Uncle Marcel

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” This is one of my favorite quotes from the great Ralph Waldo Emerson that really captures the true essence of the meaning of the title, “Hero.” It says that in order to be a hero one must be perceived as brave in the eyes of another and it also shows that a hero can be like anyone else. One who fills this quote’s description is a person very dear to me, my uncle Marc. He demonstrates the qualities I believe are required in a hero which are taking responsibility for his actions, keeping what’s important to him a priority, and showing a great love for those he is around.

A facile way to determine the measure of a man is to see how he takes self responsibility. My uncle, Marcel, is the brother of my father and I have known him since my elementary days. I first understood his self commitment back around my 8th or 9th Christmas vacation when our family had gathered at our home to partake in tidings of great joy. He came in the door to the delight of my family, whose faces glowed and shone off his emaciated, ashen, yet happy face. I found out when I was older that he had, a week prior to that date, been released after serving nearly a five-year jail sentence. The charges were never stated to me verbatim, but my uncle has numerous times told me that he has accepted responsibility and moved on from whatever happened. I later noticed a curious tendency of his to leave any room that had alcohol in it, so if one’s imagination can momentarily wander on that line of thought... His silent commitment to himself to remain sober shows to me a true man taking responsibility and for that I highly respect him.

My uncle Marc always tells us kids to keep our priorities organized, a statement that does not condemn him into hypocrisy. Now one might think this odd, but my uncle is an ardent “walrus tusk” collector. He actually has a commodious closet where he has them all displayed. Many people who hear that he has a tusk collection are surprised at first but then mockingly cruel. However my uncle doesn’t really care because he says that it is important to him and that’s all that matters. His resilience is a trait I only wish to be able to obtain and I’m glad he can be there to be a positive role model.

If only people could exhibit a fraction of the love my uncle Marc does daily, people might consider staying here longer than one hundred years. He is generally an introvert, but when you sit down with him in a small, quiet setting, it's comparable to the walls of the “Red Sea” as his life experiences and wisdoms crashing down upon you. I wonder if a documentary film were ever made about him if the director could capture the captivating thoughts that flow out of his mouth with my uncle’s passion. He may be a shy loner-type, but he has a heart of gold and his selflessness makes me drown in guilt. For example, this summer I saw him at our family vacation and instead of hitting the trails with the dirt bikes he kicked back all week. When I asked him why he was so idle he responded by pulling up his shirt and revealing an eight-inch scar where he said his left lung had been removed. Say what! In my slight quandary I started saying things like, “Was it infected?” or, “What the heck did they do that for?” My uncle then pulled out his wallet and showed me the picture of some girl I didn’t know that appeared of twelve. He then said words that still raise the hairs on the back of my neck when I replay them in my mind, “This is… Lilly… my second cousin’s… niece. She had … a freak case of… emphysema… and would have died… had no one … right then and there… came up with a… extra lung. I was there… and God said to me… in spirit… you have two healthy lungs… and … your best days are… behind you … while this girl has… no future unless you… give it to her.” Stunned to the point of utter disarray, I felt like crying and singing at the same time and my uncle just gave me his selfless smile. Since that incidence I revere him with esteem second only to God and truly thrive to give myself for others like he had.

My Uncle Marc may seem to be an ordinary guy, but to me his personality, traits, and selflessness truly ascend him to an elite class of praise. This man has changed my life, whether he knows it or not, and I cannot begin to think what I would be without his influence. The perception of heroes may be different to all people, but for me, my uncle is the personification of heroism and a good friend.