Heroism
A Helping Hand
Cindy Anderson
Hero Definition Essay
When people think of heroism, they think of fireman climbing out of a burning building, policeman cuffing someone to the curb, a doctor carefully removing a kidney to save someone's life, or a soldier, ducking into trenches as they fight for their country. However, these are only the obvious examples of heroism. In reality, there is so much more to a hero then the naked eye. A hero is someone who makes a positive difference in the world and does it selflessly.
A hero is a soldier selflessly going into battle not knowing whether he will come home or not. Consider the cost and sacrifice of going out into battle, leaving everyone you know and love to do something that could possibly end your life. Would anyone want to do that? No! They are doing it for their loved ones, their country, and the greater good. This exemplifies my definition of a hero because while most people choose to go into war, they are doing it for their nation, and don't get much benefits. While they learn to be a better person and grow stronger, they are leaving behind their old life and won't be the same if and when they come back. Taking that chance for the greater good is not a selfish act. Being selfless as shown by brave soldiers all over the world is a big part of being a hero.
A hero is a father shoveling snow off his neighbor's lawn. Perhaps my hero, Mrs. Anderson, is walking by the office at Ramona elementary school, where she is currently the principal. A frantic parent of one child in the whole school is in hysterics over the fact that her child has apparently not shown up at school. Mrs. Anderson personally picks up the phone and calmly talks to the parent until the kid is found and the issue is resolved. This scenario shows an example of a person making a positive difference in the world, which is the other key component in being a hero. At first one might think solving a safety issue is just her job and that there is nothing heroic about that. However, Mrs. Anderson kindly puts aside her duties for the moment to calm this frantic parent for however long it takes to make her feel better and find the missing kid. While it is not much, the world has become better now that one less mother in the world is upset and worried. Any positive difference matters, and in this scenario, Mrs. Anderson really puts that into perspective. Mrs. Anderson making a positive difference is what heroism is all about, and a hero she is.
With selfless acts of bravery by a firefighter or an average person on the street, a hero changes the world for the better, no matter what their shape or size is.
Untouchable Hero Essay
Tan, fair, red, black, brown, white. These are simply colors. Unimportant colors. Yet somehow we let them define us. We let them take our rights, our individuality, our thoughts, and replace them with a simple color. However, some people rise beyond the assumptions and basic appearance and defy these colors, these characteristics. Rosa Parks was that person! Rosa Parks was a hero for she took a selfless stand against racism to make the world a better place.
Rosa Parks is most famous for her courageous stand on a bus in 1955. According to St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, Rosa was sitting on a bus, already in the “Negro” section, when the bus driver, who was white, asked her to give her seat to a white man. She refused, and ended up getting arrested. While this is only part of the story, it already shows the selflessness Rosa possesses of her character, for anyone who got arrested would not be doing it for their advantage. Instead, Rosa sacrificed her freedom in hopes that later on, people of her skin color would be treated the same as everyone else, and that is a heroic and selfless act.
This fight for racial justice led into Rosa's big court argument for integration. The St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture explains how because of Rosa's courageous stand, she became a great person to argue for integration in court, and she was. While at first the court proclaimed her "guilty," after a long boycott, the Supreme Court finally banned bus segregation. This was a huge step to achieve racial equality, and because of Rosa Parks, a huge injustice was solved.
Rosa Parks and my personal hero, Cindy Anderson, are both heroes in many ways. While their heroic deeds range widely from each other, they both look forward to the future. Rosa Parks took a stand so in the future blacks and whites would be treated equally. Cindy Anderson, on the other hand, decides to educate future generations and leaders by teaching them and leading their schools (being a principal). She does this hoping not only for them to become successful, but to hopefully change the world for the better-just as both these women have done. Along with changing the world for the better, Rosa and Cindy also are both quite selfless people. Rosa gave herself up for the greater good, while Cindy spends all her time focused on children and the next generation rather than herself. These two women are both extraordinary, in different, yet still heroic ways.
Haiku
She educates us
Education is the key
To success she leadsThe American Sign Language alphabet connects to my personal hero because Cindy Anderson is an educator. She was a teacher, and is now a principal. As principal, she communicates with teachers for all different subjects, including language. Since ASL is a language, I thought learning the alphabet would be a great way to advance my education. I chose to learn ASL because I find it so interesting and fun to communicate using only your hands. Also, as I've learned from some television shows, there is a whole deaf community that communicates through sign language; I would love to join in.
Hard Worker
The Key
Good with Children
Bibliography
“American Sign Language Fingerspelling & Numbers: Introduction.” Lifeprint. Ed. Dr. Bill. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2016. <http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/fingerspelling/fingerspelling.htm>.
The ASL Alphabet | ASL - American Sign Language - ABCs. By CHS ASL. YouTube. N.p., 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 3 Mar. 2016. <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tkMg8g8vVUo>.
“The History of American Sign Language.” Start ASL. Start ASL, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2016. <http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/history-of-american-sign-language.html>.
“HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS: OUR ‘GANDHIS’, ‘MANDELAS’, ‘ROSA PARKS’ AND ‘MALALAS’ DESERVE SUPPORT AND PROTECTION.” States News Service 8 Dec. 2015. Biography in Context. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.
“Rosa Parks.” St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Biography in Context. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.
“Rosa Parks.” Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Biography in Context. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.