Everyday heroes are what makes this country great
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, September 26, 2001
I listened to Ray Charles sing &uot;America the Beautiful&uot; the other morning.
Wednesday, September 26, 2001
I listened to Ray Charles sing &uot;America the Beautiful&uot; the other morning. It gave me a lump in my throat. Then I listened to Kate Smith’s rendition of &uot;God Bless America.&uot; My eyes grew misty. I love this country. I love the people who live in this country. Like most us of us, I don’t just live in America, it lives within me. It is a land filled with heroes. I once asked my father what was the biggest event, other than family things in his life. Without hesitation, he answered, &uot;Pearl Harbor.&uot; When I asked him why, he told me that it was because of all of the heroes.
I have taught classes in which I have asked students to name the five wealthiest people in the world, the last five Super Bowl MVPs, ten actors who have won an Academy Award and ten Grammy winners. How do my students do at this exercise? They are terrible at it. Very few are able to name more than two or three of the thirty names. These people are all famous, but we have difficulty remembering who they are. I then ask my charges to name five teachers who make them want to learn, five people who have taught them something good that is worth knowing, ten friends or family members who have helped them through a tough time and ten people who they enjoy spending time with. How do the students do in this assignment? They do very well-often too well, writing down more names than I asked for. Why does this happen?
It is a simple lesson for us all. The people who make a difference in our lives are not the rich, the famous or the ones with the most awards. The people who make a difference in your life and in my life are the ones who care.
Take this day to hug those you love and tell them that you love them. Write a note or make a phone call to someone who has made a difference in your life and tell him or her that he or she has made a difference. Be remembered by showing someone that you care.
I realize that athletes, businessmen, singers, and actors can be heroes. We have a tendency to make them so. I hope that they all strive to be the kind that we all can look up to. I also know that we all have learned that true courage is demonstrated regularly by ordinary people rising above hopeless situations. Ordinary folks who show us that they care.
We all watched transfixed as the firefighters, police officers and emergency workers risked their lives by rushing fearlessly into burning buildings on the East Coast to save the lives of others. They are all heroes. We watched our TV sets as people arrived at the site of the national tragedy to provide food, blood, clothing and money. They are all heroes. Those who serve in our military and sacrifice much to keep us free are heroes. Those who remember others in their prayers – they are heroes, too. All these people are what makes this country the greatest country on earth. We don’t have to look very far to find heroes. Do not doubt for a second that our local firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel would do the same. I live in a rural area and can testify to the bravery of volunteer firemen. They are all heroes. The medical professionals who perform daily miracles are heroes. Our teachers who teach our children to be better than what they see on the news and our clerics who help us make sense of what troubles us – they are heroes. But we don’t even have to look that far to find a hero. If you want to see a hero, look in a mirror. Become a keeper of hope.
Why not help the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the United Way, a church, a school, a service club or any number of other wonderful organizations? It is easy to volunteer and someone is always looking for help. Volunteering will make you a better person and it will keep this country great. Share a smile with everyone you see. Stop and visit someone at a nursing home. Such a visit will do you good. And you know what? If you do any of these things, you will show you care and you will make a difference. You will be a hero.
Thanks to you and others like you, the eagle still flies high and America is still the beautiful.
Hartland resident Al Batt writes columns for the Wednesday and Sunday editions of the Tribune.