Hometown Heroes

It has been a bad time for countrywide heroes. Far too often we learn that a man or woman for whom the citizenry had great respect and admiration, with virtues we strove to emulate, turns out to have feet of clay. Athletes who out paced their competitors were found to have benefited from chemical enhancements; politicians are caught with both hands in the till or other violations of their public trust; military leaders are unfaithful; religious pillars took advantage of their positions with youthful innocents and on and on. Even organizations held in high regard have had ugly blemishes and stains revealed. Disillusionment abounds. Who can we look up to then?

Just glance around you!

It took Hurricane Sandy to again bring home that we have genuine heroes amongst us still. Who were they? The First Responders who risked their own lives to save others; the utility linemen, swinging in aerial buckets while wrestling with high tension lines to restore power; the ordinary people who shared blankets, food, clothing, friendship to strangers and did good deeds without reservation or regrets.

There may not be a national champion for us to esteem but there are plenty of anonymous locals whose acts we can revere. Unsung, unrecognized but not unnoticed.

Join me in saluting them for their deeds. God Bless them!