Okay, Listen Here

Okay, Listen Here

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Heroes

Pantster's blog about heroes Monday got me to thinking about heroes and how they inspire us. Additionally, my class has heroic as a vocabulary word this week so I have been doing a great deal of talking about heroes and what makes a hero.

Pantster shared with us about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert E. Lee on Monday. Both men overcame enormous obstacles to achieve great success in their lifetimes. To me that is one of the most inspiring aspects of heroism, anyone can succeed if they start off practically at the finish line but to win the race when you have to begin from outside the arena or even from distant neighborhoods is almost impossible!

The original
Supernatural Superhero?

As my class and I have discussed the characteristics of what makes someone heroic this week, we have mentioned a lot of people and a ton of different qualities that we think makes someone a hero. My co-teacher, Most Athletic Girl, says she has the orginial superhero because her hero is Jesus. Of course, many named the obvious superheros like Superman and Spiderman and still others named athletes like Mark Ingram and Cam Newton, but others named people in their lives like an uncle who is a solider. One little boy even said his grandmother was a hero because she gave him and his brothers a place to live when their mother died.

Some of these aren't exactly what we think of when we here the word, hero.
What do you think makes someone a hero? Who are heroes to you?

18 comments:

  1. Regular people who overcome some adversity in their lives - like Stephen Hawkins. I think it shows fortitude and character which are traits I greatly admire. If a person is given a burden and that person overcomes it and achieves then I think they deserve to be called a hero.

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    1. Stephen Hawkins is phenomenal, isn't he? He proves that no one is relegated to living as they are.

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    2. Cheryl, I think you are right that overcoming some adversity in life can be a key to being a hero.

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  2. I looked up the definition and it mentions noble qualities. I think the grandmother who took in her grandchildren definitely qualifies. And so do the soldiers and others who fight for our rights (like MLK). The world is full of heroes, most unsung, because what they do doesn't make the front pages.

    I've always said my mother was my hero. She was widowed at age 43 while she still had two teenage daughters. She got us through college, held down a fulltime job in the advertising department of a local paper and eventually became the head of the advertisiing department. She was the first woman to have her name on the paper's masthead. Life handed her lemons and she made lemonade. And when I got my own bagfull of lemons a few years ago, she was such a support to me. So yeah, she's a great big hero to me. Maybe I should get her a shiny cape or something. ;-)

    Marilyn

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    1. Marilyn, your mother is a very admirable woman. ;)

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    2. PM, I love the idea of getting your momma a super hero cape! What a great example she was for you.

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  3. The Guy is my hero. He is honest because he doesn't know how not to be. He is capable. His work ethic is amazing. And he always has my back. He always says, "You can only lead people as far as they will follow you." I follow him because he always knows where he's going. He loves me and that's not always easy. If he is your friend, he will stop at nothing to help you. If you lose his friendship, you will never get it back.

    Kathy is going to pick Tebow.

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    1. The Guy is a work of art, Jean! You're a very lucky woman. ;)

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    2. There will always be Tebow, Jean. ;)

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    3. Great hero, Jean! And lets not forget if you want him to leave you alone he will! I am sure glad we got past that!

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  4. Darn! I tried to respond earlier but lost my post.

    What a great topic! Heroes are born. They are the men and women who put desires and lives before their own. They do not take the time to think of repayment or glory. They serve others without complaint. They are first responders, trail blazers, and the backbone of civilization.

    Examples: Military servicemen and women, Military families, officers of the police force, firemen willing to rush into burning buildings, doctors who go where it's too dangerous to provide care, so many heroes, too many to name, unsung men and women who go to work everyday not knowing if that one will be their last.

    Heroes also inspire when they live their lives their way. (Insert Tebow here just for Jean)

    My heroes are my sons, who enlisted to serve our country. My daughters with their sense of duty and their strong independent spirits, to include my DIL who is raising our adorable grandsons practically on her own while my son serves his country.

    But my biggest hero is my husband, who served our country with ethics that have led him throughout his life, even when it went against superiors. He's my best-friend, my confidant and the best expample of sacrifice I've ever seen.

    My family has a long line of military service, so of course I'm more focused on the unsung heroes around us everyday.

    Who isn't a hero? The Italian captain on the Carnival ship which sank off the Italian Coast.

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    1. Katherine, I am sorry it ate your post but glad that I am not the only one having trouble with blogspot today!

      You are right the unsung heros are often the greatest ones!

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  5. I think my heroes are many, they change with the times of life. Once my honey saved me from being held at gunpoint for 12 hours. He was and is my real hero. But I've had others that range from live-and-in-person to virtual to spiritual. I think my children are my heroes many times since they seem to teach me lessons I should've learned as a child but didn't until I saw it from the mom-perspective. So heroes to me really are the ones who are their best when I am at my worst. And I am ever so thankful for them!
    One particular hero comes to mind often, one I've lost contact with over the years. It was a military pen-pal I had that reached through the miles with words that encouraged me and helped me become who I am today. I don't think they train in boot camp for that. <3

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    1. Lesia! I'm so glad your hubby saved your life!

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    2. Leisa, what a great point you make that our heros can be varied depending on the point we are at in our own lives.

      I am very glad your life was saved too!

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