A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
- Christopher Reeve -
I was chatting to my brother the other day, not the one on Hive the other one, 
It's his birthday soon, his fifth, for which I've sent a package containing a couple things I wrote about here and the other here if you're interested in seeing what I sent.
My brother and his wife are careful about what they expose him to and I agree with it, however it means I have to be careful about what I send. They don't like him watching much television, (I agree with that too), but also don't expose him to super heroes like Spiderman, Superman, Batman and so on. They don't want him idolising made up characters like that and whilst it's strict I understand; they want him to grow up with the understanding that success/ability/strength/skills come through effort, persistence, consistency and such things...not by getting bitten by a spider and turning into Spiderman.
Right or wrong, that's how they're doing it and I respect it. The kid is a top-notch little man, has loads of interests indoors and out, plays the violin, rough-houses like all kids, is mischievous, well-mannered, funny, has a sense of adventure...he's very well-rounded and all without knowing about Batman or Ironman and the rest of them. But here's the thing...he still has a hero.
My brother and I were discussing the merits and complications of the way he and his wife choose to raise my nephew and he'd just said something like, "I want him to have believable role models, people who have achieved through effort and striving towards their goals... Then he paused and said, "you know who his hero is right?"
I did not, and said so.
My brother went on and said. "YOU!"
It was a cool moment for me because I love that kid and knowing he thinks of me as his hero is an honour.
I take being his uncle very seriously as I've said in other posts; I know what I say and do will influence him now in his early life and on into his teens and finally adulthood and that's a huge responsibility and it's for that reason I endeavour to be the sort of person he looks up to, wants to come to when he needs support, an ear to listen to him and for advice should he ask it. I'm there for him in all things.
I'll not be around to see his life unfold, not all of it, but should things go well I'll see his first twenty five years and when I finally move onward (die) I'll know that I've helped shape the lad into a decent man who holds the or similar core values to my own - those that were passed to me from my own father and which I developed even further. I feel confident that little kid is going to be a good man and it makes me extremely happy and proud to know that I'm his hero right now, I hope he thinks that always.
The quote I've used above is from a man called Christopher Reeve, its use serves a dual purpose.
He played Superman in four movies, then was paralysed from the neck down following a fall from a horse during an equestrian event and found himself in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He didn't give up though, a look into his post-injury life will clearly demonstrate that. Did he push forward because he was a super hero though? Nope...He pushed on because quitting wasn't in him and he had grit and determination, and probably from a young age too. It's those things, and others, I hope to demonstrate and instil in
So if you'd like to, tell me who is your hero and why? Please feel free to comment below and explain who and why or any experiences you've personally had with inspirational people. I always reply.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
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The image in this post is my own and will never be for your use.