PART1 BBCCA DABDC
PART2 BDABA BCABC
PART3 BBDDBDBCB
What defines a true hero?
e-mail print Dec. 15, 2009 |(0) Comments
The dictionary defines "hero" as "a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities." Heroes come in many forms in life, ranging from one's family and friends to athletes to movie stars.
A person's heroes can change over time. When we're young, I believe we are more inclined to relate heroism to wealth, power and fame than to the attributes the dictionary outlines.
In my youth, I probably would have said Michael Jordan was my hero. I enjoyed watching his athletic talent and admired the tremendous success he achieved. But like any human b
eing, he wasn't perfect. Skeletons in his closet were gradually revealed, and as I matured, I began to realize there were people more worth looking up to. Jordan was a great basketball player but didn't merit worshipping. Incidentally, Tiger Woods' fans are experiencing the same thing today. His indiscretions are yet another reminder that we should all rethink the meaning of "hero."
Who among us is truly worthy of being called a hero? As the holidays approach, we hear about the need to help those less fortunate by sacrificing our time, money and possessions. Many of us will attend church services, where we will sing songs of praise and say prayers of thanks to God for saving his fallen, imperfect people. The purpose of this column isn't to preach or convert, but to me, there can be no greater act of heroism than laying down one's life to save others. Jesus is a true hero to me and Christians everywhere.
Whether they are religious or not, it's a safe assumption nearly everyone will gather with loved ones this holiday season.
Many families, including mine, will have folks missing from the celebration for an especially noble reason:
They will be serving our country overseas, protecting our freedom and helping to ensure that future celebrations will be possible. They are also true embodiments of heroism.
I have one cousin and one friend currently serving in Iraq. Both of my grandfathers served in the military
I am fortunate not to have lost anyone close to me to war. My heart goes out to the many who have. But all who have served are worthy of the lofty designation of "hero,"
because they loved their country enough to defend its honor and principles and were willing to risk their lives fighting for it.
Both active duty personnel I know were overseas while their wives were pregnant and now are temporarily separated from their young children. Their wives maintain order at home and count the days to their return. We pray for their safety and send them care packages of
food and gifts. But no matter what happens, my cousin and friend can tell their kids that their daddies are heroes.
I hope the children will grow to understand that the title of "hero" is so priceless that no athlete could afford it.
Matthew Zellmer lives in Hales Corners. E-mail mz80@yahoo
Someone to look up to
Whom do our children choose?
By Rose McIlveen
To answer the question above, you need to look no further than professional basketball team listings in the television schedules, according to David Gallahue, professor of kinesiology and associate dean of academic affairs and research at the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in Bloomington.
In a survey conducted by HPER's David Gallahue, more than 50 percent of children named a sport figure as their primary hero. Based on gender, 43 percent of girls placed a "my life" person as number one--a teacher, parent or coach-- while only 18 percent of boys did so. 
Gallahue has been conducting a survey of boys and girls in grades 3-6 in the metropolitan Indianapolis area since 1993 and finds the results troubling. The study was designed to examine the types of heroes children selectworshipping, with "hero" being defined for participants as "someone you look up to."
"The children's choice of pro basketball star Michael Jordan bothers me in several ways: that children regard hang time to be heroic; that girls basically had little choice other than to identify with a male sports figure; and that Mom and Dad, plugging away at the daily business of raising a family, seem unappreciated, especially by boys," said Gallahue.
The latter particularly bothered the professor.
"I thought that heroes would be identified closer to home. I expected more 'my life' heroes--moms, dads, teachers, coaches," said Gallahue.
More than 50% of the children named a sport figures as their primary hero
Based on gender, 43 percent of girls placed a "my life" person as number one, while only 18 percent of boys did so.
"The girls were on balance of where I would like to see children be," said Gallahue. But there was a negative side to the female response. "You know sport is not just a man's world. It's not just NBA basketball, and when you find girls identifying with a male basketball player, I'm not sure that's what we want. Not that it's bad to have girls admire Michael Jordan,