Christopher Reeves as ‘Superman’
I like stories about real people. Maybe not the ‘famous’ people as much as just people like you and me.
I like stories about regular folks who have discovered something new or different that makes life easier for others. George Washington Carver was born a slave in the US South, yet he educated himself and ended up teaching poverty-stricken sharecroppers how to rotate crops and over 300 new inventions for the lowly peanut. Wow.
George Washington Carver
Then I like hero stories. Average, nothing-special people who have responded to an extraordinary circumstance in a way that is above and beyond our everyday life. Dick and Judy Hoyt come to mind. They never gave up on their severely disabled son, Rick. Because of this Rick was able to communicate, graduate from college and participate in over 1,130 endurance events (think marathons and triathlons) thus inspiring millions of people. He raised the bar of expectations for millions of severely handicapped individuals and their caretakers. Impressive.
Team Hoyt in marathon
I also love stories about animals. Now, I can’t watch movies where an animal dies, especially at the end. Oh my, way too emotional for me! I also cannot stand stories where an animal goes through abuse, even if in the end they find a wonderful home environment. Black Beauty? I made the mistake of reading that because it is a classic. Never again. And don’t even talk to me about Old Yeller!
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Animals can be heroes too. I am in awe of Binti Juwa, an 8 year old Western Lowland gorilla who rescued a young boy that fell into her enclosure at a Chicago area zoo. Not only did she protect him from other gorillas, but she safely carried him to the door for her keepers to care for him. Another wow.
Western Lowland Female gorilla
Do you know an ‘ordinary’ hero? I’m willing to bet you do. Heroes come in all sizes, shapes, ages and colors. Most of them do not wear capes (tights are optional). Generally heroes do not think of themselves as heroes. A classic answer from them is “I just did what needed to be done. I didn’t think about it.” Perhaps that is a key to what forms a real hero. They don’t think about being famous or getting a lot of money or recognition. Many of them shy away from any public accolade.
Bondi Beach, Australia
Ahmed al Ahmed was at a beach in Australia on Dec 16, 2025. He owns a fruit shop, and has 2 kids. Pretty average. Only on this day he saw a gunman shooting people - 15 of them died. Dozens were injured. Think about that. A shop keeper. A dad. A gunman actively shooting a gun at people. First inclination? Run away! Hide! But not Ahmed. He jumps the guy, wrestles with him and takes the gun away. Oh, AND he gets shot twice in the process. He did not stop to think of consequences. He did not weigh the pros and cons of approaching a man shooting a gun. He just reacted.
Ahmed al Ahmed wrestling gun away from shooter
He just ‘did what had to be done’.
Why?
I think heroes and yet-to-become heroes have some basic things in common. They know right from wrong. Hurting other people or animals is wrong. Helping others is right. It seems today so many people step on others so they can climb higher. A little backstabbing? Well, that’s okay if it helps me. A small insider trading tip? That’s not going to break or make a company, it’s just a little thing that puts a little extra $$ in my pocket. No one gets hurt - not really. Besides, if you were smart enough you would do the same thing. Right or wrong can vary with the situation, right? I mean, everyone’s doing it.
I repeat, heroes know right from wrong.
Good from bad.
Now, there’s knowing something, and then there’s the doing. I may know that kicking a dog is wrong. It is a bad thing to do. However if I see that abuse, and just walk away, I am participating in that abuse. I am agreeing with the bad by doing nothing to stop it. If I truly believe that kicking an animal is wrong, then I will not allow it to happen without intervening. I think so many people get this part wrong.
“It’s not my problem.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“That’s someone else’s job to take care of.”
“Why try? I’d just get in trouble.”
“What difference can one person make?”
A hero sees a wrong, and acts.
Nicholas Winton was a British stockbroker working in Czechoslovakia in 1939. He saw the Nazi party rise to power. He saw the train cars jammed with ‘undesirable’ people - Jews, gypsies, priests & nuns - anyone who the Nazi party determined to be less than perfect for their New Society Order. He was just an ordinary man who knew right from wrong, and what he saw he knew was wrong. What could one man do? It would be dangerous to himself. The Nazis did not take lightly anyone who opposed their ideologies and practices. But Nicholas Winton was a hero in disguise. So he did something.
By the end of the war, he had rescued 669 children; sending them to safety and life. The war ended. He married and started a new life. He never said anything about the children or his part in the rescues. One day his wife found some old scrapbooks of his - and in them he had detailed everything he had done along with name after name of children he had saved. The world was about to hear about a true hero. A simple man who knew right from wrong, and could not sit back and watch evil win against good. So he acted.
Heroes also value life. In today’s world too many people are ‘throw-away’ people. A human life is a thing to be wasted if it is in your way to success. Our life becomes more valuable than anyone else’s. Those starving children in Haiti? That’s really sad, but doesn’t have anything to do with me. I’m never going to meet one. And I need every penny I make to love the life I want.
But heroes know that every life has worth.
Even if that means they lose their own life.
Dave Sanders was a teacher at Columbine High School, Colorado, USA. He was a father and a grandfather. When he heard gunshots he didn’t hesitate, he started directing students and employees to safe exits. Then he went out into the hallway to warn more people, where he encountered 2 gunmen. He was shot and they moved on. He managed to climb up to the 2nd floor and helped students barricade themselves inside a classroom, the entire time bleeding from his wounds. The students did what they could, but Mr. Sanders eventually bled to death while waiting for help to come. It is estimated that he saved the lives of over 100 people by directing them to safety.
Mr. Sanders thought the lives of others had value, even at the expense of his own.
Let’s look at that again. Dave Sanders heard gunshots. He knew what they were, and he immediately, without hesitation, began directing students and others to safety. He did not follow them. Instead he went in the direction of the gunshots. He went towards danger, not away from it. Why? To warn other people. To try and keep safe other children, not himself. Even after being mortally wounded, he still thought of others. He still moved forward to try and save more lives.
That’s what heroes do. They value all life, not just their own, even to the point of losing their own life.
More than awesome.
Heroes are not fearless. They do not necessarily have a huge amount of courage. Some of them are not really very nice people, overall. But in a moment of crisis their better self shows through. When they look beyond past life choices and expectations, they may do an heroic action. Will they miraculously become a perfect person and live a good life from then on? Maybe not. If you look closely, many heroes have smudges and stains and do not wear halos. Heroes are not perfect. They get scared. They may hesitate before acting.
But the point is, in the end they make the right choice. They do ‘what needs to be done’ in a time of crisis.
One more story, about two heroes.
Valley Springs Manor for elderly and mentally ill patients is a facility in California.
2013
The owners abruptly close, and stop paying the employees. Logically, everyone leaves.
Leaves 16 round-the-clock care patients that is.
Except Maurice Rowland, a cook
and Miguel Alvarez, a janitor.
‘I couldn’t live with myself if I had just left them alone.’
These two men cared for 16 elderly and dependent people for 2 days. They administered medicine, provided food and basic care. Just the 2 of them, with no expectation of getting paid or reimbursed. For over 48 hours with no outside help, and very little sleep.
That’s a hero.
Actually, that’s two heroes.
Because of their selfless act, a state law has been passed to protect the fragile and helpless from elder abuse such as these 16 people experienced.
Basically, these 2 men saved their lives.
(The rest of the story: the fire department and local sheriff stepped in and took over after 2 days. The owners were charged with elder abuse.)
I hope I have encouraged you to think about the heroes that have touched your life. Perhaps it’s time to let someone know that they are a hero.
‘Til next time,
inkspired
A few websites I looked at while researching this blog, in no particular order:
Pinterest
TeamHoyt.com
Wikipedia
npr.org
History.com
storycorps.org
Sciencehistory.org
