Heroes...Do we need them?

Hi Everyone!

I wrapped up my summer classes with some fabulous recitals and performances. Now I can settle in to preparing for the Fall and catching up on my blogging!

As I have observed these performances and people who have attended them, I wonder – who do these people think are their Heroes? Do they have any Heroes? Do we need Heroes?

I look at our overabundance of media and how easy it is to just go online to “find” something or look up someone. There are also a lot of personalities online in various venues…Facebook, Tumblr,  Instagram etc… There are people who put a certain personality out there and whether it’s true or not, good or bad, end up with people who follow them…look up to them…emulate them. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure. I’ve heard several of my “kids” (students) say they “look up to”, idolize”, “really identify with” some of these online personalities. Now, I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. What I am questioning is with all of these online “Heroes” do we really need any real life heroes? Are people (not just kids) getting the same thing from cyberspace Heroes as real life Heroes?

I guess my question really is:  Do we REALLY need Heroes?

I have talked at length with some of my kids and I have come to the conclusion that whether they are online, virtual Heroes or real life Heroes, we still need them. We still need them and we need to celebrate them.

Of course, after all of this asking around about Heroes, it follows that I have to take a look at myself and see if I have any Heroes. Who do I look up to? What kind of people fit my “Hero Bill”… And while I strive to be completely open on this blog, I’m not going to tell you all of my Heroes. I have some very “Private Personal Heroes” and then some “Public Heroes”.

Some of my “Public Heroes” include relatives… some friends or past co-workers…some people I have never met in person. And to make it even more difficult, I tend to have different “levels” for my Heroes! Here are just a few:

1)      I have an absolutely FABULOUS cousin in the Czech Republic, Zlata, who, in my opinion, can do anything!!!!! She’s smart, funny and did I say smart???

2)      I have an “old” (not really, he’s only a couple years older than me) boss, who taught me just about everything I know about office work and presenting myself in a professional, positive manner. His patience with me while I learned the computer, mortgages and everything else that goes along with that, was infinite!!! We are pretty good friends (although I do not get to see him nearly as often as I’d like), but I still look up to him and consider him one of the smartest men I know. Thanks, Tod Edwards.

3)      Arlene Romaine. Anyone who knows her and sees what she does with her children and family would know exactly what I am talking about. She has home-schooled her children expertly. She is patient and above kind. Her help and guidance when I decided to home-school Hana was incredible. Again, another person I don’t run into nearly enough.

4)      I could go on with my list however; I am just going to finish up my list with one last group of people. That group of people is all of my students…my home voice students, Musical Theatre students, SEASPAR students…each and every one of them are my Heroes. I have seen some of these kids grow from 6 years old to very nice and respectful teens. I have seen some of these guys go through incredible hardships and still persevere. ALL of them have come out on top and are turning into amazing young ladies and young gentlemen. I am seriously lucky to have these guys as my students. They are all my Heroes.

 It’s probably safe to say we no longer believe there are monsters in every closet, under our beds etc… But we still need Heroes. As a society, our need for Heroes has never faded. It has, however, changed in concept. Now the people we champion are soldiers, astronauts, scientists, civil rights activists, people dedicated to helping the poor etc… Ours Heroes define our times and often mimic our times. We define our ideals by the Heroes we choose, which in turn define us. Simply, the Heroes we choose say a lot about who we are. 

Who are YOUR Heroes? And after figuring that out, ask yourself WHY they are your Heroes. What does your choice in Heroes say about you as a person?

Please let me know in my comments section who your Heroes are.  Besides sharing some thoughtful and interesting information about you, it gives a nice shout out to the people who are important to you!!!

Thanks so much for reading. As always Stay Healthy, Eat Well and Be Happy! 

And as John Green always says….”Don’t Forget to be AWESOME!”

**Photo Credit**

Hana Urban

www.Hanaurban.com