Michael Tjernagel

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president, once said, “Hold on with a bulldog grip, and chew and choke as much as possible.” I believe my hero, Michael Tjernagel, would live by this unusual quote. In most ways Mike and Abraham Lincoln are very similar. They both have a sense of humor, they are both brave, they can be caring but opinionated, and they are both strong.

Abraham Lincoln’s overall personality makes him my hero. His ability to be brave and at the same time maintain a sense of humor is what really stands out to me though. Today most people only have one quality or the other, and if they do have both qualities their sense of humor is generally morbid or twisted. Luckily, being brave and having a good sense of humor is something that Abraham and Mike have in common.

Strength is another important characteristic a hero should have. But strength can mean many things. To most people it means being able to lift a certain amount of weight. To me it means enduring life-changing experiences while staying true to themselves. To Abraham Lincoln it most likely meant staying firm in your beliefs even when it inevitably turns out that no one supports you because of it. Abraham knew that slavery was horrible and expressed his belief and some people hated him because of it. To Mike Tjernagel it most likely means being able to believe no matter how many obstacles are put in your way. Mike fought in the Vietnam War and still held firm to his religious beliefs.

Caring is also a quality heroes must have. There is a story about Abraham Lincoln where he saw a little girl crying at a train station. Abraham went over to her and found out she’d missed the train to her grandma’s house. Abraham bought her another ticket and sent her on her way. Abraham Lincoln also rescued birds that fell out their nests and released a widow’s son to her from the army after her husband and oldest son had been killed. Mike’s portrayals of caring aren’t as historic as Abraham Lincoln but he shows he cares by playing with the three-year-old girl at church and by giving my sister rides on his wife’s wheelchair and by always complimenting his grandniece on whatever she’s wearing.

Mike has influenced everyone he’s met, from his sons, Nathan and Adam, to the little girl at church, and even to me. He’s taught us how to take a positive approach in everything we do. He’s taught us how to be proud of who we are and how to express our opinions without being rude. Similarly, Abraham Lincoln has influenced many people. He influenced a divided country into becoming whole. He influenced people to do the right thing even when it was hard. He influenced people to be honest and fair no matter what the consequences are. Abraham Lincoln is a role model to me and to many others. His upright, caring, and strong morals are characteristics that a real hero should have.

Mike is modest, he doesn’t try to get noticed for his actions and most of the time he doesn’t. A stranger meeting my hero for the first time might not assume that Mike and Abraham Lincoln were that similar. If that same stranger observed Mike for five minutes he would indubitably see how similar they are. Mike is great person and anyone would be proud to call him a friend. I am blessed to live where heroes are abundant, and I make the comparison between Michael Tjernagel and Abraham Lincoln with immense pride.