Heroes

A recent article in "The Atlantic" starts out: "Turn your mind for a moment to a friend or family member you cherish but don’t spend as much time with as you would like.  This needn’t be your most significant relationship, just someone who makes you feel energized when you’re with them, and whom you’d like to see more regularly."  Oh, that's easy.  Gloria.

Of course, I don't spend as much time with her because she's dead, so I guess their suggestion that we spend more time with the people we love (which is, overall, a good suggestion) doesn't really hold for me.

OK, yes, that's unfair.

So, let's go back to the men's "Bible" study from yesterday.  I put Bible in quotes because they aren't really studying the Bible, but a book.  And, in one chapter, the author is pitching a similar idea: that the approbation of those we respect and admire is important to us.  And the book asks, how do you feel when one of your real heroes admires you, or says something great about you, or says that they love you?

I don't know.  I don't have heroes.

I'm Canadian.  We don't *do* heroes.  (Well, except for, maybe, Terry Fox.)

I know a lot of nice people.  I even know some "names."  (In various fields.)  It's fun to hear C talk about the worldwide knowledge he has of the community.  B can be really incisive at times.  It's hard to talk to J for any length of time because he is so much in demand.  It's hilarious sitting in the back (because you can heckle better from the back) of a conference keynote with W.  I once helped B (no, the other B) buy a word processor so he could write a book, and found out about what a hard time he had starting a new, prestigious, position.

I like them.  They're great.  We have fun, when we can get together.  (Which is far too seldom, in all cases.)  I learn things from them.

But, heroes?

I've had some good bosses, and even a few great ones.  I've had some good teachers.  (Not sure I could put any of them into the "great" category, but ...)  I've got some great friends, and, as noted, some of them are even "names," and I'm sure that others might put them in the "hero" category.

I don't.

I'm not sure why not.  It's not a "feet of clay" thing: I could talk about foibles and limitations, but I doubt that that is the real issue.  I already know that people aren't perfect.  That's not exactly a surprise.