Contents Of A Hero's Lunchbox
Heroes...exactly who (or whom) are heroes? I've seen this word take on too many various meanings through the pages I've read and the stories I hear from others. Your Webster's dictionary would define a hero (or heroine) as "a man (or woman) noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his life". Pondering this truth, if I had to pick the three most heroic acts ever seen or known through my own eyes, they would be Jesus sacrificing Himself to save us all from ultimate sin, Mister Rogers dedicating his entire life to providing the values of love and feeling special to our children, and, finally, all the wonderful youth who get involved and break the canopy of apathy that sadly hovers over much of our society right now, who I still believe, being the optimist I am, can be overcome and lifted.
I may sound like quite the dork saying this, with the fact that the film "Simon Birch" is much different from John Irving's classic "A Prayer for Owen Meany", but it was that scene from the critically-sour motion picture when Simon is sacrificing his 12-year old body from hypothermia to save many children, the priest, and Owen himself when the school bus plunges into the icy lake that has deeply resonated with me. I even cried seeing the movie, and I don't care what critics say: that movie truly touched and changed my life and how I view the true heroes of the world today. One half of my mind tells me our world lacks heroes, because I feel the world has changed, but hasn't evolved much. Hence I'm reminded of when Simon heartily exclaims "...things will be different ... once God makes me a hero." Then, in the other half of my mind, we all have potential to be heroes, when I believe it when John Barth said, "Everyone is necessarily the hero of his (or her) own life story."
"What is a hero without love for mankind?", Doris Lessing once said. This is perhaps the biggest rhetorical question we face each day, yet it is astounding to me how many forget to contemplate it. Between the ages of 6 and 14 when I watched Mr. Rogers every morning on PBS at 6:30 in the morning before going to school with my red lunchbox, I valued his show just because I felt it was right. But now, growing up, I value Mr. Rogers and his show more than ever because I believe, truthfully, holding true to what we learned as children is how we should live as adults, as I believe God made little boys and little girls, not adults, because He believes we should hold true from the start and innocence is what we're born with. Sadly there are corrupt politicians who forget this, or perhaps never even realized this, and even when they rest their hands on the good book, they never truly understood it and that is why bombs are falling and children are crying in our world. Anyone can argue strongly with what a hero is nowadays, just as they would with what "freedom" means, but I truly believe there are heroes still living in this world, plenty of them, just patiently waiting to be identified.
"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.". I believe in what Walter Schirra said, and in fact, what he said also truly changed my life, feeding me with the incentive that we all must love each other like brothers and sisters. I never forget every one of us is imperfect, but if God treats every one of us like sons and daughters, there is no excuse to why we can't set the same example. And that is just my incentive: to identify the world as my family, with everyone being my mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents from every generation, and all my parents-in-law twice removed. And yes, I know my family will have a bigger brother or two that will always pick on me, or perhaps a little sister that loves to taddle-tale, or a father that sometimes is neglectful, yet I can tolerate that as it only makes me stronger and helps e develop into the person I am born to be. We are family, never forget that.
So next time you see your brothers picking on others or making others cry in this world and it bothers you, you must approach them and let them know how you feel. Our politicians, philosophers, preachers, teachers...everyone, are our siblings in spirit, so next time you see one pinch or fight or bomb another, please speak out! That is not pure family conduct and when few of us take action, there is bound to never be a peaceful family reunion. That is how I envision a hero nowadays, a big brother who stands up for his little sister when a bully gives her a hard time, then mediates with the bully and if he doesn't cooperate, simply goes to detention and feels the pity.
Jesus never wore a red cape. Mr. Rogers was never in the Justice League (at least in the DC Comics). Simon Birch in many readers hearts was an angel sent from heaven, who never even flied. There are more heroes than you may think, so greet your neighbors warmly and tuck your children to bed with hugs and a kiss on the forehead.
To me, the real heroes, the real afflatus of all, are all I see walking around and volunteering long hours at KBOO Community Radio, Portland Alliance, etc. to provide a voice for all, whether it is for the youth through the KBOO Youth Collective, or an oasis of pure dissent on Bread & Roses, The Evening News, Proverbial Perspectives, etc. I have nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for all who may be reading this, as well as all the youth who seize the day and follow their spirits, their intuition for the greater good, to harness that voice for the voiceless! Bless you all!
OK, off I go now to catch The Powerpuff Girls! Bubbles is such a cutie! Onward to the Powerpuff Signal, whooooooooossshhh!
Love,
Noah Eaton
Heroes...exactly who (or whom) are heroes? I've seen this word take on too many various meanings through the pages I've read and the stories I hear from others. Your Webster's dictionary would define a hero (or heroine) as "a man (or woman) noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his life". Pondering this truth, if I had to pick the three most heroic acts ever seen or known through my own eyes, they would be Jesus sacrificing Himself to save us all from ultimate sin, Mister Rogers dedicating his entire life to providing the values of love and feeling special to our children, and, finally, all the wonderful youth who get involved and break the canopy of apathy that sadly hovers over much of our society right now, who I still believe, being the optimist I am, can be overcome and lifted.
I may sound like quite the dork saying this, with the fact that the film "Simon Birch" is much different from John Irving's classic "A Prayer for Owen Meany", but it was that scene from the critically-sour motion picture when Simon is sacrificing his 12-year old body from hypothermia to save many children, the priest, and Owen himself when the school bus plunges into the icy lake that has deeply resonated with me. I even cried seeing the movie, and I don't care what critics say: that movie truly touched and changed my life and how I view the true heroes of the world today. One half of my mind tells me our world lacks heroes, because I feel the world has changed, but hasn't evolved much. Hence I'm reminded of when Simon heartily exclaims "...things will be different ... once God makes me a hero." Then, in the other half of my mind, we all have potential to be heroes, when I believe it when John Barth said, "Everyone is necessarily the hero of his (or her) own life story."
"What is a hero without love for mankind?", Doris Lessing once said. This is perhaps the biggest rhetorical question we face each day, yet it is astounding to me how many forget to contemplate it. Between the ages of 6 and 14 when I watched Mr. Rogers every morning on PBS at 6:30 in the morning before going to school with my red lunchbox, I valued his show just because I felt it was right. But now, growing up, I value Mr. Rogers and his show more than ever because I believe, truthfully, holding true to what we learned as children is how we should live as adults, as I believe God made little boys and little girls, not adults, because He believes we should hold true from the start and innocence is what we're born with. Sadly there are corrupt politicians who forget this, or perhaps never even realized this, and even when they rest their hands on the good book, they never truly understood it and that is why bombs are falling and children are crying in our world. Anyone can argue strongly with what a hero is nowadays, just as they would with what "freedom" means, but I truly believe there are heroes still living in this world, plenty of them, just patiently waiting to be identified.
"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.". I believe in what Walter Schirra said, and in fact, what he said also truly changed my life, feeding me with the incentive that we all must love each other like brothers and sisters. I never forget every one of us is imperfect, but if God treats every one of us like sons and daughters, there is no excuse to why we can't set the same example. And that is just my incentive: to identify the world as my family, with everyone being my mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents from every generation, and all my parents-in-law twice removed. And yes, I know my family will have a bigger brother or two that will always pick on me, or perhaps a little sister that loves to taddle-tale, or a father that sometimes is neglectful, yet I can tolerate that as it only makes me stronger and helps e develop into the person I am born to be. We are family, never forget that.
So next time you see your brothers picking on others or making others cry in this world and it bothers you, you must approach them and let them know how you feel. Our politicians, philosophers, preachers, teachers...everyone, are our siblings in spirit, so next time you see one pinch or fight or bomb another, please speak out! That is not pure family conduct and when few of us take action, there is bound to never be a peaceful family reunion. That is how I envision a hero nowadays, a big brother who stands up for his little sister when a bully gives her a hard time, then mediates with the bully and if he doesn't cooperate, simply goes to detention and feels the pity.
Jesus never wore a red cape. Mr. Rogers was never in the Justice League (at least in the DC Comics). Simon Birch in many readers hearts was an angel sent from heaven, who never even flied. There are more heroes than you may think, so greet your neighbors warmly and tuck your children to bed with hugs and a kiss on the forehead.
To me, the real heroes, the real afflatus of all, are all I see walking around and volunteering long hours at KBOO Community Radio, Portland Alliance, etc. to provide a voice for all, whether it is for the youth through the KBOO Youth Collective, or an oasis of pure dissent on Bread & Roses, The Evening News, Proverbial Perspectives, etc. I have nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for all who may be reading this, as well as all the youth who seize the day and follow their spirits, their intuition for the greater good, to harness that voice for the voiceless! Bless you all!
OK, off I go now to catch The Powerpuff Girls! Bubbles is such a cutie! Onward to the Powerpuff Signal, whooooooooossshhh!
Love,
Noah Eaton
posted by FastCompany at 3:13 PM
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