Today I'm participating in Joy Campbell's WHO'S YOUR HERO? blogfest. I'm not sure my entry satisfies the criteria:
EVERYBODY has a hero/heroine. It can be real-life or a fictional hero/heroine.
Here is a list to get you thinking...
1. The Perfect Hero
2. The Misfit
3. The Grizzled Old-Timer
4. The Everyman
5. The Anti-Hero
6. The Prodigy
7. The Loner Hero
8. The Tragic Hero
I'm sure that's enough to get those creative juices
flowing. You can write a story/flash fiction, share an anecdote, write a poem... remember, you are only limited by your imagination...
Join us if you have a hero you can tell us about in 300 words.
There will be incentives, such as Amazon gift cards.
In my view, Hero’s are born, not made. I do not believe all hero’s fulfill their destiny; I think some fall aside and never realize their potential when the moment of decision comes, some use their gifts in egotistical quests for dominance over others, and some hide from their destiny.
But a few who are thrust into the position of Heroism rise to the calling and humbly bear the costs. My favorite hero’s have always had to make a choice to be THAT person. As with the superhero’s Spiderman, Iron Man, Batman, Captain America, men born with the capacity to do great things but needed an inciting event to thrust the decision upon them; everyday hero’s also make a choice to heed the cause of greater good.
As a young girl, I satisfied my desire to witness heroism through the fantasy genre. Anne McCaffrey introduced me to Jaxom and Ruth in The Dragon Riders of Pern series. Jaxom was fathered by a villainous usurper, not expected to be anything but a duplicate of his father, but after being chosen by the runt dragon Ruth, the pair overcame their ddisastrousheritage with innate curiosity and a sense of integrity that consistently put them in a position to be saviors of their planet. David Eddings offered Belgarion, a farmboy born of the line of kings, gods and wizards, and when he stupidly asks the question “why me” his grandfather answers simply “who else would you trust to complete this task.”
Everyday hero’s don’t have superhuman or magical powers. Perhaps they exist to perform one task only at just the right moment and die in the attempt, or are lost in obscurity as they continue with ordinary lives. Or perhaps they make a lifetime commitment to heroism; firemen, police, soldiers, doctors and nurses.
Anyone can be a hero at any moment in their life, simply by choosing the path of empathy and integrity.
I hope you enjoyed my take on the WHO’S YOUR HERO BLOGFEST hosted by JL Campbell. Click here for the list of participants and/or to add your own name to the list and write your own post.
23 comments:
It's like superstar athletes. Born with great talent doesn't mean anything because they still have to pursue it in order to become great.
I loved the story of Jaxom and Ruth. I wanted to be an author because of The White Dragon.
I am going to add The Dragon Rider of Pern series to my TBR pile.
there are also heroes whose heroic deeds get unnoticed and unrecognised. Most of ordinary people are unrecognised heroes
Agree with the commenter above - I too find my s/heroes among ordinary people.
Sports and heroes shouldn't even go hand and hand, what do they do? Throw a ball around, wow lol
Hi Donna - heroes are the local volunteers, who are always there for others ...
Then the others that come out of history, or stories ... or as Diane mentioned husbands ... or from the family ...
Cheers Hilary
I agree with Rachna. I'm going to add The Dragon Rider of Pern to my TBR pile too. Thanks for sharing.
Perfect: "Anyone can be a hero at any moment in their life, simply by choosing the path of empathy and integrity." Thanks for a great post!
Heroes come in all sizes and shapes, answering the call, "who else would you trust to complete this task?"
Maybe heroes don't start out being or feeling heroic. But Life and circumstances smack 'em upside the head and says, "Who else..."
Very cool post
Like you, my favorite heroes are the ones who have to choose to be heroes. It's not glamorous and fun. It's hard work, and it's not something to take lightly. Well said.
Dolorah,
I like this sentiment - Anyone can be a hero at any moment in their life, simply by choosing the path of empathy and integrity.
So true, but many of us convince ourselves that we can't make a different when that isn't true.
Alex: exactly
Diane: White Dragon was my introduction into fantasy, and I've been hooked ever since.
Rachna: you'll love all the characters.
Dezzy: those are the best heros :)
Nila: I recognize them when I see them, usually.
Pat: its what they do off the field that will make them heros. I'll use Michael Jordan as an example.
Hilary: I've known a lot of local volunteers, especially volunteer firemen.
Mina: thanks for stopping by.
Margo: that's my philosophy :)
Bish: that quote has given me incentive to do many things that needed attention.
Huntress: yep
Thanks Beers :)
Joy: even if you're effective in small ways, it makes a difference to someone. Thanks for hosting this blogfest.
I love that. Heroes aren't chosen. They choose to rise up and fill the need. Such beautiful thoughts!
Unleashing the Dreamworld
This is really well said! There's this old saying my mom always tells me when she thinks someone is bragging too much: An empty barrel sounds the loudest. I always think about that when I think about what it means to be a hero. I think heroism is about being a hero even when there's a chance no one will know what you've done, and doing it anyway.
Hi D. I believe in everyday heroes who don't know they are such until something happens (an inciting event, only real) and they prove how heroic they are--like jumping into the water to save someone on instinct, forgetting they can't swim.
I'm not participating, so don't bother returning my visit. Will be posting for the IWSG tomorrow. It is NaNo and I'm not even further than planning my second book in a series. (Still gathering up courage to submit my first three chapters of Fijian Princess! Close!)
Denise :)
Hi Donna.
What a great post!
Your opening lines reinforce what I said in my post, that is, it’s easy to underestimate the power of one person’s influence. The truth is that each of us wields far more power than we could possibly imagine. However, most of us have never discovered this—or we have forgotten it.
I also love your thoughts on everyday heroes - as you put it: 'exist to perform one task only at just the right moment and die in the attempt, or are lost in obscurity as they continue with ordinary lives'...this really nails it!
Thank you for participating in the Hero Blogfest!
Wonderful post.
Some people are heroes daily because of their jobs and duties, but there is a hero in all of us when the occasion arises.
Crystal: it helps to see people this way in tough times.
Julie: I love your Mom's saying :)
Denise: You'll do fine with NaNo in the end. And Fijian Princess is screaming to be submitted.
Michelle: I noticed we said about the same things in our posts. Great minds . .
Hi Media :)
Thanks for visiting my blog!
McCaffrey does write great heroes. She wrote another unexpected "everyman" sort of hero in Nerilka's Story. I believe it's the only Pern book told from the perspective of an ordinary Pernese person, not a harper or dragonrider, which was a refreshing twist.
Heroes are made daily, we can all be heroes if we chose to do the difficult thing-- take the road less travelled.
I agree that heroes need to decide to become a hero.
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