June 5, 2016

My Hero

At any age, the subject of "My Hero" brought about an anxious feeling in me, as I really had no hero.  I knew of no one that met the high standards that "Hero" conjured up in my mind.  Many kids in my classes referred to their mother or father, Abe Lincoln or other president, or celebrity or superstar as their hero.   My dad was a good guy, a great guy, even, most presidents that I knew of were decent men and good leaders, and there have been celebrities that have inspired me, certainly, but Hero?  They all had a long way to go to meet that mark. 

    I've always wondered what it was like to 'have a hero.'  I even tried to have one!  Mother Theresa was a saint, so surely she was of hero quality; Jimmy Carter grew up poor on a peanut farm and became an international figure of peace and goodness, so he must be someone that I could consider a hero.  The list goes on and on. At some point, I just surrendered, realized that there are and have been numerous men and women, even children and animals, who have awed and inspired me, but I was to go through life without a hero, and that was okay.

    And then this morning in a visit with my 96-year-old friend, Ivan, he happened to mention, as a part of his day yesterday, that "the TV was steady talking about a man who was a famous boxer who just died.  It went on all day, until about 8:00 last night."  I felt a surge of sadness swell up in my heart and in my throat.

    "Do you know the boxer's name?  Was it Muhammed Ali?" 

    "Yes.  That was him.  The boxer that won some championships and retired when he was 39."

    Instantly, tears welled up in my eyes, my heart cracked, and I was overcome with sadness as though I had just heard about the death of one of my dearest friends.  Many of the things that I knew of Ali came to mind:  his original name, Cassius Clay, and his decision to change it to honor his leader and his faith; his physical strength, agility, and beauty; his wit and ability to fire off rhymes about his opponents and upcoming fights; and in later years, his new notoriety as a spokesperson for, and victim of, Parkinson's Disease.  I loved a commercial that he and Michael J. Fox did together - a serious subject brought to light and softened with humor by two unlikely pals. 

    For several years, I have loved, collected, and shared quotes ~ some humorous, others meaningful and thought-provoking.  One such quote was from Muhammed Ali - "Don't count the days.  Make the days count."  After reading an article about Ali a number of years ago, I decided to write him a note and let him know that he had been an inspiration to me over the years, and I shared with him that I used his quote as part of my daily "Thought for the Day" messages on my answering machine.  I don't remember how I found out where to mail the card, but it was an accurate address, because a week or two later, I got a card from him!!  It was a humble and humorous note, acknowledging and appreciating my use of his words, and encouraging me to continue to do what I love and to live my dreams.  Needless to say, I was touched.

    I was touched then by his words, his effort, and his sincerity, and I am touched now by how deeply I feel his passing.  I now understand my nephew's grief when George Harrison died, and my friend's great sense of loss recently when Prince died.  What I didn't get at the time, how they could mourn the loss of a total stranger, I get now.  They had lost someone that they felt a connection with, someone that not only inspired them but moved them to action, and someone that was, in their mind and in their heart, a Hero. 

    How odd that it has taken his death to bring me to the realization that I have had a hero all along.

    "Live every day as if it were your last, because someday, you're going to be right."