What is a hero? Is he a strong, brave "superman" who saves many lives with his strength and courage? Yes. But if there were no more, then few of us would ever know a hero. The heroes we grew up with in the movies and comic books and cartoons saved the day by performing feats of physical ability and unmatched bravery when no one else could. But take away their superhuman strength, throw a little kryptonite into their lives and they become just like the rest of us. Just like the rest of us nothings.
No, a hero is usually much simpler than that. A hero is not necessarily someone who does things that no one else can-- a hero is someone who loves when no one else will. A hero makes you smile when everthing seems against you, and there is no reason to smile. A hero doesn't just save lives or "save the day"-- a hero saves the moment. Even if it is just for one person. Even if no one else ever knows about it. You see, in real life, heroes don't run and jump around in tights and flashy underwear, so sometimes it's hard to tell who the real heroes are. Most of us are so self-sufficient and independent that we rarely see a hero, but make no mistake, we all have a hero in our lives somewhere.
Heroes are not perfect. We all have our own form of kryptonite to battle, and most of us are not very heroic most of the time. Heroics demand only one powerfully energizing ideal: love. Love will drive us to deeds that are extraordinary in one way or another. Love is when we forget about ourselves and look around for someone in need. Love looks outward. It's not typical. It's not common. It's stronger than any other force-- hate, fear, mistrust. Love is above the average. It is a rare thing, and that's why heroes are all too rare these days. Because most of us have forgotten that love is stronger even than death, and we choose to live life fueled by greed or pride or some other form of death and ignore love. The heroes are dying.
But they're not dead yet.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Life in the Rearview Mirror (from life journal)
1 July 2003
"As I drove the family van down to Chambersburg today, I looked into the rearview mirrors, and saw my little sisters just sitting in the backseat reading, with not a care in the world. It seemed to me it wasn't too long ago that was me in the backseat with lil' bro Chris. How time flies by. Years, with 365 or 366 days in each of them seem to be simply a background now. A hopeless, meaningless jumble of numbers. My true and meaningful past is made up of a patchwork of memories that now seem more real than the numbers-- 1991, '92, '93, '97, '00, etc. Some memories make me laugh. Others make me grimace. Still others make me cry. How is it that I took life so carelessly for granted? I thought life was free. My biggest concerns used to be does "pretty Dana" really like me? Why do I have to clean my room? Am I the fastest in my class? How long can I hang out in the restroom at school before the teacher comes in to yell at me? Now it's all different. Well, not so different as more serious."
14 June 2003
"Growing up. Why? And why is it so hard to do? To deny my foolish puerile tendencies and pleasures, realizing that they are nothing more than left-over adolescent emotions-- the last remnants of a simple child-hood empty of worries or concerns. I now find that I must stay and "face the music." Turn and deal with my problems bluntly, realistically, and many times on my own. The fear of parents has translated from accidents like breaking a light-bulb into denting my brother's truck pulling out of the gas station. The cold, biting reality that nothing is free comes raining down on me in a hail of stinging costs and expenses. Time, which only a year ago I seemed to have such an over-abundance of, now is fed continuously into the depths of ravenous creatures like work and sleep. Friends become closer and more real in my life and yet create more conflicts emotionally. Freedom increases, and yet with freedom comes more bondage-- the bondage of responsibility, work, and money.
Many scars have been left on my heart, but there are two healers from the beginning of time that have worked better than any tonic or potion ever prescribed. These two healers are time and love."
"As I drove the family van down to Chambersburg today, I looked into the rearview mirrors, and saw my little sisters just sitting in the backseat reading, with not a care in the world. It seemed to me it wasn't too long ago that was me in the backseat with lil' bro Chris. How time flies by. Years, with 365 or 366 days in each of them seem to be simply a background now. A hopeless, meaningless jumble of numbers. My true and meaningful past is made up of a patchwork of memories that now seem more real than the numbers-- 1991, '92, '93, '97, '00, etc. Some memories make me laugh. Others make me grimace. Still others make me cry. How is it that I took life so carelessly for granted? I thought life was free. My biggest concerns used to be does "pretty Dana" really like me? Why do I have to clean my room? Am I the fastest in my class? How long can I hang out in the restroom at school before the teacher comes in to yell at me? Now it's all different. Well, not so different as more serious."
14 June 2003
"Growing up. Why? And why is it so hard to do? To deny my foolish puerile tendencies and pleasures, realizing that they are nothing more than left-over adolescent emotions-- the last remnants of a simple child-hood empty of worries or concerns. I now find that I must stay and "face the music." Turn and deal with my problems bluntly, realistically, and many times on my own. The fear of parents has translated from accidents like breaking a light-bulb into denting my brother's truck pulling out of the gas station. The cold, biting reality that nothing is free comes raining down on me in a hail of stinging costs and expenses. Time, which only a year ago I seemed to have such an over-abundance of, now is fed continuously into the depths of ravenous creatures like work and sleep. Friends become closer and more real in my life and yet create more conflicts emotionally. Freedom increases, and yet with freedom comes more bondage-- the bondage of responsibility, work, and money.
Many scars have been left on my heart, but there are two healers from the beginning of time that have worked better than any tonic or potion ever prescribed. These two healers are time and love."
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