Everyone needs to be saved in their life. You could be saved from a fire by a fireman, or
cured from a disease by a doctor. It could also mean someone stayed up all night
with you to fix your broken heart, or let you know that they are worth living.
These people who save are the ultimate heroes. A hero saves people from their
problems, or stands up to something that isn't right. Today with the help of
"superheroes", it seems everyone expects our heroes to be big and muscular,
getting kittens out of trees and beating up robbers. With all of these super
humans, we find people who resemble them as heroes. The term "war hero" makes me
cringe; how could someone who barbarically kills others be seen as a great
leader? To me, the biggest hero is probably a skinny teenager on the internet
talking someone out of suicide-almost the exact opposite of the term most people
use. Maybe a hero is a small old woman making a change in cause she believes in,
like rising prices for her favorite perfume or animal rights. According to the
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a hero is a person who is admired for great or brave
acts or fine qualities. To me, a hero does much more than that.
A hero isn't someone who puts themselves before others, or is cocky and takes all
the credit for something that could've had more than one person involved. Police
officers who take away others rights and don't follow their own rules get
mistaken for heroes, but are actually scum. Some view only people well known to
be heroes, while they could be the most unpopular person. I don't see Gods to
fit under the category of a hero, or most athletes. Sure they can be defined as
good role models, but lack in the closeness of heroes. They can be mistaken for
idols, but an idol only means you look up to them. A hero is someone who cares
enough to make a change and puts others feelings before their own.
Heroes were often men admired for their achievements and noble qualities or great
warriors. Which to me is very different to how I see them. There are the silent
heroes who go unnoticed-who even the ones being helped don't realize they're
there. Then we have the heroes who we know and love-teachers, grandparents,
friends. Each and every type of hero is great, and I owe every ounce of my
happiness to them. Specifically one special
woman.
My grandmother has been the biggest hero in my life. She truly has the largest
heart, and would do anything for someone. Once my parents got divorced, I saw
her more. Not in a physical way, but I saw her for who she is on the inside.
Every day she would pick me up from school and ask how I was doing. I saw it
annoying at the time, but now I have realized those small talks helped me more
than any counseling session I've ever been to. My grandma has helped me out of
many sticky situations; like being caught sneaking out and hanging out with some
friends when I'm not allowed to. She's the only person who always has my back.
My mother and I don't have the best relationship, and constantly are fighting
over irrelevant topics. My grandmother has stood up for me and told my mom how
good of a kid I really am, but being careful not to start up any conflict with my mom.
The only reason she cares to not argue with my mom is because she loves me too much to ruin
her chances of seeing me. She helped me see it would all be okay, and life moves on.
In literature we see many people preforming heroic tasks, and some that don't show
the full meaning. In Homer's The Odyssey, the story revolves around the main
character, Odysseus's journey home from the Trojan War. While most view the
great Odysseus as a powerful hero, and excellent leader, I see him as the exact
opposite. He never put others before himself. For example when Circe warns Odysseus
of what will come he chooses to not let his men know, “I see destruction of your
ship and crew. Though you survive alone, bereft of all companions, lost for
years, you shall come home to find your house filled with trouble"(633-636). He
did not try to reason with Circe, and was only thankful he would be safe. These
innocent men devoted their lives to Odysseus, only to be killed by his foolish
mistakes. He is nowhere close to being a hero. Not only did fail to inform his men they were destined to die,
he constantly put them in harm's way. Odysseus brought his men to a Cyclops' island where they
were clearly not wanted. When they arrived the Cyclops said "You are a ninny or
else you come from the other end of nowhere, telling me, to mind the gods"
(264-265). Odysseus had told the large beast that he demanded respect due to
being a guest, instead of respecting another's ideas and property. The real
Heroes are not selfish, or rule by fear like Odysseus. People look up to
individuals like him because he is "strong", but in all reality he is weaker
than his men. Heroes save rather than let others suffer.
Saving others isn't just sitting back and waiting for change either, it's getting up
and fighting for what you believe in. Dame Adelaide Anderson knew what she
wanted-and how to get there. Being an educated woman in the late 1800's was very
rare, and so was Anderson. This woman was a radical feminist who stood up for
many different causes; in particular child and woman labor, and working
conditions in China (Kew 1). During the industrial revolution these factories
were terrible--Anderson had to do something. She wrote, lectured, and visited
foreign countries. With her knowledge of the subject she became the HM Chief
Lady Inspector of Factories. Then became a member of China's child labor council
(Kew 1). According to a review of one of Anderson's written pieces on The
Spectator Archive, "She describes in plain terms what she saw" (Spectator 1).
This shows she wasn't one to sugar coat facts. A hero cuts off all the less
important fluff and gets to the point if something is wrong in society. She
wasn't afraid to lend out a hand, even if it brought her more trouble than staying quiet.
These heroes usually are quiet, and it makes them seem invisible. Behind the scenes
they are working hard to improve our daily lives. Our world is filled with
unrecognized heroes, and we often mistake the wrong people for heroes. People
like the "all powerful" Odysseus are a prime example of the wrongly named
heroes. Where individuals like my grandmother or Adelaide Anderson really made a
difference in someone-more than you'd think. These are the ultimate saviors, and
I believe rule everything around us. Without these amazing people our society
would crumble. Us--all humans on Earth--often forget about how many of these
heroes are in our lives. Heroes aren't a rare breed, they're all around us. We
just need to look closer.
cured from a disease by a doctor. It could also mean someone stayed up all night
with you to fix your broken heart, or let you know that they are worth living.
These people who save are the ultimate heroes. A hero saves people from their
problems, or stands up to something that isn't right. Today with the help of
"superheroes", it seems everyone expects our heroes to be big and muscular,
getting kittens out of trees and beating up robbers. With all of these super
humans, we find people who resemble them as heroes. The term "war hero" makes me
cringe; how could someone who barbarically kills others be seen as a great
leader? To me, the biggest hero is probably a skinny teenager on the internet
talking someone out of suicide-almost the exact opposite of the term most people
use. Maybe a hero is a small old woman making a change in cause she believes in,
like rising prices for her favorite perfume or animal rights. According to the
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a hero is a person who is admired for great or brave
acts or fine qualities. To me, a hero does much more than that.
A hero isn't someone who puts themselves before others, or is cocky and takes all
the credit for something that could've had more than one person involved. Police
officers who take away others rights and don't follow their own rules get
mistaken for heroes, but are actually scum. Some view only people well known to
be heroes, while they could be the most unpopular person. I don't see Gods to
fit under the category of a hero, or most athletes. Sure they can be defined as
good role models, but lack in the closeness of heroes. They can be mistaken for
idols, but an idol only means you look up to them. A hero is someone who cares
enough to make a change and puts others feelings before their own.
Heroes were often men admired for their achievements and noble qualities or great
warriors. Which to me is very different to how I see them. There are the silent
heroes who go unnoticed-who even the ones being helped don't realize they're
there. Then we have the heroes who we know and love-teachers, grandparents,
friends. Each and every type of hero is great, and I owe every ounce of my
happiness to them. Specifically one special
woman.
My grandmother has been the biggest hero in my life. She truly has the largest
heart, and would do anything for someone. Once my parents got divorced, I saw
her more. Not in a physical way, but I saw her for who she is on the inside.
Every day she would pick me up from school and ask how I was doing. I saw it
annoying at the time, but now I have realized those small talks helped me more
than any counseling session I've ever been to. My grandma has helped me out of
many sticky situations; like being caught sneaking out and hanging out with some
friends when I'm not allowed to. She's the only person who always has my back.
My mother and I don't have the best relationship, and constantly are fighting
over irrelevant topics. My grandmother has stood up for me and told my mom how
good of a kid I really am, but being careful not to start up any conflict with my mom.
The only reason she cares to not argue with my mom is because she loves me too much to ruin
her chances of seeing me. She helped me see it would all be okay, and life moves on.
In literature we see many people preforming heroic tasks, and some that don't show
the full meaning. In Homer's The Odyssey, the story revolves around the main
character, Odysseus's journey home from the Trojan War. While most view the
great Odysseus as a powerful hero, and excellent leader, I see him as the exact
opposite. He never put others before himself. For example when Circe warns Odysseus
of what will come he chooses to not let his men know, “I see destruction of your
ship and crew. Though you survive alone, bereft of all companions, lost for
years, you shall come home to find your house filled with trouble"(633-636). He
did not try to reason with Circe, and was only thankful he would be safe. These
innocent men devoted their lives to Odysseus, only to be killed by his foolish
mistakes. He is nowhere close to being a hero. Not only did fail to inform his men they were destined to die,
he constantly put them in harm's way. Odysseus brought his men to a Cyclops' island where they
were clearly not wanted. When they arrived the Cyclops said "You are a ninny or
else you come from the other end of nowhere, telling me, to mind the gods"
(264-265). Odysseus had told the large beast that he demanded respect due to
being a guest, instead of respecting another's ideas and property. The real
Heroes are not selfish, or rule by fear like Odysseus. People look up to
individuals like him because he is "strong", but in all reality he is weaker
than his men. Heroes save rather than let others suffer.
Saving others isn't just sitting back and waiting for change either, it's getting up
and fighting for what you believe in. Dame Adelaide Anderson knew what she
wanted-and how to get there. Being an educated woman in the late 1800's was very
rare, and so was Anderson. This woman was a radical feminist who stood up for
many different causes; in particular child and woman labor, and working
conditions in China (Kew 1). During the industrial revolution these factories
were terrible--Anderson had to do something. She wrote, lectured, and visited
foreign countries. With her knowledge of the subject she became the HM Chief
Lady Inspector of Factories. Then became a member of China's child labor council
(Kew 1). According to a review of one of Anderson's written pieces on The
Spectator Archive, "She describes in plain terms what she saw" (Spectator 1).
This shows she wasn't one to sugar coat facts. A hero cuts off all the less
important fluff and gets to the point if something is wrong in society. She
wasn't afraid to lend out a hand, even if it brought her more trouble than staying quiet.
These heroes usually are quiet, and it makes them seem invisible. Behind the scenes
they are working hard to improve our daily lives. Our world is filled with
unrecognized heroes, and we often mistake the wrong people for heroes. People
like the "all powerful" Odysseus are a prime example of the wrongly named
heroes. Where individuals like my grandmother or Adelaide Anderson really made a
difference in someone-more than you'd think. These are the ultimate saviors, and
I believe rule everything around us. Without these amazing people our society
would crumble. Us--all humans on Earth--often forget about how many of these
heroes are in our lives. Heroes aren't a rare breed, they're all around us. We
just need to look closer.