I'm not exactly sure what brought it to mind, probably from reading someone else's blog. Yep, that's what it was, I just don't remember whose(did I use the word whose correctly?).
But as I was driving home yesterday I got to thinking about heroes. Both fictional and real. It seems to me that what draws us to heroes are there fatal flaws. But not just that they have them, that they overcome them. After all, isn't that what makes one a hero, the ability to persevere and overcome obstacles? I think so.
My personal heroes list is short:
Dad
Step-Dad
Grandfather
Jon Shoulders
Nolan Ryan
My Brother
I would explain Why each one of those people are on the list, but let me boil it down to this: each one of those men has shown me a different view of what it means to be a man and how to live a life worth living. Ech providing a different perspective that has helped shape me into the me you see today, for better or worse.
I will focus on one of my heroes today, My Brother.
He has been through alot and has overcome many obstacles. And now I remember where the whole thought about heroes camefrom, a post that my brother put on facebook yesterday that "I became a runner today, I actually enjoyed running".
You see, A few years ago most people thought he would not run again, or walk again, or use his brain again, or live at all. But he has. His colon ruptured, he went into septic shock and has organs began shutting down. except his heart, the Doctors said he has a strong heart. Hells yeah he does. in time, systems began to slowly start to function again and after a month he came out a coma(partially medically induced). Months in rehab hospitals and a major blow to his life and emotional, not to mention physical state, he came back home.
One of the happiest days of my life was when he was still in the ICU and we were talking to him and over him, concerned about his brain being fried due to high temps and he did some math calculations in his head, and npot easy ones either. I knew his mind was there, and the rest would follow. And so it has, a few months ago he started running, he completed a half-marathon, and has runin several 5/10k's as well and I have had the pleasure of doing a couple of training runs with him. What a priveledge to run with one of your heroes.
What an honor to run with the person you tried to run with all your life. I followed him to elementary school, followed him to the bus stop in Jr. High, followed him to high school and lived in his shadow through it all, but there was no place else I would rather have been. I even moved 3 states away to go to college where he was. He was my superman, I couldn' tbeat him at anything but could tell he was proud when ever I did well at anything.
And then I started running. Even completed a marathon, and there he was(with the rest of the support team, team pegasus) every few miles yelling encouragment and lifting my spirits to get me a few more miles up the road where he would be again yelling my name for all to here and yelling how he knew that I could, and would do it. What a treasure.
I didn't make him start running. In fact, i was suprised when he told me he started. He Runs, does spin class, hits the weights. He has come from the ICU and inches from losing his life to the point where he enjoys running, which was not one of his favorite childhood activities(I think he still has Atari calouses on his thumbs).
He is a runner, He is a hero, MY hero.
But as I was driving home yesterday I got to thinking about heroes. Both fictional and real. It seems to me that what draws us to heroes are there fatal flaws. But not just that they have them, that they overcome them. After all, isn't that what makes one a hero, the ability to persevere and overcome obstacles? I think so.
My personal heroes list is short:
Dad
Step-Dad
Grandfather
Jon Shoulders
Nolan Ryan
My Brother
I would explain Why each one of those people are on the list, but let me boil it down to this: each one of those men has shown me a different view of what it means to be a man and how to live a life worth living. Ech providing a different perspective that has helped shape me into the me you see today, for better or worse.
I will focus on one of my heroes today, My Brother.
He has been through alot and has overcome many obstacles. And now I remember where the whole thought about heroes camefrom, a post that my brother put on facebook yesterday that "I became a runner today, I actually enjoyed running".
You see, A few years ago most people thought he would not run again, or walk again, or use his brain again, or live at all. But he has. His colon ruptured, he went into septic shock and has organs began shutting down. except his heart, the Doctors said he has a strong heart. Hells yeah he does. in time, systems began to slowly start to function again and after a month he came out a coma(partially medically induced). Months in rehab hospitals and a major blow to his life and emotional, not to mention physical state, he came back home.
One of the happiest days of my life was when he was still in the ICU and we were talking to him and over him, concerned about his brain being fried due to high temps and he did some math calculations in his head, and npot easy ones either. I knew his mind was there, and the rest would follow. And so it has, a few months ago he started running, he completed a half-marathon, and has runin several 5/10k's as well and I have had the pleasure of doing a couple of training runs with him. What a priveledge to run with one of your heroes.
What an honor to run with the person you tried to run with all your life. I followed him to elementary school, followed him to the bus stop in Jr. High, followed him to high school and lived in his shadow through it all, but there was no place else I would rather have been. I even moved 3 states away to go to college where he was. He was my superman, I couldn' tbeat him at anything but could tell he was proud when ever I did well at anything.
And then I started running. Even completed a marathon, and there he was(with the rest of the support team, team pegasus) every few miles yelling encouragment and lifting my spirits to get me a few more miles up the road where he would be again yelling my name for all to here and yelling how he knew that I could, and would do it. What a treasure.
I didn't make him start running. In fact, i was suprised when he told me he started. He Runs, does spin class, hits the weights. He has come from the ICU and inches from losing his life to the point where he enjoys running, which was not one of his favorite childhood activities(I think he still has Atari calouses on his thumbs).
He is a runner, He is a hero, MY hero.
Training for triathlons is not easy and there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. Life is not easy and the obstacles are non-stop. But so are the strories of those who have conquered those obstacles. Steve has, and I will follow in his shadow, as I always have.
Weekly Totals
Swim- 4500 yds(2.6 miles)
Bike- 27 mi
Run- 8.8 mi
I cried while reading this. the first time I read it. I will not cry again!!! Thanks for posting this. I can't wait to be there for your first Iron Man triathlon!
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