Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Purpose of Heroes



Most of us have easily identified a personal hero at some time in our lives. We have admired figures in history, politics, celebrities, mythical icons and even comic book characters. Their magnificent behavior thrilled us and set our imagination on fire. We could imagine ourselves doing such things. Some of us played games as children that allowed us to actually become the hero of our fantasies. It is unfortunate that most of us drop our champions as we grow older.

Tarnished images of the human beings that we admired and impossible super powers of fictitious characters lead us to a vision of a more mundane existence. We learn to accept our limitations and see the flaws of those who rise to great heights. Reality sets in. It is easy to become skeptical and suspicious in a world of investigative reporting and instant news. The luster and sparkle of life become murky. Hero worship can rarely have a good end. There will almost always be a fall from grace. It does not have to be that way.

The qualities and behaviors that we admired in the champion are enduring and meaningful. I used to conduct a regular workshop on the hero at Bridgeway in Brevard, NC. The patients at the facility had given up on life in many ways. It was important for them to regain a sense of possibilities. Participants identified heroes from childhood and later life, both mythical and historic. We laughed and reminisced about them all. Then we erased the names of the champions and replaced them with character traits. We talked about our real opportunities to rise to such heights and behave in valiant ways. We may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but we can step in to stop a bully. We may not be able to see through a wall to find a missing treasure, but we can provide wisdom for those in need. We can be heroic. All we have to do is envision the great deeds of others and rise to the occasion. Now is the time. The world is waiting for us.