The Stuff That Makes Heroes
We had stopped to eat in a small town, and the restaurant walls were covered with memorabilia of a local boy who had become a professional entertainer. I was perusing the headlines of his stellar career when that word arrested my attention. In that particular setting, the word "hero" seemed conspicuously out of place.
I wouldn't have been surprised to find it at a courthouse memorial listing the names ofthose who had willingly sacrificed their lives in our various wars to preserve freedom. But without diminishing the accomplishments of anyone who has made the most of God-given abilities, I consider a hero to be much more than a successful entertainer.
To me, a hero is one who lives outside the limelight, giving himself or herself unselfishly to the cause of bringing benefit to others--without the motive of personal reward. You'll often find such heroes in not-so-glamorous jobs, working to feed, clothe, and educate their families.
Some heroes--young people in particular--take difficult stands against peers to remain pure in a swelling tide of moral decadence. Bucking trends, others exert determination to remain true to mates and families through sickness and health, happiness and sorrow--until death alone parts them.
To me, those who labor among the mentally and physically unlovely are heroes. Many of my heroes poured themselves into our retarded daughter Jenny before her death. And others have faithfully endured trial after trial, working through their own frailties and limitations without complaint.
They seldom capture headlines, but there are still political leaders who honestly use their influential positions to benefit it their constituents and not themselves.
Heroes need not be picture perfect. They make mistakes--sometimes big ones. But they are distinguished by their willingness to admit their wrongs without being compelled to do so.
September 11 was the baptism by fire of rank upon rank of new heroes. One minute they were engaged with the ordinary, the mundane, even the trivial duties of life that afflict us all. But without hesitation, they rose up to perform whatever the hour of crisis demanded. And though we probably won't see the minutia of their lives displayed on restaurant walls, their accomplishments--unlike the fading laurels of stardom--endure.
To most of us, that ordinary people could become heroes in an instant is inconceivable. But in hindsight, we might be inclined to confess, "Given the chance, I always knew they would rise to face the crisis without thought of themselves." And that's the stuff that makes heroes.
Copyright 2002 James McAlister
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