Who is your hero?

Dear Fellow Journalers,

“Our favorite heroes and heroines live forever in their stories and in our memories, cheering us forward in our daily lives and presenting splendid tales of the valor and indomitable spirits that are a lasting testament to our cherished values.”

Paul Colella

Stories connect us. Have you ever listened to an older person talk about their life and the things and events that shaped their lives? We honor active-duty and retired service men and women during this month and pause and remember the acts of courage of those who sacrificed their lives.

“Real American heroes don’t wear capes. They wear dog tags.”

“G” 11/12

I often wonder though, about the teenagers of today. Have they any heroes? I wonder if the adulation shown to movie stars and music and TV personalities is hero-worship? I’m at an age now, maybe because of Grandparent status, that I wonder, and to be honest, worry about the future our “L” will be living in.

While thinking about this subject I surfed the web dictionary for a definitive description of what a hero is:

“remarkably brave person: somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character
somebody admired: somebody who is admired for outstanding qualities or achievements
main character in fictional plot: the principal male character in a movie, novel, or play, especially one who plays a vital role in plot development or around whom the plot is structured”.

A tall order being a hero.

I always thought of who we now call “First Responders” as heroes. The firemen and policemen who rush into peril when everyone else is rushing out. For those of you who watched any documentaries or news programs after 911 you know who the heroes were – ordinary people some of them, just helping out.

There is a web site that I found recently: http://www.stageoflife.com

This multi-generational global community writes and shares their life stories. It’s like an on-line journal read by everyone. The question “Who is your hero?” was part of their ongoing Teen Writing Contest. The number one hero, was, you guessed it – their MOM. The winners of the essays are readable on the site, but I wanted to share the other hero choices with you because my faith has been restored. They are listed in no particular order:

MOM
My parents
Grandparents
Brothers/sisters
other relatives
Member of the military (read the post “My heroes are the men and women of the Armed Forces” by BetweenMe&U)
Famous person
Friend
World Leader
Teacher or Coach
Character
Member of a group (lifeguard, person with disability)
Everyday person

So the inevitable questions are: Who is your hero and do you know their life story?

~Sallie

P.S. Thanks to my guest bloggers “G” and Paul Colella and MaryBeth for their help with this post.

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given

To Sallie and uniquelyyourscraftjournal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

You may reach Sallie at uniquelyyourscraftjournal@outlook.com

1 Comment (+add yours?)

P Cole
May 28, 2014 @ 17:27:24

Hi Sallie, A beautiful post and a fine tribute and remembrance in honor of Memorial Day, our soldiers (past and present), and to the heroes and heroines in our lives. The photos add a special touch and the title is very eye-catching. Congratulations on a creative and inspiring post, and also, thanks for allowing me (with one of my quotes about heroes) to be part of your post. Well-done!!! Looking forward to future posts. Best, Paul

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