unheroic

The heroic nature is dying, de-idolized, regarded mockingly. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ that says “The day will come that people will call good bad and bad good.” I think among other things this condoning of heroism is one small part of that. What is a hero? Most of the time hero is thought of as superhero. I thought the idea of Pixar’s Incredible is enlightening, the idea of suing a superhero…what a self-centered, one-track world we live in. And you know if superheroes existed today they would be sued. It is sad that there exists in this world people whose soul purpose seems to be to go around finding things to sue people for.

something to offer

Kids are spellbound by peoples of authority, peoples in uniform. They are eager to ask their parents “Mommy, who is that man?” or “Daddy, why is that man wearing that?” Policemen, firefighters, soldiers and pilots, there is a certain wonder and awe of a uniform- especially one that sticks out in a crowd. To the pure and childlike eye the uniform embodies a hero. Power, authority and influence. It represents, as it should, the values of honor, devotion, and sacrifice.

What do you offer? What can you offer such an awe struck impressionable child? These days there are so many self serving ill-intending people in the world that it is hard to offer any act of shear kindness anymore without arising a cautious suspicion- especially in the eyes of loving parents of the young. I remember as a child receiving Delta Wings from a lady in a Delta Airlines uniform as I went to the airport with my parents to deliver a sibling to his waiting flight.

As I traveled recently I met such a curious little kid. Is a handshake and a greeting enough? Is there something more to offer? Something to let him know he can believe in heroes? I don't begin to consider myself a hero but that is what the uniform represents. When a policeman is seen in uniform every action reflects that force- not just the individual. Every time a soldier is seen in uniform she is praised for the ideals she is living and the efforts of all people, past present and future, who choose to wear that same uniform.

So what is there to offer?

flash of genius

Here is my synopsis- it is a true story yes, but it is not a heroic story. Who is the real villain? who is the hero? Sure he won the case to correct the record and defeat big business, but at what expense? So who is the hero? He is no hero; I would say there is none. And what kind of story is it without a hero? Is a sad story worth telling? What kind of moral should I expect my kid to take from this? It is okay to sacrifice my life, my love, if in the end I come out the winner? It is okay as long as I triumph over the corporate giant? No, when the dust settles there is no winner, just a loser and a loser with a lot of money. Perseverance is important but not at the expense of responsibility. Our hero seeks to restore, or gain integrity, the whole time eroding it from the inside. I may be wrong but I would say that he is his own villain. Obsession is detrimental. You might get what you wanted in the end but you wanted the wrong thing.

I guess in the end the movie says to me, “a lot of money and 'setting the record straight' is worth more than 12 years of your life, your loyalty to your family and the love of your wife.”

...and that is the world we live in.

superheroes

Kids rarely know what is good for them. Personally as a kid I wasn’t too bad (I think so anyway, hopefully my parents feel the same way.) I took my baths, I ate my veggies, I went to bed; I wasn’t the best at school work. Anyway, that’s not the point, what I had the most trouble with, along with most of my brothers, was Dad. My dad was a big-bearded, scary-looking, redheaded, work enforcing, terrifier of youth. I was certainly scared of him. I recall thinking of him at times as a slave driver, and guess who the slave was. Oh yeah. Not fun. I was mowing lawns before I was as tall as the lawn mower. Weeding flowerbeds, painting fences, clearing debris, hauling firewood, you name it, never was there nothing to do. My brothers and I were not interested. We felt we had better things to do; climbing trees, watching TV, video and computer games, reading books, playing with friends, whatever little boys like to do.

Fortunately I grew up. I realized my dad was not what I imagined him to be. I realized that I had no idea what was good for me. I know now that my dad knew what he was doing and I am extremely thankful for him. He has become my example, my idol. He is my everyday superhero. I have not read of any superhero that can match my dad in ability, achievement, knowledge, bravery, fortitude, valor, or genuine greatness. My dad tops them all. Though my childhood may have not been full of fun and games it was full of learning and experience. As an adult I understand and cherish my dads foresight in limiting what I thought then was good for me. Elbert Hubbard is accredited with saying, “Where parents do too much for their children, the children will not do much for themselves.” I am forever thankful to my dad for not doing too much for me as I see my peers who were not fortunate enough to have a superhero dad. Dads truly are real life superheroes. To the child’s eye they seem indestructible. They know everything, and seem at times to be capable of anything. It is unfortunate that some kids grow into a clouded perception of his or her father. I love my superhero dad and am glad I am one of the lucky few to consider him my father. May each of us remember our dads as the superheroes we once held them to be. Happy Father’s Day Pops!