You know, I've been talking about the need for heroes for a long time. Ten years ago or so, I saw it mentioned by a high level official in my agency, but little since. Now we hear it almost daily, and I am sure as heck not going to say it is over done!
I include in my definition of heroes Leo Barrans, who at 80 still comes to work almost every day. I include Mary John, a lovely native lady who comes to work despite her illnesses, and Christie Henning, another lovely native lady who comes to work even though she is exhausted from caring for her desperately ill husband. I include Carson Hall, and all those who in my better days got to work at 4 am, and in drenching rain loaded a truck with tree seedlings, covered them with shoveled ice from the ice machine and worked out in the rain all day making sure those trees got planted correctly. I include my father, who at age 83 went dancing, planned for the third leg of his cross-country flight to qualify for a pilot's license, got up to make the coffee and died on his feet.
There are so many heroes in my life. I'm the luckiest man alive. Now there you've gone and done it. Tears coming to my eyes once again.
Hooray for heroes! Every one of them! |
