DTEB, “LET’S US BE THE HEROES”

We all love heroes.  Some of us even love superheroes.  And probably most of us sometimes fantasize about being heroes or superheroes.

However, perhaps we need to redefine what a hero is.  The words of an old Tina Turner song come to mind:

“Out of the ruins, out from the wreckage
Can’t make the same mistakes this time
We are the children, the last generation
We are the ones they left behind
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change?
Living under the fear, till nothing else remains

We don’t need another hero,
We don’t need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome

Looking for something we can rely on
There’s got to be something better out there.
Mmmm, love and compassion, their day is coming
All else are castles built in the air
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change?
Living under the fear, till nothing else remains.

All the children say,
We don’t need another hero,
We don’t need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome

So what do we do with our lives?
We leave only a mark.
Will our story shine like a light,
Or end in the dark?
Give it all or nothing!

We don’t need another hero,
We don’t need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome

All the children say,
We don’t need another hero,
We don’t need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome”
(the lyrics from “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” the theme song from the movie “Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome”)
But there is another way to think about heroism.  Perhaps the real heroes are simply those who do their jobs, those who fulfill their roles to the best of their abilities every day.
I am reminded of a newly minted graduate from medical school, who invited my wife and me to his graduation party many years ago.  We were making small talk, and I confessed to him that I tried to avoid doctors as much as possible.  Like my dad before me, I had a suspicion that people who ran to the doctor for medicine for every little ache or pain ended up not living as long as they might have.  “I suppose, in view of our increased longevity, I should be more grateful for doctors than I am,” I said.
He looked very thoughtful and said, “Well, doctors may have played some small part in increased longevity, but you probably should thank the garbage men, more than the doctors.”
“Really?!” I said, furrowing my brow.  He didn’t seem to be putting me on.
“Yes, really,” he said.  He continued, “One of the main reasons we are living longer is that there aren’t as many of these terrible plagues that used to wipe out whole families.  And that is mainly because of better sanitation practices.  So, you see, the garbage collectors are the real heroes.”
Ever since then, I’ve had a great respect and appreciation for garbage collectors.  Whenever I see them, I thank them.
So, maybe a hero is just a person who does a necessary job as well as they can.  Are you working as a mine inspector?  Work diligently!  You are a hero!  Do you recruit nurses?  You are a hero!  Do you counsel those with emotional and mental problems?  You are a hero!  Do you teach?  You are a hero!  Do you take care of an aged, cranky mother?  You are a hero!  Do you write blogs?  You are a hero!
Do you do the dishes and make your bed?  You are a hero!  Do you drive defensively and courteously?  You are a hero!  Do you tell the truth, even when it portrays you in a bad light?  You are a hero!
Let’s us be heroes today!