“Being a hero is about the shortest-lived profession on earth.” – Will Rogers

“We are all the hero of our own story.” – Mary McCarthy, author.

Who is your hero?  It sounds like a simple question, but for me it’s not.   The dictionary defines a hero as, “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for brave deeds and noble qualities.”  I find the definition, although accurate, hard l to live up to.   I think we can all agree that our military is full of heroes, but we also have personal heroes.  What makes someone a hero to each of us is subjective and a one-size-fits-all definition doesn’t apply.  Over the years I’ve considered many people I’ve admired to be my hero, but they never seem to maintain their elite status in my eyes (like the Rogers quote above).  My own values and experiences have changed the qualities I consider necessary to have such a label.   For instance, as a child my two heroes were Chrissy Everett and Farrah Fawcett.  Chris I can explain (until years later when a family member had a rude experience with the tennis player), Farrah not so much.  Today most of my heroes usually work in the classroom or in autism centers.  I also experience a bit of hero worship towards some of my favorite authors.   Continue reading Who’s Your Hero? →