James John Christenson Jr.

James John Christenson Jr.

What is a hero? A hero to me is someone that is always there for you through the rough and good times. Someone who would come and help you at a moment's notice. Someone that puts everyone ahead of himself and is not selfish. I'm very lucky to have someone like this in my life. He is a man that came in to my life when I was in sixth grade, and he has cared for me since. A man that has made me the man I am today. Everyday I am blessed to wake up and have this guy in my life. He has always been there for me and makes sure I make the right decisions in life.

My hero is my dad, Jim. He has been on the North Sioux City Fire Dept. for almost twenty years. He saves others' lives on a day-to-day basis. He would lay down his life to save another and wouldn't think twice about it. Anyone that would do that is a hero in my book. If I told him that he is a hero, he would say, "I'm just doin' my job." Which yes, he is just doing his job, above and beyond what any normal person would do.

Jim took on a big job when he married my mom. He became a father of three kids. That's a tough job to do when the kids really don't want anyone around. The man I now call my dad has been a vital person in my success in school and athletics by driving me above and beyond what I thought I could ever achieve. He's always pushing me to the point where I don't even want to listen or even care about what he's saying. Looking back, I can see that all he was trying to do was help me gain success.

Jim is the type of person that is kindhearted, loving, and the kind of man I want to be. Any man who can take three kids as his own and get them to love and care for him just as he does for them is a hero. I hope that one day I can be half the Dad that he is, but didn't have to be.