Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Heroes— Faux or Fearless



Courage is not the towering oak 
that sees storms come and go;
It is the fragile blossom 
that opens in the snow.
Alice Mackenzie Swaim

Not only the news, but also all fiction (save some literary strains) focuses on active heroism. Rescue someone from a fire, face a serial killer, stand up to a bully and punch ‘em back, and a story worth the readers’ time is also deemed worth telling.

Thus, we lose the heroes of everyday that are all around us. Those who carry on while others give them nary a glance, those who continue to think independently in times and places where pressure to conform is overwhelming. As they remain authentic, they do not convert this independence to a ruckus riot.

And most of all, those who retain their creativity and humanity while humbly considering others’ feedback, but not breaking under the weight of negation.

So many of the people in my life are heroes. I salute them. Maybe we should write more stories about them. The quiet blossoms in the snow.




5 comments:

Evelyn said...

An excellent reminder, dear friend. Thank you for being one of those who sets an example of heroism in my life.

Vijaya said...

Lovely post! I often think of St. Joseph, silent, doing what has to be done to protect Mary and Jesus.

Barbara Etlin said...

Well said!

This is an example of the ordinary hero doing extraordinary things type of story. (In Save The Cat categories, it would be Dude with A Problem). Not every protagonist needs to be a superhero.

Kelly Hashway said...

Yes! I love all the "not all heroes wear capes" stories. There are a lot of heroes in the world.

Mirka Breen said...

For showing up *here* to salute the quiet heroes, y'all are heroic in my story.