Television, the big screen, newspapers, magazines, comics, books… the media is littered with heroes of all kinds. My own hero growing up was Luke Skywalker… especially in Return of the Jedi. He had the weight of the universe thrown on his shoulders and where most people would crack, he just did what he had to do and kept on going. I always admired the way he could just accept the responsibilities he had been given without ever saying… “why me?”
Believe it or not, the role of a hero, idol, leader (etc.) is far from glamorous. You’re constantly in the public’s eye. Everything you do is analyzed and every little mistake exposed. Most people are placed in this position without even asking to be and it’s unfair for other people to expect them to live up to a certain code because of it. For instance, I remember reading about a wrestler (can’t remember which one it was… but I believe it was Kevin Nash) who refused to adhere by a certain set of rules because he didn’t see himself as a role model. He stated simply that he was a professional wrestler and his job was not to teach morals to other people’s children.
A lot of people were offended by this… believing that just because so many children looked to him as a hero that he should have some kind of moral lesson to teach and should refrain from any activity that would make him look any less the hero. When you really think of it, though, are we really being fair to these people. After all… they are just human like the rest of us, trying to make a living. It’s not their responsibility to raise our children for us.
Children shouldn’t have to look any further than their own home for their heroes. Mom’s and Dad’s! Where have you been lately?
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