Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong was a hero to many. Image: Paul Coster http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulcoster/
We want to believe in heroes. We create them from our athletes, our business leaders, and artists.
Their story is always about overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve a lifelong dream.Through it we experience hope and inspiration and the belief that we can do and be more.
We see in them the ambition, the commitment and the dedication we wish we had too.
But all too often, the edifice crumbles when we take a closer look. It did with Lance Armstrong and Bernie Madoff and Jimmy Savile.
So instead of looking for manufactured, celluloid heroes, let’s start looking for the heroes in everday life.
Heroes like the Nigerian mum who fetches water from a distant well each day so that her family might survive. Like the father from an Indian slum who risks his health working in a recycling yard so his son can have an education. Like the teenager who selflessly takes care of her disabled mother while her friends go out to party.
People like these are the true heroes, and yet they’re rarely acknowledged. Their determination and courage and commitment is present every day, but sadly it’s seen by only a few.
These heroes could be your Mum, your Dad, or Joan from down the street.
Come to think of it, they could be you.