What is a Hero?

by Elizabeth Varian

The American Heritage Dictionary states that a hero is "any man-noted feats of courage or nobility of purpose; especially one who has risked or sacrificed his life. A person prominent in some event, field, period, or cause by reason of his special achievements or contributions."

My hero is Gracie Allen (deceased wife of the recently deceased George Burns). She didn't die trying to save someone, but she was a prominent comedienne and actress. She was a tremendously caring person and did a lot for people. Through the depression, she helped people remember how to laugh. When she was having terrible migraine headaches, she continued to go on stage or sign autographs, because she loved her fans. When she went to adopt her second child, she chose a sickly boy instead of a healthy baby because he needed her (Gracie, A Love Story by George Burns, 1988). Besides being a caring person with a love for others, she was a woman of strength, elegance, charm, wit, and many other qualities that I admire.

I sat down one day and listed Gracie Allen's wonderful qualities. I found that I had a great many of them developed in my own personality (I even tend to have the same way of nonsensical story telling, at times). The other characteristics that I didn't have were one's that I longed to acquire. I learned a lot about myself by describing my hero.

Now, I am not saying that everyone who likes Dennis Rodham is yearning to be a man wearing women's clothing and changing their hair color every week. Qualities he does have, though, is his way of being unique, an individual, someone who doesn't follow the crowd. Who is your hero? What is it about him/her that you admire?

List those characteristics about your hero and learn more about yourself.

I dare you!