Heroes

I was listening to "Christmas in Washington" by Steve Earle recently, and, for those who don't know the song, the tune is not about Christmas or Washington. It is about heroes. Steve Earle mentions many of his heroes. So, naturally, this got me thinking about people that I idolize.

This was not an easy process for me either. I am not sure if it is easy for other people or not. Can most people answer the question "Who are heroes in your life?" without putting some serious thought in it? I wondered for a while if it was lack of education on my part. I do not have as much book learning as I would like. Although I read a great deal, most of what I read is fiction, and thus I can not find real people to be heroes as I do not have the knowledge of real historical figures.

Well, if I do not have the historical knowledge, I should be able to find contemporary people to be my heroes. Even then, it was hard. I started wondering if it was me being egotistical and self centered. I could not see anyone outside of myself as being worthy of being respected that much, but it did not take me long to realize that was not right either. I have a lot of friends that I do envy their intelligence and skills.

I did end up talking to a friend online about her thoughts on heroes. Some of her heroes were family members. She suggested I think smaller. That is when I realized that there are some heroes that have influenced my life.

There may be more, but the ones I can think of right now are John Green, Hank Green (the Vlog Brothers). They are relatively normal people who made something that touched my life and the life of many other people, and created a community where intelligence, creativity and individuality are not only accepted but revered. I can go to their website and remember that I am made of awesome, and remember to smile and have fun in life.

Another hero I know of his Steve Earle as his music has touched my life and made me think more about society and people around me. His songs make me feel, think, and for the first time in my life pay attention to politics which I would much rather ignore. I open my eyes whether I want to or not.

There are other heroes as well. Joe is a hero to me whether he knows it or not. Diane is a heroine, as is Wanda. They know who they are.