What Does It Take to be a Hero?
We all know Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. These have been American comic book heroes for a long time. But what is a hero? A lot of people throw that term around loosely; a hero is the guy who threw a touchdown, or hit the most home runs, or scored the most baskets in a game.
But on September 11th, 2001 all that changed. In a matter of minutes a city, and a nation, was brought to its knees and the concept of heroes and heroism was stunningly redefined. As a result of September 11th, we gained the redefinition of what it takes to be a hero. When you look at the selflessness and sacrifices that average people made in an extraordinary time, it forces you to go back and examine how heroes are supposed to act and behave. And with the problems of today, the world is in desperate need of heroes.
A hero can be almost anybody. A very ordinary human can do incredibly strong, heroic things and become a hero. Or a very ordinary human can do very ordinary things and become a hero. A hero could be a person who gives you a piece of candy or even a person who shares a toy with you. A hero is a person you can always count on to be there when you need them. A hero is a person who fights or has fought in the military, like my hero, my big brother who is in the Army.
We don’t need to look to comic book heroes for our American heroes. Human beings can be just as courageous and influential as any superhero. It just takes a sense of purpose to define a hero, a reason for them to be a hero, to do things that matter. Every person must decide for themselves who their heroes are and whether they will be someone’s hero. We won’t find heroes by looking in the stars. It is a journey every person must take by looking inside themselves, and we all must write our own destiny as heroes.
Copyright 2006, Janell Barnes, Bakersfield, MO
Happy New Year.
