Alright, so that's one of my heroes. They come in all shapes and sizes. Let's hear about some of yours.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Heroes
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Bruce Lee, which is interesting since I've never actually watched any of his movies. I have read about him and seen an interview with him (one of the few he ever did in English). The thing I think is so fascinating about him is the constant drive he had. People were mesmerized by things he could do that, frankly, are humanly impossible for 99% of us even now. But, what about him keeps fans reading his Wikipedia page? What is it about him that keeps us interested? It could be that his story is over, ending just as his figurative star was rising. No long, dull decline of his abilities. No Bruce Lee feeble and gray. He will forever be cast as young and indomitable. It's not a far jump to go from the 'real Bruce Lee' to the 'fictionalized Bruce Lee'. This idea is the beauty of literature and writing. Our heroes never grow old, so to speak. They're available to us in spite of our personally changing circumstances. Although, Bruce was a real person, he's more of a characterization to me, an ideal from which to draw into life a literary being.
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My hero is whoever can provide an entire night's sleep for me. Did I mention I have a two month old? :)
ReplyDeleteI know that this will sound cliche, but my father is one of my heroes. I watched him do amazing things. As a volunteer fireman, he stomped out a brush fire with his large shoe. I had a front seat for that one since I was riding on his shoulders at the time. He caught sharks, ripped the door off a vehicle to save a woman in a crash, flew airplanes. He flew me safely through a thunderstorm in a small aircraft when I was four years old. Life with him was high adventure.
ReplyDeleteThen I saw him become very human and fallible and I endured and witnessed many mistakes he made. Now as his body grows old and I grow through my own trials in life, he has managed to climb back to hero status. His wisdom and kindness and the strength of his heart, which was the true power that drove the heroic deeds of his youth, inspire me.
In literature, I think sometimes we can sell a hero short if we focus too much on the deeds and not enough on the enduring qualities that make them possible. May all of our heroes grow old gallantly, possessing wisdom and honor.
Deb you are funny. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd wow Donna, that was beautiful!
I can't top those, but some of my heroes (literary) are Jane Austen for being a fantastic writer, as well as being a strong woman in a society that didn't value strong women, and Atticus Finch - a great character in what I consider the greatest American novel to date.
To go along with Atticus, I think anyone who stands up for what is right in the face of persecution is a hero. And, finally, our Founding Fathers, those who have fought, and those who continue to fight for this great country.
Chuck Norris. No one messes with the CN. In fact, I heard a story of a guy whose story kept getting robbed in Asia somewhere, and he finally put up a poster of Chuck Norris, which said, "This Store Is Under the Protection of Church Norris." Never had any problems with crime since. True story.
ReplyDeleteFunny how Bruce Lee taught Chuck everything he knows. ;)
ReplyDeleteDo a google search of "Find CHuck Norris"
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