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Essays on the Theme of Heroism
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My Mentors

by Henry Barnes from Charlotte, NC

Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash - I’m sure you know who at least one of these people are. These people are examples of “heroes”. Actually, they’re more than heroes - they’re superheroes. They fight crime, defeat bad guys, and they almost always win. However, this is not what heroes have to be. No, no, no, heroes can be many different things. Heroes are whatever you want them to be. But this essay is not about your perspective on heroes, it’s about mine. Throughout the years, my definition of a hero has been tweaked, alternated, switched, swapped, and substituted; the point is, my idea of a hero is always evolving. But now, I believe I know what a hero is. Being a hero means you must be passionate, you must take action when others don’t, and you must impact people's lives.

A man once said: “If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.” That man was Alexander Hamilton -- and I cannot think of anyone more passionate than him. Throughout his life, Hamilton became a sponge for knowledge. He soaked up as much expertise, advice, and wisdom as he could, just to spew it back on to everyone else. This urge to learn, sparked Hamilton's career as an author, lawyer, politician, and the secretary of the United States Treasury. Not to mention what he contributed to the Federalist Papers. You see, The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays that urged U.S. citizens to certify the United States Constitution. Featuring Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, these 85 papers were originally supposed to be split evenly. However, they were not. In the end, Hamilton wrote 51 of the essays. This just goes to show that he was willing to help people out (As long as he was able to write). Even though Hamilton definitely showed a certain eagerness to write and learn, there are many other people that also care deeply about a cause. Take Martin Luther King for example; he served many roles during the Civil Rights Movement: an Love activist, a minister, and even a spokesperson of this movement. I mean sure, plenty of other people contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. But how many people did this much? The point is, no regular person would strive so hard to achieve something that they might not even bear witness to. They are both definitely far from normal. In fact, these two men share similar traits… they are unique, different, passionate, and of course….heroes!

Even though being passionate is essential when being a hero, there is one trait that is equally as important. And that trait is being able to take action when others don’t.  Luckily for you, I have a perfect example of someone taking action. And that someone, is Rosa Parks. For all who don’t know, Rosa Parks was a Civil Rights activist. In some cases, she was known as "the mother of the freedom movement”. This is why. The date was December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama and Rosa Parks was exhausted after a long day's work. As usual, Rosa boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus that she took home. However, that day, she did something very unusual. Instead of making her way to the back of the bus, she took a seat at the very front. You see, back then, It was required that all public transportation must be segregated. Meaning, that all white passengers were supposed to sit in the very front of the bus. Anyways, she stayed in that seat for a while… until the bus started to fill up with more white passengers. Then the driver noticed that she was taking up a seat in the “white” section. He stopped the bus, then demanded, "Why don't you stand up?" to which Rosa replied, "I don't think I should have to stand up." So, the bus driver then called the police and had her arrested. After being bailed out of prison, Mrs. Parks was interviewed. During the interview, she stated, “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step.” After reading and brooding over this quote, I came to a conclusion. Rosa Parks was not a bystander….she was an effectuator. Or, in other words, she took action. Which was indeed an act of heroism.

The third and final trait links them all together in a strange way. You could say, it’s the “glue” that keeps them together. Or possibly the end result of the previous two combined. This last trait is impacting others. I don’t know about you, but when I think of impacting others, two definite examples come to mind. The first person was a leader, a “captain”, and in some cases, a freak. That man was Abraham Lincoln. Now, when you first read this I bet you thought, “What? how did Abraham Lincoln leave an impact, besides being a president.” I’ll tell you how. One major influence Lincoln had on this country, was the Emancipation Proclamation. This document granted freedom to all slaves in the Confederate states. In the end, it freed over 3.5 million slaves. I would consider that to be pretty life-altering for many people. Also, Lincoln led our country through the Civil War, which lasted four years. After adding together the slaves that were freed and the U.S. soldiers that fought in the Civil War, I have estimated that Abraham Lincoln has affected around 6.25 million lives. Now, this next person has just recently passed away. However, he was able to die knowing that he brought more than 3.2 million people to Christ. In my opinion, Billy Graham was definitely a hero. He has spoken all over the world and brought about change to others. To me, he was and still is a role model. In fact, both of these men were. This just shows how they affected the lives of both young and old. These impactful men have improved my life in so many ways.

The thought of finishing this essay brings a certain sadness to my heart. The reason why is because throughout this essay I feel as if I have grown closer to these passionate, bold, and impactful heroes. I could almost describe them as my mentors. They have taught me many crucial lessons that I will cherish forever. Alexander Hamilton and MLK have taught me that hard work and determination does pay off. I have decided to apply this to my school work. Rosa Parks has encouraged me to stand up for what I believe, and to not be afraid to take the first step. I have resolved to remember this every time I am faced with a new or difficult challenge. Now, Billy Graham and Abraham Lincoln have taught me one very important lesson, make a change for the better. I will do this, every day, for the rest of my life. Even though they have passed on, their impact on me will not.

 

Page created on 3/12/2019 4:57:41 PM

Last edited 3/16/2019 6:19:30 AM

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