I am no Hero

and I'll never will be.

I sort of find the talk of heroes more and more overrated, in sports, in war, in other aspects. But I love fantasy movies and epic war stories. I want to believe there are heroes like Aragon. Sadly, age and life leaves me less and less convinced.

Idon't know what the dictionnary says. But here are some thoughts. A hero, or heroic actions is doing something for others at a severe cost on your own account. A hero is somebody who takes lemons and makes lemonade. A hero is somebody who is changing from victim to responsible.

I watched "Farewell Bafana" about the prisonguard of Mandela. Hm, actually I thought Mandela was a hero, I am not sure after watching the movie. Is it heroic to use violence. In what way was he more heroic than those people who suffered apartheid from day to day on the streets, white, black or asian. Sometimes I think we mix up heroes and leaders. That he was a great human being and a great leader no doubt. But hero?

And the prisonguard, so human, he did "send" according to the movie several people to certain death by forwarding information, but at the same time he sought his own way within the system and treated the prisoners whith respect. He showed that you can choose, that "I was only obeing orders" is a myth. Was he a hero. No, but heroic in many ways. He made a stand when many didn't.

I saw the movie "Kingdom of Heaven", all these battles, fighting, for land, wealth, people and war it self. Truly heroes. Or? It impress me, mesmerizes me, and still leaves me oddly uncomfortable. More and more, the heroic acts seem to me to be the ones that spared life rather then took taking them.

Last night there was a documentary about french jewish children during the seccond world war. Tragic, but important. I always thought french wasn't much for resistance. But this documentary was a story not only about tragedies and lost families but also about small and great heroic acts.
About ordinary french families who took in children in their homes, some families not very nive though. It is easy to loose faith in life and humans. That's why we need those stories. Sad or hopeful. A boy had been sent away on summer camp, his father heartsick bicycled to the camp, gave the boy the most valuable item they owned, told him to stay away or something and left. What does it take to do that? Isn't that heroic. The mother and father was taken away. The boy was hid by the manager of the camp, she managed to send him away in hiding.

There was a whole village led by a young I think schoolteacher who hid several children and teenagers. Heroes? The schoolteacher was arrested.

A jewish woman who smuggeled children.

A headmistress and schoolteachers who hid their jewish pupils.

To me that is heroic.

There's a television program in Sweden awarding "everyday hero's". A bit maudling, but important. Things like fighting for rights of women, helping somebody who is attacked by violence.

Maybe heroic acts should include, being a single parent trying to do your best for your children, taking care of a demented spouse, standing up to a bully in school, enduring a horrible medical treament, hiding a refuge. It is easy to search for heroes in movies and history, but what about now. Do we have the courage to truly question what happens or the courage to help somebody in trouble. Don't know.

I don't know if I Believe in heroes anymore, but I do believe in heroic actions.