Average Joe

As kids, our heroes were Captain America, Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Women, or any superhero for that matter. We would look up to them everyday and say, â€Å"I want to be just like them. † As we get older, our heroes tend to be a knight with shining armor, riding into the sunset with a beautiful woman along side. Other people picture the CEO of a top company, making over ten million dollars a year. Some might even picture an ex-president, or even their teacher. In the end, you’re my hero. You’re not a firefighter, a soldier, or the president. You’re not a police officer, priest, or parent. You’re like me. A person stuck in the everyday grind, 9 to 5, trying to make it through to tomorrow. You don’t know you’re a hero, but you are. To me you give me strength and the hope to live on. For this you are greatly appreciated. You might think, â€Å"How can an average American be considered a hero of mine, if there are killers and greedy people out there that only do harm? † He simply hides in the wood works, basically helping to hold doors, donating here and there, or putting in a few extra hours at work, just like an everyday American would. My hero never fails to finish work for his under-paid, under-appreciated job. Never does my hero complain about being a single parent or working two jobs and still having unpaid bills on the counter. He embraces the fact that he’s doing everything that he can to have a roof over their heads. He’s one of the millions that build this country’s infrastructure. My hero makes an honest living doing a day’s work and asks nothing in return. He puts his life on the line knowing that’s he doesn’t have to and would gratefully do it day by day. He doesn’t donate millions of dollars to charity for a tax break or to get his name on the front page of a newspaper, but when he sees a man in need he offers the coat from his back and continue on. So what makes a hero, heroic? Well what is a hero? Words such as brave, fearless, strong-minded, tough, and being a leader come to mind. So does my everyday hero line up to your average super hero? Yes! The average American has to be brave to face an economic recession such as todays. Does he have courage? One would have to assume to face the daunting task of raising children as a single parent. Doing what ever it takes to get there kids the proper education to become a successful American. If anyone is determined it’s this individual. It takes a lot out of someone to give all they got and seem like no improvement is being made. The determined American has to push on to brighter skies. As a father my hero can’t show anything less than strength because when a father is weak there is no hope for the children to feel empowered. This also ties in to the idea of my hero being a leader. He has to be and he is. I think he qualifies as a hero, don’t you? Superman never put food on your table nor did the Hulk, so why are they the heroes and not you and I? Its human nature to assume a hero has to be larger-than-life. Usually this is true but then we tend to neglect the thousands of â€Å"mini-heroes† we have representing great heroic qualities. Its not always about being able to fly or killing bad guys, its about helping others in need. So the smallest deeds that we do can make a difference in someone’s life. Be grateful for what you do, for you’re not just my hero but someone else’s as well.