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Monday, April 9, 2012

H is for... Heroes

Ask a kid who his hero is and you'll likely get the name of some cartoon "good guy" such as Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman, or Batman.

Or, you may get the name of some athlete or sports personality.

My question...does being able to throw a perfect spiral or sink a free throw from half court make a person a hero? Does getting up on stage, belting out some words in tune and in time with the music while doing a little dance make a person someone we should look up to, or want our children to look up to?

When I checked the definition of hero, here's what I found. "A person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal." 

Here's my thoughts on heroes.

A hero is the person who runs into danger to save others.  People who put their lives on the line to protect those who need it, even if they don't want it or appreciate it. 

Firefighters, police officers, military members are all heroes. These are people we can look up to.

But common, ordinary people can be heroes, too.  How many times have we heard of strangers who rush to the aid of disaster victims? Or children who face their fears and save their friends or family. 

Even animals can be heroes.  Family pets often perform heroic deeds for their owners.  And what about those animals trained as service animals?  Can we not call them heroes? I bet their owners do.

During WWII, 29 dogs were killed in military service.  Most of them were Doberman Pinchers. These dogs were most definitely heroes.  25 of them are buried on Guam on the Naval Air Station.  Here's a photo of the War Dog Memorial that marks the spot.


Today, I want to encourage you to find a true hero and let them know you appreciate their service.

2 comments:

Luana Krause said...

Jean, awesome post. I think the world mistakes "celebrity" with "heroism." The War Dog Memorial is beautiful. Here's to true Heroes!

Unknown said...

Great post! Thanks for showing us there's a difference between being a celebrity and being a true hero.