My turn: True heroes found closer than you'd think
Luke Finster
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Perspective
The words "role model" and "hero" are thrown around pretty often in today's society.
People look up to athletes like Lebron James because he can impressively dunk a basketball.
People view Peyton Manning a role model because of the many game-winning drives he has led on the football field.
But what makes what these people so worthy of being called a role model?
Just because a person can throw a ball down a field doesn't make them a role model. Angelina Jolie may earn millions a picture but does that make her deserving of being called a role model.
In looking for heroes and role models, people should step away from the television and movie theaters and look at some of the actions of our own neighbors.
Many people may look up to an actor who plays a war hero on the big screen. The true living heroes are the millions of veterans out there who risked their lives to protect all of our freedoms.
From the thousands who died storming Normandy on D-Day to the famous soldiers who raised the flag on the mountains on Iwo Jima after defeating the Japanese, these men were real heroes.
The heroes are the teachers who see potential in every student and give all their heart in seeing them succeed and who spend their own money on supplies so their students have opportunities to learn in the classroom.
Role models are the thousands of people who rushed to the Gulf Coast to assist total strangers who had their lives destroyed after Hurricane Katrina.
Heroes are the people out there who work without complaint to provide for their family at home. They're the people who work two jobs just so their children can have food on their plate and shoes on their feet.
A hero in my opinion is anyone who strives to positively impact others.
Personally, I do not have to look far for role models to look up to.
While I personally I love NASCAR, I don't find my heroes in the drivers who buckle up each weekend and go 200 miles per hour around the racetrack.
People look up to athletes like Lebron James because he can impressively dunk a basketball.
People view Peyton Manning a role model because of the many game-winning drives he has led on the football field.
But what makes what these people so worthy of being called a role model?
Just because a person can throw a ball down a field doesn't make them a role model. Angelina Jolie may earn millions a picture but does that make her deserving of being called a role model.
In looking for heroes and role models, people should step away from the television and movie theaters and look at some of the actions of our own neighbors.
Many people may look up to an actor who plays a war hero on the big screen. The true living heroes are the millions of veterans out there who risked their lives to protect all of our freedoms.
From the thousands who died storming Normandy on D-Day to the famous soldiers who raised the flag on the mountains on Iwo Jima after defeating the Japanese, these men were real heroes.
The heroes are the teachers who see potential in every student and give all their heart in seeing them succeed and who spend their own money on supplies so their students have opportunities to learn in the classroom.
Role models are the thousands of people who rushed to the Gulf Coast to assist total strangers who had their lives destroyed after Hurricane Katrina.
Heroes are the people out there who work without complaint to provide for their family at home. They're the people who work two jobs just so their children can have food on their plate and shoes on their feet.
A hero in my opinion is anyone who strives to positively impact others.
Personally, I do not have to look far for role models to look up to.
While I personally I love NASCAR, I don't find my heroes in the drivers who buckle up each weekend and go 200 miles per hour around the racetrack.
Be the first to comment on this story