"You're my hero!"

I’m not going to lie: I am one of those. You know, one of those girls whose way of thanking people is by saying something along the lines of, “Ohmygosh! You’re my hero!”

I know, I know. So shallow.

In my defense, I don’t say it that often. But just because someone does
a nice deed to help me, I declare them my hero? In that case, I should have at least a good 50 heroes. Too bad I can’t even remember more than 5 of them.

I feel kind of like I am degrading the meaning of a beautiful, sacred word. Sincerity is best maintained by moderation. My frequent use of ‘hero’ takes away the novelty and prestige of the word. And I don’t think it’s only me.

Heroes are an integral part of our culture. As proved by Dana, usually the first heroes who come to mind are the super ones. Superman, Spiderman, Captain Planet, Ironman, The Green Lantern, Catwoman, Batman, The Ninja Turtles. The list goes on and on. You don’t even have to have seen a comic book to know who they are (me being the living proof). Throughout our childhoods (some of us even a bit longer :P), most of us came to idolize these characters or others with similar qualities. Whether they be a superhero or little Lambchop they were oh so dear to us. Though many times mere animated figures flitting across a glass screen, we knew “their names and faces, their words…their values and standards” (X947).

And then we grew up. We learned how to read, we watched more movies, we played video games. Especially in the beginner stages of reading, it seemed like most of the stories had good guy /bad guy motives; in the end, a Prince Charming of a hero comes and saves the day. Even ancient Greek dramas were filled with tragic heroes, but heroes nonetheless. Of course most Hollywood productions appeal to that kid-ish side of us, putting reality in a back seat, and giving us a dreary story and a cheery ending. We all grew up wanting to be the Marios to destroy the Bowsers, the James Bonds to save the world. Hmm...”good job of preparing us to meet the world” (X985)?!?

However cynical my view of heroes seems, I swear it’s not. I actually believe that our culture leads us to drown ourselves in floods of heroes, not only because it is human nature to want to be surrounded by and hear of greatness, but because there is actually a little piece of hero inside all of us. I think that is the reason I’ve told so many people that they were my hero. When our world is experiencing economic turmoil, global
warming, rising cancer rates, and disharmony between multiple cultures, people’s inherent goodness and amazing capabilities are always pleasant reminders that there is hope in the world.

It is not only a few people who have an inherent goodness and amazing capabilities; I think each and every one of us is capable of being absolutely stunning at something. We just have to persevere and persist. I’ve come to realize that the people I idolize, I do so because they are so great at what they do. I’ve also come to realize they are the product of talent, but combined with incredible amounts of hard work. When I was at a John Mayer concert a couple of months ago, I, of course, decided that he was a new god after being mesmerized by his nearly impeccable skill. But the biggest inspiration for me was when he told us (the crowd) about how he really was a dork in high school and achieved his dream by practicing guitar for 6 hours a day. He “freely admit[ed] that it takes preparation and hard work” (X85). He set a goal and never looked back. One thing he said that I loved was how he wasn’t being overconfident or cocky when deciding he was going to be famous one day, but that he was merely “cocooning [himself] in positivity.”

The University is covered in the faded footsteps of its own John Mayers who have also surrounded themselves in positivity. It is incredible to think what has been accomplished. “How did a small town boy” (X988) like Red McCombs give “$50 million to the University’s Business School” (X988)? How in the world did Américo Paredes graduate “summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy within a single year” (X993)? All of these everyday people managed to climb to the greatest ladders of success and become hero material. How did they do it? Just by hard work, determinism, a positive attitude and possibly a little bit of luck.

So, I think I am going to keep telling people that they are my hero. Because they are. We all are. There is something inside all of us which has the ability to fulfill our superhero powers. Every moment our human superhero powers shine through is quite an inspirational moment. Thus, I figure I’ll keep encouraging people by reminding them of how great they truly are – remind them what could lie ahead. Remind them of Alan Bean’s resounding conclusion: “I began to put our more effort and do more, and maybe that’s the story of my life. Because now I realize that you can do what you want to” (X977).