My Hero Dictionary
Ryan
who is my personal hero?
What classifies a hero?
When most people picture a hero, they imagine Tom Brady flashing his four super bowl rings in front of the whole world. However, the true meaning of a hero travels far beyond this traditional image. A true hero is someone who puts other’s needs in front of their own.
A hero is a fireman rescuing children from a burning building. Imagine hearing children screaming and knowing you only have three minutes to get these kids out of the building before the whole entire roof caves in. Consider the mass amount of pressure rushing through your body as your realize you are these kids only hope of surviving. These brave fireman are risking their own life to save another. A fireman could easily be killed at any moment while inside the heart of the fire, yet they still take these bold risks. Why? These fireman care just as much about other people's needs as they do of their own needs. This means that firemem can in no doubt be classified as a hero.
A hero is someone who helps out the less fortunate. Johnny Smith is a very successful man. He works every day for eight hours at an investment firm and makes a very high paying salary. The new iPhone 6s had just come out, and Johnny thought what better way to treat himself than to buy it. On the way inside the Apple Store, Johnny froze at the sight of a homeless man sitting on the corner of the street. Johnny then got back into his Mercedes and drove away. When Johnny returned, he stepped out of his car with a bag of new clothes, a week's supply of food, and three books. He then walked over to the homeless man and handed him the items he had bought. Johnny had finally realized that there were people in this world that are struggling to support themselves. So instead of buying a phone for himself, Johnny bought necessities for a man that was in desperate need. This means that Johnny disregarded his own personal benefit and considered the less fortunate. In conclusion, Johnny's ability to pass up his own wants for another person categorizes him
as a hero.
As one can observe, both the courageous fireman and the caring businessman demonstrated acts of a hero. Anyone who regards someone else's needs over their own should be considered a hero. I know most of you haven't rescued a child from a burning building, or spent hundreds of dollars on a homeless man. However, consider what you can do in your own life. Have you ever taken ten minutes out of your day to help a friend in need? All in all, it doesn't take extraordinary measures to be a hero.
Pat Tillman, my untouchable hero
A true hero is someone who puts others needs in front of their own. The untouchable hero I have chosen is Pat Tillman. This NFL player passed up the “dream life” to insure the safety of his country. Tillman's actions have led him into the hearts of many Americans. Pat Tillman clearly fits the standards of a hero due to his selflessness and the inspiration he left on others.
Pat Tillman is a true hero because he is very altruistic. According to Gale Biography In Context, Pat Tillman was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL draft. Tillman spent four solid years with Arizona Cardinals, including a 224 tackle season, which gave him the title as one of the best safeties in the NFL. On September 11th, 2001, Pat Tillman witnessed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on national TV. This event had a huge toll on Tillman's 2001 season as he started making sudden remarks about joining the Army. Per Charles Scribner’s Sons, “In May 2002, Arizona offered its tackle record holder a three-year, $3.6 million contract; however, Tillman informed the team that he had instead signed a three-year deal with the U.S. Army, with annual starting pay of less than $15,000.” This meant that in July, Tillman would be heading to a thirty six week Army Ranger training camp in Georgia. Tillman's goal was to serve his three years in the Army, then return to football when he was done. However, Tillman's dream was put to sleep, as according to Gale Biography in Context, on April 22, 2004, Tillman and his fellow rangers were deployed in an Afghanistan village called, Sperah. The rangers pursued a twenty minute gunfight with the enemy. Unfortunately, on that night, a U.S. soldier mistook Tillman as the enemy, and shot him three times in the head. This evidence shows Pat Tillman passing up $3,585,000 each year to participate in the most dangerous job in the world, the Army. This means that Tillman gave up a luxurious lifestyle for himself in order to protect his country from future terrorist attacks. By doing so, Tillman has put the U.S. citizens’ safety in front of his own life. In conclusion, due to Pat Tillman's selfless actions, he is without a doubt a true a hero.
My untouchable hero, Pat Tillman, and my real life hero, my mother, are both similar as they inspire others through everyday life. According to Charles Scribner’s Sons, Pat Tillman went to local San Jose high school, Leland high school. Tillman was very valuable to his high school football team, playing both offense and defense. However, at the end of Tillman's senior season, Tillman's football coach sat him down and told him that this was most likely the end of his football career. The coach thought that Tillman's 5’11, 190 lbs, frame was too small to play linebacker in college. In spite of the recent news, Tillman did not let this get in the way of his dream. As stated earlier, four years later, Pat found himself playing football for the Arizona Cardinals. After four years in the NFL, Tillman decided to take his athletic talent to the United States Army. Tillman's life would have been if he had given up football in high school. Tillman would have never played in the NFL, he would have never joined the Army, and he would not be the man he is today. Tillman's actions have had a huge effect on the world as he has inspired people to always follow your passion. Tillman is not the only one who can influence others, as my mother has had a major influence on individuals. In comparison to Tillman, my mother had a major obstacle in her life. About five years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer had a huge toll on my mom's life as she had to undergo many treatments and surgeries. My mother easily could have given in to one of the most deadly non infectious diseases in the world. However, my mom persevered through this challenge and ended up fighting off cancer. Although my mom has a significantly smaller fan base than Tillman, she has still had an effect on my life. She has inspired me to persevere and never give up in life. To sum it up, my mother and Pat Tillman can both be classified as heroes as they have both positively motivated others.
Why? This would be the beginning of every question I would ask Pat Tillman. Why be so selfless? Why pass up $3.6 million a year? Why give up the dream job of any American athlete? I believe the advice he would give me would not be to give up on your dream and join the Army. Rather, the advice he would give would be to follow your passion, but always remember you're not the only person in this world. There are other people in this world who need your help, so do not just help out yourself. I can apply this advice to my daily life by continuing to pursue my passion, but still remaining an unselfish and helpful person. All in all, Pat Tillman’s ability to put other’s needs in front of his own, and his inspiring actions, have led him to be, my untouchable hero.