"Heroic"

Tom Welling (CW's Smallville)

Earlier today, I read a post on facebook about Heroism.

The only problem is - I think we're beginning to forget the basic idea of how to join the "hero" industry. It's easy to throw around the word "hero" when you've deleted the defining factors from memory.

I'm sure you remember in school, someone likely asked you, "Who's your hero?" But they may have easily exchanged the word, "hero," for, "idol."

Who is your idol? The person you've put on a pedestal? Who can do no wrong in your eyes? Who you emulate? Strive to be like?

Who is your hero? The person you saved you at some point? Who put themselves are risk for your sake? Who practices self-sacrifice and bravery?

A hero is personal. An idol is not. Heroism requires connection. Action. Intentionality. But above all: it requires Humility.

Stephen Amell (CW's Arrow)

You see, there are many things we can do in life that come with a certain measure of ease. It's apart of our makeup. What makes you YOU. Your gifts, talents and abilities. But how do you put that abilities to use? It it because it gives you a certain amount of satisfaction and joy? But what about other people?

What about when your grandma cooks dinner, or bakes cookies? She loves to cook, but you benefited from her cooking, correct?

I'm going to challenge you with something:

She's still not a hero. Not yet.

Not yet.

You see, even though she put her talents and abilities to work for your pleasure, she hasn't sacrificed anything but her pocketbook and an hour or so of time.

Heroism is costly.

It's sacrifice - and not only sacrifice but self-sacrifice. It's selfless, not selfish.

Grant Gustin (CW's The Flash)

Heroism is NOT ABOUT THE HERO. Not his personal agenda, not his pride. Heroism is about THE PERSON SAVED.

Gory is merely a side effect.

You see - in every Super Hero story you will ever see/hear/read - the Hero never self-labels.

The hero isn't the first person to call themselves a hero.

And in every story, becoming a hero is always to their own risk.

Think about it - sacrificing normalcy, facing mortality, rejection.

Becoming a hero really isn't to their own benefit. But the hero realizes something - People need heroes. So they set aside their reservations and fears to do incredible things for the people around them. And more often than not, they keep it a secret. It's not about getting personal glory.

Do you realize how gifted you are? You have a gift. Of some kind. But how to you plan to use it?

How do you plan to use your life?

Is your life about you? About your own happiness, wants and safety? Because, dare I say it, you're no hero.

Melissa Benoist (CBS's Supergirl)

Do you know know is a hero? Look around you.

Think of someone who makes sacrifices.

Think of someone who stood out when the rest of us cowered.

Someone who is selfless.

Who isn't about their own happiness, but about the happiness of others?

Because guess what? The best kind of happiness, is when your actions bring joy to another.

Happiness is community.

Because selfish people come in two varieties - putting others in danger, and therefore, becoming villians. And then, there are the isolationists. And neither leads to happiness.

So let's hold fast to heroism.

The next time someone asks you, "Who's your hero?" Don't tell them who your idol is. I'd be willing to be your idol likes the attention. But your hero? They probably don't even know they are one.

When I was a freshman in high school, I did something rather stupid. I'm sure we all have stories. I told one of the girls in my PE class to participate (she was texting in the middle of a volleyball game). Bad idea.

She sent her friends after me. They stalked me, pulled my hair. Bullied me. I needed a hero.

I was terrified. (You try feeling brave after someone pulls your hair).

So I found a friend. She stayed with me. Walked me out of the locker room. Kept close.

She didn't have to. She even told me she happened to be friends with the girl I offended. But nevertheless, she played the part of a hero.

And you remember that example I made out of grandma? Funny thing about grandmas - a lot of the ones I know are widows. Life can be hard without other people around you. But I can't begin to tell you how many widows I know who have the biggest hearts. Who put their limited resources on the line to make others happy. That's a hero.

Who's your hero?

__________________

On the topic of heroes. I just want to say - I found out the other day that Dean Cain and Helen Slater are joining the Supergirl team. You can't begin to know how happy that makes me. 

If you ask me who my favorite Super hero is, I'll say superman every time - because the superman community tends to be fairly amazing and close knit. Since the CW's Smallville, staring Tom Welling as Superman, previous stars have started making cameos, such as the infamous Christopher Reeve (Clark Kent) and Margo Kidder (Lois Lane), Annette O'Toole (Lana Lang), Dean Cain (Clark Kent), Teri Hatcher (Lois Lane), and Helen Slater (Kara/Supergirl). 

So now, you can understand why I'm so excited to see CBS carrying on the tradition of cameos with the 90's superman and the 80's supergirl. 

By the way - Dean Cain was apart of a show called, "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." If you're curious, it really was well constructed. I loved it. However, it definitely places more of an emphasis on the relationship between Lois and Clark, not on the action (traditional to superhero shows).