This I Believe

I believe in the everyday hero. That is, I believe that everyone has the ability to be heroic and that true heroes are found in seemingly average people. Though not everyone has the opportunity or chooses to reveal this inherent heroism, we all have it. On the rare occasion that a piece of good news comes to my attention, I often find myself in amazement as I contemplate the abilities of a fellow human. Whether it is a fireman, a teacher, a soldier, or a mother, the everyday hero supplies relief on many different levels.

Many believe that it takes super powers to be a hero but to me, Spiderman is as super as John McLoughlin, a police officer who survived under a collapsed building on 9/11. These everyday people display the quality that can be found in us all, the desire to help others despite the cost to ourselves. Self-sacrifice in the name of charity truly defines a hero.

Some everyday heroes are not as obvious as Mr. McLoughlin. Sometimes, it takes heroism to make it through the day. It takes heroism to take care of a family and it takes heroism to love another. It may even take heroism to commit a crime, depending upon the reason. As a person, I find it impossible to avoid some form of heroism in any given day.

Just as there are everyday heroes, there are everyday villains. These villains are not like those that are portrayed on television, nor are they often people. The modern day villain is the difficulty that the world presents us with. Anything that attempts to bring me down and therefore bring out my inner-hero, is a villain, whether it be a Monday morning, or an death in the family.

The fact that heroism is human nature gives me hope in an often unbearable reality. As I once found hope in the superheroes of comic books, I now take comfort in the knowledge that everyone around me puts someone or something above themselves. The villain never won in the comics and no force can overtake the hero found in each and every one of us. As the world becomes bleaker and bleaker, more and more people will show their heroism. The more adversity that we confront, the more bravery we will reveal in ourselves.

Often times, strong belief creates the fearlessness that leads to our heroism. In fact, it is my belief in the everyday hero that inspires my courage to carry on day-to-day. It is important for us to believe in something because it gives us a reason to fight and succeed over the villains. A belief in God allows many to sacrifice for others and I believe that as the world presents us with ever escalating adversity, belief will become more crucial. Belief is what creates the hero in all of us and it is only belief that can succeed over the everyday villain.