The statement that heroes, admirable and noble people, no longer exist in the modern world is an erroneous statement. Heroes aren't as obvious as one would think. This contributes to the fallacious assumption that there are no modern heroes. Heroes aren't stereotypes who wear tights and can fly, or someone who is always one hundred percent brave or noble. In fact, a hero can be someone who simply has the strength and the audacity to shy away from conformity, and stand for what they think is right. I have experienced these modern day heroes in my own studies and observations.
A modern day hero I am familiar with is Greg Mortenson, a man who greatly influenced the nation of Pakistan, and outlined his experiences in his best-selling book, "Three Cups of Tea". Mortenson, a mountaineer and hiker, nearly embraced death on a mountain in Pakistan after a bad fall. He was rescued by a small village, and was given food, water, and shelter, even though the villagers had very little of these for themselves. As Mortenson recovered, he discovered a cultural fault (by his standards) in Pakistani society - there were no schools for girls! Shortly after returning home to America, Mortenson began a harrowing effort to raise money to build a school in the village that saved him. After years of pain staking effort, he finally succeeded. He didn’t stop there, though. He made the tough decision to dedicate his life to building schools all around Pakistan. This was a difficult choice, as he faced ostracism and ridicule from some prejudiced acquaintances and even kidnapping and torture by certain people in Pakistan who didn't agree with him. Despite this, he overcame all obstacles, and continues to do so today, having built over 70 schools in Pakistan and counting.
I have seen people I consider heroes in my own life as well. I run Cross Country and Track, but I'm also an asthmatic. After one tough practice two years ago, I had an asthma attack and passed out before I could reach my inhaler. When I came to, three girls I barely knew from Biology class (Lucy, Anna, and Sarah) were standing over me, asking me if I was okay. At the same time, Lucy had gone through all the bad around us to find my inhaler, Sarah gave me CPR and Anna called 911. I didn't even know these girls, but they stopped for a helpless stranger to see if he was okay. That is my interpretation of a true hero.
The conventional view of heroes in society differs from what my view is. A hero doesn't have to be totally courageous and noble. Look at Greg Mortenson, a man who dedicated his life and time to education in Pakistan, not because he thought it was brave (though it was), but because it was right. Look at my friends, who stopped and helped me, not because it was noble, but because they cared. In this topic, the only way for us as people to foster an understanding of ourselves and each other, and to facilitate growth in people, is to be aware of heroes, and aspire to be like them.
