The world needs everyday heroes

I always loved stories about heroes. People who acted in ways that most people could not or would not; people who carried a certain nobility about themselves. I still love those stories, but heroes are more than just people who perform a single act of selflessness, they are those who live lives full of small deeds preformed for others. William Wordsworth said it better, “…that best portion of a good man’s life, / His little, nameless, unremembered, acts / Of kindness and of love.” Heroic deeds are not great epic quests, but small acts so easy to ignore or dismiss. 

In a world as unsettled and unforgiving as this one, we need heroes more than ever; not individuals who preform a single deed for the greater good, but people willing to live whole lives of humility, all while looking out for the people around them. Because we are all people and we all need encouragement from time to time. 

The other day, my roommate and I wrote some cards of encouragement to faculty we knew. They were not works of incredible beauty; the handwriting was crooked and the content of the notes was heartfelt but not profound. And yet, I know those notes meant more than just the literal meaning of the words we wrote. The simple knowledge that someone went out of their way to be kind to you is an incredibly encouraging thing.

Let me tell you something else: every time I think of those cards and the people receiving them, I smile. The things that you do affect your attitude. Maybe instead of sitting around wishing someone would encourage you, you could take up a pen or pencil and write some words to someone else. 

We need more heroes in this world, people who will go out of their way for others. There may not be literal dragons to slay, but each day we can pick up our sword (or pen or snow shovel) and battle through monsters of indifference and apathy. Whether through written words or simple acts of caring for your neighbor, you can be a hero every day.