of the Earth from the moon and of the moon itself in my room... all because of him and NASA. Everyone on Earth knew who he was and every kid wanted to be an astronaut. Do our children today even know who he is?
Martin Luther King, Jr. energized an entire race of people by telling them to believe in themselves and that energy is still felt today. He had a dream and was able to make the whole nation understand what his dream consisted of, and because of that dream we see signs of increased racial equality more and more. There may be those who will disagree with that but let me tell you, things certainly are different from when I was a kid. Was MLK Heroic? I think so. He had to know that he was stirring up a firestorm and someone would be gunning for him, and he did it anyway because he believed in the strength of people and that what he was doing was for the better good.
Mother Teresa decided that she would devote her life to easing the pain of those who suffered around her and that whether they lived or died, they would do so with dignity. Did she ever ask for anything for herself? More money to buy better clothes? A limo to take from place to place in style? Nope. Hero !
Steve Irwin, Neil Armstrong, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi... these people made huge differences in the eyes of the world, to be sure. But there are other kinds of heroes. Everyday heroes who don't make national headlines.
When I think of heroes, I think of the simple ordinary acts of people that change this world for the better. The mother who raises her children to be strong and true to their beliefs. I think of the father who comes home tired and worn down by a day of work and still finds the energy to play catch with his son or let his little girl use him for "dress-up". Parents who actually help their children learn to be a productive member of, instead of a drain on, society. I think of people donating blood over and over again for people they will never meet. I think of volunteers at hospitals. I think of firefighters rushing into burning buildings or police who answer dangerous calls on a daily basis. The list goes on and on... and does so out of the spotlight and glare of sensationalist reporters.
A hero to me is a person who volunteers for the Big Brothers or Big Sisters programs. Someone who tutors or mentors without regard for monetary compensation is a hero to me. Soldiers who fight or die for a cause they may or may not personally believe in, but do it in the belief that their actions will help to preserve freedom and the very American way of life we all are so fortunate to enjoy... are these not heroes? If not them, then who?
"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today, at home, and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - John F. Kennedy
We don't hear things like this these days. People don't really talk this way anymore. Very few people today will go out on a limb like that. We've become too politically correct. People today seem to shy away from the very idea of being a hero, afraid of the responsibility that goes along with it, or afraid of being taken to court for breaking someone's sternum while saving their life. Charles Barkley and Nicole Ritchey don't want to be known as a role model because they would have to take some responsibility for how they have taught our children to act. What a sad commentary on what we've become.
We all can be a hero to someone. We all can be role models, and probably already are. The question then becomes, what kind of role model am I? We all can make a difference... sometimes a big one. Where is it written that we can't stand up for truth, justice, and the American way ourselves? Who says that making even a small worthwhile difference in the lives of our fellow man isn't heroic? I'm just asking. I had my chance once... maybe it made a big difference to someone, maybe not. I may never know, but then I really don't need to. I did what needed to be done and I hope that if some youngster someday discovers what I did, he or she will consider it an act worth trying to emulate. Am I a hero? Not even close. Not because I don't want to be a hero... I do. It just doesn't apply in this case.
So why was I called a hero? I certainly didn't seek the title or go out of my way to have people call me that. At a time in this country's darkest days when everyone was throwing around the word "hero" casually, I stood by and smiled and let my friends and family pat me on the back and give me ovations and tell me what a brave and heroic deed I had done. While "brave and heroic" may or may not be true, I would have felt more comfortable being hailed a positive role model. I was recognized by civic organizations and congressmen and written about in a national magazine when the truth of the matter is that I felt more like John Kennedy when he was asked how he'd become a hero... "It was involuntary; they sank my boat."
I was thrust into a situation and answered the call. Just an ordinary guy doing my ordinary job under extraordinary circumstances... and someone was paying attention.
Hero or role model... either way I hope I'm worthy because somewhere, someday, I'll do or say something that will make someone want to be like me and if it's because of my own carelessness or bad behavior or because of the size of my bank account, then I've failed that person, and society.
So if you want to know, here it is... you certainly deserve to know if you’ve read this far.
Read the article here
Until next time...
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