Right now at least for me the biggest heroes on my list are the men and woman around the world working in health care who have been fighting on the front lines against covid-19...
But before I begin I want to address something that I received a few e-mails about in the last week or so... that it's my tendency to write about the past... I want to be perfectly clear that I have no interest or wish to go backwards and live in the past or try to hold on to it in todays world... but it's important to remember certain people and events because they are largely responsible for shaping us into the type of people we have become. If you want to take some time and go back and reread some of what I have written... even reading between the lines... I don't dwell on the negative circumstances or people... I have simply learned the lesson I was supposed to and moved on. But keeping the positive influences and wins... are important for the present and the future... in my opinion. This to me is the ultimate meaning of "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
Reflecting on my past and the parts I played in the world and simply what I observed I have had a lot of heroes in my life... from Rosa Parks to John Glenn to Michael Phelps and a lot of people in between... some of them have inspired me for a single moment in time and others for decades... but I'll get back to all this later.
Hero--- noun
a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
It's been suggested that the 12 central traits of heroism are...
- Moral Integrity
- Bravery
- Conviction
- Courage
- Self-Sacrifice
- Selflessness
- Determination
- Inspirational
- Helpful
- Protective
- Honesty
- Determination
These are all wonderful qualities... and to me they are the things that can help make someone a winner and/or a leader... but not necessarily a hero. I think it is simply doing the right thing and upholding the principles of human decency.
Peter Norman at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City inspired me years after his heroic stand wearing a badge on his uniform that read "Olympic Project For Human Rights" from an organization set up a year earlier to oppose racism in sport. In one of the most iconic photographs in sports history
Peter Norman like John Carlos and Tommie Smith were banned from the Olympics but he is the one who was forgotten by the world for taking a stand. At his funeral both Smith and Carlos gave the eulogy and carried his coffin... as Carlos said "he was a lone soldier for his small but determined stand against racism."... "He just happened to be a white Australian guy standing with two black guys on the victory stand all believing in the same thing." The US Track and Field Association declared the day of his death 9, October 2006 as "Peter Norman Day" the first time in the organizations history that such an honor was bestowed on a foreign athlete. The three remained lifelong friends since their chance meeting in Mexico City.
From this I found a new hero in Colin Kaepernick...
and also for everyone else who is standing up for doing what is right...
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| If I owned a business this sign would be on the door. |
Since the fire has passed through Mallacoota Australia last year this amazing, selfless young man was out searching for injured wildlife. This is one of 7 koalas he’s saved.
Like everything else in life there are different levels of heroism... some people pledge millions of dollars to do something important but they publicize it so that the act reflects on them and their image... others go about it a bit more quietly and thoughtfully... don't get me wrong we need both kinds of heroes in the world... but doing something because you are inspired by someone or something to me is what makes a hero.
I've never really been inspired by a character or a movie... Superman in particular because I was at Elstree Studios when it was being filmed and I saw behind all the magic and the glitter... but I have been in awe of some of the people in and out of the entertainment industry who have used their voice and money and have been able take a stand for doing the right thing...
Sometimes being a hero is quite simple...
other times you have to draw on your own powers of empathy and really go out of your way to make a difference...
Everybody needs someone to make them feel like tomorrow is more than just another day... and really understanding this is in my opinion of the true character of a hero. It's taken me almost my entire life to figure something out... it's about not avoiding the bruises you can get in life but also collecting the scars to prove that we showed up and stood up for something. I know more people than I should who would be horrified if they saw their character in the mirror and not their reflection... I'm grateful that I'm not one of them... and that I know that my fingerprints can not be wiped away from any act of kindness as they can not from other peoples acts of treachery and/or deceit ... it's important for me to know that maybe someday someone will hear a song I sang and remember me and hopefully I will have inspired them in some small way to make a difference where they can.
I would be remiss neglecting to bring attention to the biggest hero in my life who I held out for for many years to find... Thank you Nicholas from the bottom of my heart you have always had my back.
I am embarking on a chapter in my life that has taken a great deal of time and soul searching so that I can make a difference in someone's life... I'm not going to tell you what it is... because that's the kind of hero I have always wanted to be.
See you next time.
Be safe... and do the right things for the right reasons...
