heroes on heroes

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“A hero is a scared man that don’t walk away.”

—

Keni Thomas

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Well.

Today is Veteran’s Day.

A day where we reflect upon heroes and heroic events and the people who chose to be in a position to be heroic.

And, today, I will pay them my respect by … well … not calling them heroes.

Yup.

Here me out.

Once you get beyond the idealistic view of what a hero is … and ignore how flippantly media tosses the nomenclature around … it helps to hear what heroes have to say about heroes.

Like what Edward “Babe” Heffron <May 16, 1923 – December 1, 2013> said:

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“I want people to know we’re not heroes.

We did our duty, just like sixteen million others who fought in the war.

Everyone, including the families, sacrificed in some way.

The kids who didn’t come home are the heroes.

They’re the ones who gave their lives.

Their parents are the heroes, because they gave a child.”

—

Heroes are human.

They aren’t the cinematic ‘super- whatevers’ who have some absurd <but cool> abilities so far out of the realm of possibility that they are science fiction rather than some ‘possibility if I work hard enough.’

The only thing that could even qualify as ‘heroic’ in cinema is the sense of good versus evil … what I would call “simply doing the right thing.”

But even then … that is not heroic.

That is simply doing your job.

Meeting expectations.

Doing good in the face of evil.

Doing what is expected of you.

Look.

Here is a Life truth.

Within all of us ordinary people reside a coward … and a hero.

Most of us wander thru life wondering which we are … hoping we would be heroic in the moment of need.

We wonder about the choice should it be thrust upon us.

And here is why Veterans deserve our admiration and respect.

They have made the choice. The choice to be in the moment. They have elected to not let Life thrust it upon them but rather have chosen to increase the odds to face what resides within them.

Is that heroic in and of itself?

Maybe.

In a way.

Would someone who has served suggest it was a heroic choice?

Absolutely not.

They signed up.

They did a job.

They did the best they could in the circumstances they were in.

I know many who have served in the military. Some with so many medals you wonder if there is a chest big enough to wear them all.

These are ordinary people who have chosen to do extraordinary acts.

And when you meet most of them the first thing you typically note is their ordinariness. The majority are smart, thoughtful, disciplined, respectful … and ordinary.

They rarely refer to any medal they have earned or action they have taken as anything but ‘it was my job’ … or ‘it was what I was supposed to do.’

Frankly … heroes don’t talk about themselves as heroes or doing anything heroic.

Oh.

How I wish people in business would act the same. <sigh>

Regardless.

Today, veteran’s day, I give my thanks to those who have served, and still serve, in the military here and around the world.

And I will show my respect by … well … not calling them heroes.

They made a choice to join the military.

They made some choice at some point to do their job … of which everyone else refers to it as heroic.

They made these choices as ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

Oh.

How I wish all of us could be so heroic.

To these extraordinary ordinary people we owe much more than thanks … we owe them respect.

Should we thank them for making the choice to serve?

Sure.

Maybe.

It’s a choice. A personal decision.

Thanking those people feels slightly hollow to me.

But.

Should we show them respect?

Absolutely.

That is the ultimate reward for someone who deigns to make a real Life choice.

So, today, feel respect … and maybe show some respect … for the extraordinary ordinary people who made the choice to serve your country.

Even better.

Do it every day.

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“We are all ordinary. We are all boring.

We are all spectacular. We are all shy.

We are all bold. We are all heroes.

We are all helpless.

It just depends on the day.”

—

Brad Meltzer

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