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Hero
It’s a word bandied about a lot these days. We have sports heroes, war heroes, everyday heroes and on ad infinitum or ad nauseum, if you will.
The dictionary says:
–noun, plural -roes;
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
4. Classical Mythology .
a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
b. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
5. hero sandwich.
6. the bread or roll used in making a hero sandwich.
Just what does it mean to you? Is it every Tom, Dick or Harry who comes along? Is every person who is in the military a hero? Is every jock a hero? Do we need even more demigods? So what is a hero?
Perhaps it’s just as the Wizard said to the Cowardly Lion:
'As for you, my fine friend, you're a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate delusion that simply because you run away from danger, you have no courage. You're confusing courage with wisdom. Back where I come from, we have men who are called heroes. Once a year, they take their fortitude out of moth balls and parade it down the main street of the city and they have no more courage than you have. But they have one thing that you haven't got - a medal. Therefore, for meritorious conduct, extraordinary valor, conspicuous bravery against Wicked Witches, I award you the Triple Cross. You are now a member of the Legion of Courage.'
Unless of course you’re a sandwich!
(It's still the 8th somewhere.)
It’s a word bandied about a lot these days. We have sports heroes, war heroes, everyday heroes and on ad infinitum or ad nauseum, if you will.
The dictionary says:
–noun, plural -roes;
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
4. Classical Mythology .
a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
b. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
5. hero sandwich.
6. the bread or roll used in making a hero sandwich.
Just what does it mean to you? Is it every Tom, Dick or Harry who comes along? Is every person who is in the military a hero? Is every jock a hero? Do we need even more demigods? So what is a hero?
Perhaps it’s just as the Wizard said to the Cowardly Lion:
'As for you, my fine friend, you're a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate delusion that simply because you run away from danger, you have no courage. You're confusing courage with wisdom. Back where I come from, we have men who are called heroes. Once a year, they take their fortitude out of moth balls and parade it down the main street of the city and they have no more courage than you have. But they have one thing that you haven't got - a medal. Therefore, for meritorious conduct, extraordinary valor, conspicuous bravery against Wicked Witches, I award you the Triple Cross. You are now a member of the Legion of Courage.'
Unless of course you’re a sandwich!
(It's still the 8th somewhere.)