Always There for Me
Karthik S.
Intro to My Hero
What is a Hero?
A majestic good Samaritan, swooping in at the last second and saving the innocent people from the "bad guys." Though the most commonly understood definition of a hero, can't anyone be a hero? If you love a person so much that you can't live without them, isn't that a hero? If there is one person that makes your day everyday, would that be your hero? A hero is someone who is always there for you; there to make you happy.
A hero is a mom, waking up in the middle of the night to comfort her crying baby. Imagine going to bed after a long, stressful day at work, but realizing your work isn't over with the loud screams of an infant child. Consider the struggle felt to bring yourself to do the right thing. The ethical thing. For your loved one. Would this person not be as much of a hero as the cliched superhero? Of course they would. In essence, the moral of all superhero movies is that anyone can do the right thing, and that anyone can become a hero, because most of the superheroes start as just your average joe. Superheroes always come through for the people, just as this mom is coming through for her child. Though a broad example, it is specific and relevant when showing the fact that a hero is someone who is there for you.
A hero is someone who throws everything away to help a loved one. Jim is a struggling artist, trying to get enough money to keep his family fed. He is swamped with work, and with little reward. His daughter is currently in the fourth grade, and has her science fair coming up. Jim knows how much this project means to his daughter, and puts all his work aside to come an attend the show, even if it means less money. Throughout these actions, Jim has prioritized his daughter above everything else, including his own and his family's welfare. Going to the fair solidified his beliefs, as well as his loved ones, because they know that he will do anything for them. Although hero can be defined and interpreted in many ways, all heroes share the urge to help loved ones, and to sacrifice for them.
Through plain sight, one can see the late night mom, and the busy dads are both heroes for their children because they are always there to make the children happy. Anyone who prioritized their loved ones over themselves would be considered a hero. In my life especially, I would rather have a person I can look up to, who always is there to help me and teach me instead of a person who was there one time, even though that one time made a great impact. Greed, however negates the ability to prioritize others. Greed is what takes away heroes. Reflect on these ideas. Are you the most important person in your life? Would you still live a normal life with no friends or loved ones? Though the definition and interpretation of hero varies based on the person, the moral values that heroes hold true are the same throughout.
The Hero I Don't See
Warren Buffett fits the definition of a hero perfectly, where a primary quality of a hero is selflessness. Warren Buffett, a successful businessman, is considered by many as one of the most successful investors the world has ever seen. Gale Encyclopedia states,"[He was] acknowledged by Forbes magazine in 2005 as the second-richest man in the world.” Warren Buffett is a true hero, for with all his money, he still finds room in his heart to share his wealth with others who need it.
Buffett is known by many as a shrewd businessman, but still recognized as one of the most generous donators ever. According to Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, "In 2006 Buffett announced that he would donate the lion's share of his wealth, an estimated $31 billion, to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.” With thirty-one billion dollars, one could do practically anything! Travel the world, eat out for your entire life, or even buy a sports team. But Buffett saw beyond his material needs and selflessly donated his money to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This foundation focuses on ending poverty around the world, as well as many other things, like finding cures for diseases and illnesses, etc. Warren saw the opportunity in donating to them, and gave a lot, for he knew the lives of many people could improve due to his generosity.
Warren Buffett and my mother share the quality of selflessness; Warren Buffett donating his money to poor, my mom giving time to our family. Warren Buffett is a hero for doing good in the community, and making those he donates to happy, just like my mom is a hero for making our family happy. My mom is a practicing architect, but still finds time to pick me up from school, take me to all my extracurricular activities, make dinner for our family, and still complete the work she needs for her job. This is above the norm, just as Warren Buffett’s donations are above the norm, even for a wealthy man.
If Warren Buffett would give me one piece of advice, I imagine it would be: “Most people are not billionaires, and therefore do not have the money to give large donations to charities, but that doesn’t stop them from helping out in their own way. There are infinite ways to help others. You only need to find one of them to have a lasting impact on an individual.” I would follow this advice by doing what I usually do. I am a member of the Boy Scouts of America and in our troop, we do several activities that revolve around helping others. An example of this would be the Technology Recycle Drive, where community members drive in and give us their electronics so we can recycle them safely. Another example is the canned food drive, where our troop gathers canned foods to donate to the local food pantries.