The clock winds down. The crowd rises from their bubble gum infested bench seats in anticipation. This is your moment to shine bright. This is what we all yearn for; the moment to become a hero. For some, their whole life is defined by this one moment. Those people rarely hesitate at an opportunity to reminisce back to “the big game”.
Their stories often become farfetched and out of hand. The winning lay-up becomes embellished into a two hand slam dunk that broke the backboard and beat the buzzer. The 4th and inches halfback dive soon becomes a 4th and ninety-nine play action Hail Mary pass with the eight man blitz quickly approaching leading to a one-handed diving catch in the corner of the end zone.
The world of sports is a world separate from our own. It is a world where a man can become a legend in a split second, no matter if it is from a last second field goal or a walk-off homerun. It is a world where quality of a man can be defined by rings or green jackets. It is indeed separate from our own.
In our world, the world of the common man, it takes more to be a hero. It takes being a role model without thousands of screaming fans. It takes being selfless to help a fellow person in need. A real hero takes action in helping others when no cameras are filming.
We commonly praise the efforts of athletic prowess of dog fighters, rapists, and men claiming, “I am not a role model,” while almost a third of our youth grows up fatherless waiting for a man to say “I am a role model.”
Today, rise up off your seat on the bleachers and step onto the field. You don’t have to be a pro athlete to make a difference.
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