Jon Hoadley

Autobiography of My Hero

I grew up in Concord, New Hampshire, the youngest of three children.  My father worked for the City of Concord and my mother was a school teacher.  Even though they both had full time jobs we lived on a farm raising and growing most of our own food.  My dad believed we should be self-sufficient; he would rather do it himself rather than have someone else do it for him.

Besides working on our farm, sports were the other major part of our lives.  Both my Mom and Dad were very good athletes and all of their kids played sports from baseball, football, basketball, hockey, swimming and skiing. Being the youngest by three years, I was always the least proficient at any of the sports I played relative to my brother and sister, but that did not keep me from trying my hardest because one day I believed I would beat them. 

However, I did have a setback when I was eleven while playing little league baseball.  I was hit in the temple with a baseball.  This caused me to spend 7 weeks in the hospital which included two major surgeries on my brain.  The unique thing about my accident was it was a blessing in disguise as it caused the doctors to find a cerebral aneurysm that may not have been found until it was too late to operate.  The events of that summer really impacted how I looked at life.  Specifically, I try to live everyday like it is my last because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Interview with My Hero

When faced with the question: "What are your most prominent traits and characteristics?" my dad responded with persistence, thoughtfulness, and light heartedness. My favorite quote in regards to his light heartedness is, "I don't take things too seriously, unless they need to be seriously taken", meaning that my dad is truly thoughtful, but also tries to live in the moment and pursuit whatever it is that he wants. I further inquired about his absolute prominent trait; he responded, "Persistence, things don't come easy to me, so I always keep working until I reach my goal." Throughout my Dad's life he has always been so thoughtful, never rash, and always able to take care of the important things even if they were hard to come by. He doesn't take serious decisions lightly, and he always pursues his goals with vigor, yet never ceasing to live in the moment. These are traits that I admire him so much for.

I next inquired about what my dad values the most in life. He responded with, "The ability to do your own thing, and make your choices." My dad has always focused on being able to reach his own goals and have the ability to be self-sufficient, a trait that many heroes are able to possess. I then asked about what this biggest goal throughout his life was. He said, "To raise good children, I want to look back and say that I raised a productive member of society." He further stated that his greatest accomplishment was me, and that his proudest moment was when I was voted president of my class. He then stated, "When you came home and told me that she was named class president, I was overcame with a sense of pride. I was so proud that she had built up a reputation of good character that she was voted in by her peers."

I then asked what he biggest hardship or obstacle was thus far, and he answered with all of his health issues. Specifically, he said, "Usually hardships are related to your ultimate goal, which would be raising the best children, but you made it easy for me. My hardest times were having to deal with my aneurysm, and all the health problems that came with that, and having severe asthma during college." What my dad was too humble to say was that while playing for a competitive Division 1 Collegiate team, he was battling severe asthma. So much so that he needed a nebulizer daily, but never ceased to stop playing.

I then questioned him about his own personal hero. He responded, "My dad and my brother. My dad has always been a model of self-sufficiency, and I respect that immensely. My brother, on the other hand, has always set a high standard, I always strove to meet or beat him." I then asked whether he would consider himself a hero, in turn I got a hard no and an incredulous shake of the head. My last question was, "What would you say if I told you that you are my personal hero?" After taking a moment he responded, "I would certainly be surprised, but I'm happy to know that I impacted your life as much as I did." That response is the epitome of my father, he is an incredibly humble human being.

Hall of Fame Inductee

I believe that my father has the true characteristics to be classified as a hero. As a young child he was hit in the head while playing baseball. Although this was a major injury in his life, it actually saved him from an undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm. Eventually, he had two major brain surgeries and 3 spinal taps in order to release the fluid from his brain and to be able to eventually live a normal life. However, this did not stop my dad. He went on to dedicating his life to sports and school and decided to live every day like it was his last. This drive and perseverance were the characteristics that allowed him to play college ball, and even be scouted by the MLB Team, the Chicago White Sox. However, if you ever talk to my dad he would never mention this aspect of his life. He is so humble, and that is what solidifies his heroism.

Clearly, my dad has sufficiently surpassed all if the "standard qualities" of a hero if you will: he is possesses bravery, perseverance, and humility. But that is not why my dad is my personal hero. He is my personal hero because he has inspired me to be what I want. He has embodied the characteristics of being self-sufficient, a good planner, and always doing his very best. Although, these characteristics may not be as exciting as surviving an aneurysm, these are the traits that have allowed me to be what I am today, and that is unquantifiable heroism. This type of heroism is what can change a nation, it is what can inspire every individual and can make global change.