I sometimes wonder if we've become a generation without heroes. And, if so, I wonder when, exactly, that happened. When did so many of us decide to turn a cynical eye toward the world and nearly everybody in it? And now that 8-year-olds have mastered the art of detached cynicism, will anyone aim to be just like...someone admirable?
When I was 8, I thought Scottie Pippen was the coolest. I entered a writing contest he sponsored and won a T-Shirt that told me in bright neon letters that I should work hard, dream big, play fair, give my all, go for it. I never once thought those encouragements were trite or hypocritical. Working hard worked for Scottie Pippen, so why would it not work for me?
Was I naive? Or are heroes truly valuable for kids...and adults, too, for that matter? And what do we do when the traditional heroes of old--sports stars, musicians, presidents, astronauts--let our kids, and us, down? Do we need to be choosier about who qualifies as a hero? Or is it better to claim no heroes and avoid the crushing disappointment when they fall?
Maybe heroes are less human and more quality. But how do you, how does a kid, aim to be like the quality of hard work or morality or generosity without seeing that quality encapsulated in a human, in a hero?
I, for one, want my heroes back. I want to have a dozen answers to this question my mom and I were tossing around at breakfast this morning: If you could invite any historical figure (other than Jesus, from ancient or recent history) who has had an impact on your life to share your Thanksgiving meal, who would you invite? Who would you want to thank for the impression, big or small, that they made on you?
I have a few heroes I would invite, but it's less than I'd like, so I'm going to start looking for heroes again. I'm going to look for everyday heroes, and I'm going to work on being less cynical about the people who could be heroes if I'd stop making snide remarks and give them a chance.
And in the meantime, I'm going to work hard, play fair, pump others up, and give it my all. I'm going to leave it all on the court, as they say. And perhaps some other day I'll blog about how much I really, really like sports cliches...
4 comments:
My heros are mostly from books and music. Ruling out biblical figures and people who're still alive, I'd invite Francis & Edith Schaeffer, J.S. Bach, J.R.R. Tolkien, Johannes Kepler, Martin & Katherine Luther, John Calvin, Thomas Chalmers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Leo Tolstoy, Nathaniel Bowditch, Anne Bradstreet, Anne Steele, Catherine Winkworth, Johann Crüger, Louis Bourgeois, Abraham Kuyper, Herman Ridderbos, H. R. Rookmaaker, Sophie and Hans Scholl, Madeleine L'Engle, Arthur Ransome, T.S. Eliot, the troubadour who wrote Beowulf (if anybody knows who he or she was), and both my grandpas.
Joel! What a great list of heroes!!! This makes me smile :).
Have you read "Bonhoeffer" by Eric Metaxas? My dad just finished it and said it's really good. It's on my reading list.
I really like Madeleine L'Engle as well, and both my Grampas would also make my list.
Hudson Taylor is definitely up there for me, too. I read his autobiography about 4 times when I was young.
Thanks for sharing! I need to look into some of these heroes of yours...
Hannah...you're my hero. Some of my fondest memories are of you in the Kearney house looking for your half and half in the fridge and looking up at me, asking sincerely, "How are you?" and waiting for my reply. I think a lot of people are afraid to do that and that simple gesture is heroic to people who need to know that someone cares and invites bravery on the other party's part to honestly answer. I hope that you never underestimate the earth-shattering difference that your humility and compassion have on the people you encounter. It's this character that will encounter a situation that the world may one day view as heroic, but God had formed and molded way before it was required, a la Karate Kid. Wax on, wax off.
Why, thank you, Crystal! Ohhh, the Kearney house. Such good times. And I love that your comment included a compliment (a very appreciated and encouraging compliment, at that), a mention of rummaging in the fridge for half-and-half, and a Karate Kid reference. Sure have loved being near you again!
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