Moments Of Happy

Is There Really One Hero?

I wrote this essay for a class and I just thought that it was something I should share

I modified it so it was more interesting :)

            Answering the question, who is your hero, is something every student is asked to do at some point. Most people say their mom or dad, or someone famous they think is cool, however for me it took me a little longer to pick someone. When I think of a hero, my mind automatically goes to someone who would put themselves in front of a bullet to save someone else. Many people can be a hero whether they can fly, have super speed, or can talk someone out of taking their life. A hero could even be someone who makes a sick child's dream come true. Every doctor who works hard to make the lives of others better, every fireman who risks their life to save others, every teacher who helps their students reach their dreams, and every parent who works hard to help their child live their best life, is a hero.

I've always had trouble answering essays like this because I don't necessarily have a hero. I've concluded that there is not specifically one person who I would call "my hero". I could say my mom is a hero because she works every day to put food on our table and provides for us so we can do the things we love, but I believe there are so many other people who are heroes too. Committed teachers work every day to help their students do their best and feel welcomed. For example, the story of a teacher named Ms. Thompson, and a student called Teddy. Teddy had just lost his mom and had given up on school. Ms. Thompson didn't know of Teddy's past and just assumed he wasn't trying so she kept giving him failing grades for everything. She finally read his reports from past school years and realized what was happening to the poor boy in the front row. His dad wasn't supportive and wasn't there for his son. That Christmas her students all gave her gifts wrapped in pretty paper, except for Teddy, his was wrapped in brown grocery bags. Inside was a bracelet with several stones missing, and a half-empty bottle of perfume. Ms. Thompson explained how beautiful the bracelet was and how good the perfume smelled to stop the laughter of the other students. After school Teddy told her that she smelled just like his mom with the perfume on, and from that day forward Ms. Thompson stopped teaching English and math and started teaching children. She kept pushing Teddy to work hard and try his best, inspiring him. He graduated college and got married all because of Ms. Thompson's kindness. They both taught and inspired each other to be the best they could be, and that is as heroic. 

     Another group of brave people who are heroes are Firefighters. They are some of the most selfless people you'll ever meet. They rush headfirst into unpredictable flames to keep everyone else safe. The 4,150 firefighters and support teams who rushed in to help stop the California fires are just a fraction of the amazing heroes we must thank for keeping our homes safe (Grillot, California Firefighters). Those firefighters were protecting the 156,000 people whose homes were just down the road. They risk their lives every day, and even though they don't wear underwear over their tights, they are still superheroes.

     Whenever people talk about their hero, they talk about people who inspire them or who have, quite literally, saved their lives. I have plenty of people who inspire me, but I can't pick just one to be my hero. A Hero can be the person who saves lives every day, or one person doing a small gesture to make someone else smile. I heard a story of two little girls in kindergarten. There was a girl in a class who did not fit in with the other girls. Her family was poor and didn't have much money, while every other girl in the class had Barbie dolls. She was sad because she couldn't play with everyone else, but one little girl came over and gave her a doll. This may seem like an obvious thing everyone should do for one another, but at that age you're barely starting to learn what kindness means. What the girl did for the other is heroic in my opinion.

     Our world is currently going through one of our toughest pandemics to date, Covid-19. Italy has been hit the hardest with 3,405 deaths as of Thursday March 20, 2020. Hua Chunying and several volunteers sent 1.8 million masks and 100,000 reagents to Italy on March 11. These individuals are heroes because they went out of their way to help people in need despite dealing with their own countries' trials. Our whole world is in danger and they could have used those supplies for themselves, but they decided to help others instead. If the entire world treated each other with this type of kindness, it would be a better place.

     Heroes have been individuals that have inspired people to stand up for the greater good for centuries. Even before Batman and Superman were created, we had stories of heroes everywhere. People worshiped gods, who were known as heroes, long before you could even read the newest comic of The Amazing Spider-Man. Heroes are in our everyday life and even our pasts. So, my hero is every person who did something for someone else out of the kindness of their hearts and not just to get something out of it for themselves. Thankfully, there are heroes all around the world whether they wear a cape or not.