You Can be My Hero

The word 'hero' is defined thus:

A person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities

Now, I might be in a minority, but I think hero is one of the most over-used words in the English language. Open most newspapers and the word is used several times to describe all sorts of people ranging from someone who wades into a river to rescue an injured swan to the "have a go hero" who (in my opinion, stupidly) hangs on to their belongings when they get mugged. Courageous, maybe; even brave, but I think one type of real hero is someone who doesn't perform an act of spontaneous reaction but tolerates an intolerable situation (usually without a soul knowing about it).

Soldiers injured or killed in combat are hailed as heroes. They aren't heroes, unless sacrificing themselves to save others, but professionals reacting to a job for which they have been trained. My son has just been accepted into the Police and my initial pleasure at him realising a life's ambition is now tempered with the realisation that he will, at several points in his career, be in real danger. Perhaps he will be hailed as a hero but I know that he would be the first to acknowledge that he will merely be performing his role.

I know several people who, due to their own particular circumstances, have an existence full of unhappiness and frustration. They have responsibilities, they have dependants who rely upon them, they have lives they want to lead but, most important of all, they have a determination to get through.... to carry on. Sure, there are times when you want to give up: times when you just don't want to carry on. But you do. No whingeing, no dramatics, no revelling in the despair. That is a special type of courage and personal heroism.

The parent, son or daughter who tirelessly devotes their life to a disabled relative is a hero. They do it out of love and at a not inconsiderable cost to themselves. In the same way that the courageous soldier sacrifices his life, they also do the same albeit in an unsung way.

Coping with a terminal illness, displaying dignity in the face of adversity, working quietly for what we believe in. A lot of people have a bit of unsung hero in them, I guess

I'm not really putting this very well. I suppose I just wanted to say that heroism isn't necessarily a defined act; it's sometimes a state of being where, perhaps, people find an inner strength and courage to fight for what is the "right" thing to do. Often, it's only after an event that people realise that they have had that courage.

Maybe we ought to ban the word or, at the very least, redefine it. The trouble is, heroism is a very personal thing and its definition varies from person to person. Be somebody's hero.......but start off by being your own.