Erica Giese
Valerie Swartz
English Composition 1
26 September 2014
Average Joe: The Everyday Hero What would the world be without heroes? Without heroes we would not know who to trust. In my mind, a hero is someone who is brave, selfless and trustworthy. There are about as many ways to define a hero, as there are heroes. To be a hero, you must possess certain distinguishing qualities such as, bravery, courage and selfless. To me a hero is not someone with super-strength, who can lance the sides of buildings, bare a shield of invisibility, run at lightning speed, or fly through the air. To me a hero is the first person to lend a helping hand, an ordinary man, woman, or child who does his or her best to ensure all issues they are aware of, big or small in today’s society, are resolved. A hero is an everyday, average citizen that rises to the occasion and provides an act of superhero proportions. Often times being a selfless act. A hero is someone just like you or me, who sees an issue and takes the time and effort to resolve it, solely because it is the ethical thing to do. A hero can be a military service member; your mom, dad, friend, or teacher; or a member of your community.
In today’s society there are so many examples of heroes. Some heroes are the brave, vigilant, devoted men and women who serve in our military. These men and women must adapt the way they live their lives each and every day when they are fighting for our freedom and our country. Militants do so to ensure our safety and well-being. Sacrificing their happiness, comfort, and carefree lives to ensure we have a safe place to live. Some also make the ultimate sacrifice, and give their life. Other heroes include everyday citizens as well, teachers who notice a student with reoccurring bruises, or no lunch money, or mismatched shoes, and take the initiative to get involved. Doctors who perform their services free of charge for someone who has no insurance. The homeless person who struggles to feed himself, but shares what he has with a starving boy. The people who do not see themselves as heroes, are usually some of the most important and relevant heroes in our lives. One of my favorite quotes that best describes everyday heroes, comes from the movie The Freedom Writers, “Oh, no…No, no young man. I am not a hero. I did what I had to do because it was the right thing to do, that is all. We are all ordinary people, but every housewife, ordinary secretary, teenager, can within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room.” To me, that quote clearly defines that anyone can be a hero. Although most of the small acts of heroism go unrecognized, if one person sees that light on in a dark room, you have
