Categories: uncategorized
Date: 14 October 2008 19:25:57
No! Not the ones on the superb TV series but real ones.
I have a list of heroes that, due to my 43 (almost 44) years on earth has grown and grown. What I notice is that many of the "public" ones are politicians or generals. Why? I don't really know. Maybe it's because I grew up in an era where we still looked upon military figures with awe.
I mean think of the 70/80's. We still watched westerns and war films on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. John Wayne, The Great Escape, The Dambusters etc were still frequent forms of entertainment for us.
We were taught history that was very political and martial in theme. From British Empire building to the recent expolits of our immediate ancestors in the 20th century. Many of us also had family still alive who had fought in one of the world wars, or lived through them on the home front.
Now I find that my choice of heroes has spread but remained in these areas. Now I look at John Simpson, Martin Bell, Kate Adie or Brian 'I counted them out and counted them home again' Hanrahan. They are reporters who set out to explain world affairs to us; the fall of nations and dictatorships.
Yet I also have the more mundane heroes, people who are not famous but set an example for us to live by and, maybe, emmulate. We all need heroes in our lives; not Supermen, Batmen or Fantastic 4's but real people who experience the same trials and tribulations as we do.
Their existence touches our daily lives and sets examples for us to follow and too pass onto others. Without these people daily life would feel emptier than it otherwise is. They do the small things that others may never notice but that have an impact on those around them.
Many of the people are "people of faith", not just attenders but living a practical faith that helps those around them. They don't do it for reward or recognition but because they believe that doing so is their duty as a follower of Christ. Some of these people put themselves in danger and in opposition to the law of the land.
Without these people our society would be unable to evolve and improve. The trouble is that when you look at it improvement is not something that we see very often.