Heroes Without a Cape

Super strength, super speed, power of flight - you don’t need any of these to be a life changing hero or save the day. Many people in our modern society think you have to have superpowers to swoop in and stop the “bad guy”. However, it’s actually the average, everyday person who can make the difference in someone’s life. These heroes have two main traits that are imperative in making them the hero that they are: bravery and perseverance. 

When most people think of bravery, they think of someone who is not afraid of anything that stands in their way, they will run into even the most terrifying situations. There are not many people today who are like this, but there is one group of lifesaving people who are: the firefighters! Firefighters have been serving the United States since 1678. Even though they may have changed by getting newer technology or better trucks and equipment, they still have the same goal - to save lives. They race into their gear and leap into their fire trucks as fast as they possibly can to save people in desperate need. These fearless men and women charge into buildings engulfed in enormous flames to get the people inside to safety. Firefighters are brave because when most people run from the danger, they sprint right into the heart of it. So if anyone is brave, it’s them! 

The second “ingredient” in being a hero is perseverance, not giving up even in the toughest situations. A great example of this is the famous Walt Disney. Walt Disney  has brought joy and smiles to many people through cartoons, movies, and amusement parks. But before all that, he worked for the newspaper and was fired in 1919 because his editor said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” But he still kept on trying and did not give up and his failures helped pave the way for his success. Another successful person who experienced failure but still kept going is Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey is a famous and successful actor, but when he was a kid he grew up in a low income family with a dad who struggled to keep jobs. He later had to dropout of high school and become a janitor,but that did not stop him. He kept working hard until he finally became an actor. This shows that to be a hero you have to get back up and try again when you fail. 

After looking at all the different types of heroes in our society, I have realized that to be a hero you don’t need a mask and a cape to help people, you just need to have determination and show fearlessness. Many different kinds of people can have these traits and many different people can be a hero. All you need is bravery and perseverance and then you can “save the world.”