Jack Johnson

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"Don't let your dreams be dreams." This is what Jack Johnson believes when it comes to his outlook on life. He demonstrates this idealism in many of the big moments in life as well as his day to day life. Johnson is known for having a positive outlook on life all throughout his past. For example, "Johnson was born in 1975 on Oahu, the third largest island among the archipelago of Hawaii. His father, Jeff, was a well-known professional surfer and Johnson, like his two older brothers, Trent and Pete, spent his earliest years in and on the water." ("Jack Johnson.") He learned to surf as a kid and quickly became good at it. He became sponsored at age 14 then wiped out and almost died at 17. A hero must posses strong morals and be charitable. Having strong morals means that one is able to determine between right and wrong and chooses the right path. For one to possess charitability, they must be willing to donate some of what they posses to others or a group that will do something good with it. Johnson is morally strong, and very charitable. These factors are what come together to make Johnson a hero that stands out in the everyday world.

Johnson Surfing (sykose.com ())

Jack Johnson is a hero because he uses his wealth and fame to make a difference in the world. When he was only 17 he suffered a life threatening injury while surfing in Hawaii. Instead of spending the time he spent in the hospital feeling bad for himself, Johnson decided to focus on music as an alternative for surfing. "In 1993, however, a near-disastrous wipeout left the 17-year-old Johnson with a broken nose and more than 100 stitches; he also lost a few teeth in the face-down collision with a reef." ("Jack Johnson.") This injury could have easily killed Johnson and he could have just as easily let himself become depressed and feel bad for himself. Instead, he decided to focus on something else, music, since he could no longer surf while recovering from his injury. Johnson shows how even when bad things happen you shouldn't let it bring you down and make you stop trying. Jack Johnson has also inspired people with his extreme acts of kindness and caring. "Jack and Kim Johnson have been effecting change worldwide by leading the music industry in greening practices and using their success to support many social and environmental issues." ("Johnson Ohana") Most people who have the privilege of becoming rich and famous use their power to do useless things that only benefit themselves. However, Johnson and his wife have chose to use their fame and wealth do do something beneficial to everyone, not just themselves. Johnson not only has donated a large amount of his income to charities benefiting the earth, it is also known that he practice being "green" in his everyday life by doing things such as not only installing solar panels on his home, but choosing to record his music in a studio powered by solar panels. Acknowledging all of these things that Johnson has done to benefit charitable foundations contributes to how Jack Johnson is morally strong and is therefore a hero.

As well morally strong, a hero must also be charitable. "This summer, the native Hawaiian will hit the road with his three-piece band for a two-month tour of amphitheaters, where, in addition to strumming his tunes, Johnson will spread his mantra for environmental protection, touring in eco friendly biodiesel buses and sharing part of his earnings with the charity 1% for the Planet." ("Scaggs") Johnson could easily use the cheaper buses that run on normal fuel and keep his warning from his tours but instead he chooses to use environment friendly buses and donate a portion of his earning to charity to better the earth. A large majority of Johnson's earnings over his career have been donated to benefiting the earth or helping kids in need. As well as donating to charities, Johnson has also started a charity that helps better the earth by recycling and cleaning the environment. "As part of the All At Once campaign, the tour collaborated with over 150 community groups focusing on plastic free initiatives, sustainable local food systems, and other hands-on environmental projects." ("Scaggs") Johnson has used his fame and fortune to, instead of use it for personal gain, start a charity that helps clean up our ecosystem. Johnson is also known to support local businesses and restaurants when on tour by donating to them and also using their food at his concerts. These are just a few examples of Jack Johnson's charitability but are more than enough to conclude that he is in fact a hero.

Johnson is Inspiring, morally strong, and very charitable. All these factors are what come together to make him a hero that stands out in the everyday world. Johnson shows many signs of heroism through his acts of charitability and strong morals. Jack Johnson inspires me to do things that benefit other people and not just myself. Acknowledging all of Jack Johnson's not only achievements, but his contributions to local charities and organizations we can conclude that Johnson is over all an inspirational person who deserves to be named a hero.

Works Cited

"Jack Johnson." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Student Resources in Context. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

"Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation." - About Us. Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2015