Heroes

Some say one of today's problems is a lack of heroes. In some ways, I tend to agree that a seeming dearth of exemplary individuals to serve as models for us and our children isn't a good sign for our country as a whole.

I find it rather strange that, in the midst of two foreign wars, stories of heroes are almost completely missing. Even more disturbing is a phenomena I've noticed, where when a story of heroism in Iraq or Afghanistan does bubble to the surface, the media immediately commence an initiative to either squash the story or find a negative light in which to cast the story to make it appear that the heroic actions were somehow much less so.

In the media's world, broadcasting a story of selfless heroism on the battlefield is tantamount to supporting or glorifying a war they detest. Because their choices are now in charge of the wars, the irony is palpable, as the same anti-war media creatures twist themselves into pretzels as they try to find ways to justify their favored Commander-in-Chief's continuation of the hated conflicts.

While they play politics, we all suffer, continuing to miss the stories of heroism and self-sacrifice that very will might be taking place every day in remote Afghanistan, or in the city markets in Iraq.

I wonder whether heroes today purposely hide in the shadows, are besmirched because of political considerations, or are truly rare.

Sadly, the only evidence of hero-worship I can detect seem to be misdirected. The new President is certainly worshipped by certain segments of the population, even though there are no noble, selfless, or courageous acts of heroism in evidence. He seems to attract worship solely on the merits of smooth speechmaking and left-wing idealism.

Some hold up sports stars as their heroes. While sports stars are certainly worthy of admiration for their outstanding athletic prowess, simply being good at a game hardly qualifies one for hero status.

As a Colts fan, I certainly admire Peyton Manning, who seems to be one of the best quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL. But my admiration for the quarterback is limited to his football skills. I don't know him personally, and for all I know, he could be the most insufferable jerk imaginable off the field. Winning Super Bowls and bringing his team back from big deficits to win close games is great, but for Peyton Manning to actually be a hero, I would need to see evidence of him showing great courage and self-sacrifice to save and help others.

The most puzzling hero worship I observe is in the form of worship of celebrities and entertainers. For some, it seems the only qualification for their adoration is fame.

I certainly can admire the vocal entertainment skill of someone like Barbra Streisand. But how is it that her singing prowess translates into any credibility for political activism? Whether choosing activism from the Left or the Right, don't celebrities realize that choosing sides does nothing but alienate half of their fan base?

Is a conservative-leaning person going to suddenly abandon all their political beliefs and attitudes just because a Barbra Streisand tells him he's a brainwashed idiot for holding those beliefs? If she thinks so, she really does live in a fantasy world.

Celebrities are not heroes, nor is the reverse. It seems to me that most people who qualify for the hero designation are unknown beyond their sphere of relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

The greatest heroes are unknown to the world. That's fine with them, but I think maybe these heroes deserve some attention, so the rest of us can learn from their example.

Eloquent and Succinct

This is from Paul Rahe of Hillsdale College. It sums up our current government situation better than anything else I've seen.

The Tea-Party movement lacks institutional support. Back in the early 1990's, when Hillary Clinton announced her proposal for a federal takeover of healthcare, the insurance companies mounted a campaign against it.

This time, the Democrats have squared everything with the special interests. The National Association of Manufacturers quickly climbed on board, eager to free its members from having to provide health insurance for their members' employees. The pharmaceutical companies did a deal with Obama aimed at protecting their short-term interests, as did the American Medical Association. The American Association of Retired Persons -- which purports to represent the interests of the elderly, but which has business interests of its own -- was bought outright, and the same thing can be said with regard to the health insurance companies. The industrial labor unions are similarly on board.

Indeed, everyone appears to have been taken care of ... except, of course, for the ordinary citizens who will be subject to the new regime. There is no one to stand up for them. The Republican Party lacks the requisite votes, and everyone else has been bought.

Hangin' in LA

Ha, fooled you. LA as in Louisiana.

Since I had to be here two weeks back-to-back, it didn't make sense to take the trip home Saturday, only to turn right around and come back Sunday. So I stayed over.

Since I'm located in sort of the middle of Nowhere, LA, my client provided wheels for the weekend and I took a day trip to Red Stick. Umm, I mean Baton Rouge.

Spent more time driving than anything else, but saw the Louisiana countryside and the big ports on the Mississippi. Also had the minor adventure of doing laundry at what must be the only coin laundry in the state, downtown Baton Rouge. Sort of a rough part of town, but I survived OK.

Followed by a rather dull Sunday afternoon, after checking out Mass at the local church. Colts vs. Patriots tonight will be a bit more interesting, but I'm sort of expecting the horseshoes to get handed their first loss of the season. For some strange reason, I even have this idea that the Pats might just blow them off their brand new stadium field.

Sure hope I'm wrong about that.

The fortunate thing is that I convinced two clients to sign up for additional projects, which lets me relax a bit about being busy at least through Q1 of next year. Relaxing about things like that is always nice.

I seem to be unfocused here, so I suppose this will do it until I have something more interesting to write about.

Free Advice

Is worth what you paid for it, I know. But just a few pieces of fatherly advice anyway.

Attitude is everything. I find my ability to deal with the tough times life dishes out is directly related to my attitude. I believe that if you take two individuals side-by-side with the exact same life experiences, the one with the better attitude will be the more content.

Don't waste time worrying. It's a corollary to the first statement. Most of the stuff we worry about never happens. So why waste time stewing about it?

If you love doing something, put all you've got into it. If you like something, you probably have some talent for it. One of the biggest satisfactions we can find in life is in doing something we love superbly. (Caveat: I'm not talking about time-wasting activities like video games)

Spend your life in search of God. This is where you will find truth, beauty, peace, love, and wisdom. Not to mention salvation.

Focus outward. Don't worry so much about yourself, but learn to know and appreciate those around you. Doing the right thing is never about you, but about what you can do to help others.

Overcome fear. Most of us limit ourselves only because of fear. We fear the unknown. We fear failure, but in some strange way, we find a way to fear success. When you know what you want to do, don't let fear stop you.

Learn from others. Seek out people who can teach you what you need to learn. Listen critically. Compare different philosophies. Never stop learning.

One interesting thing I need to share about these little pieces of advice: I don't necessarily follow them all that well myself. But I try.