Introspection

Reflecting on my definition essay at the beginning of the year, my definition of a hero has more or less stayed the same. I said that being a hero was standing up for people in a time of crisis, helping them get through hard times, saving them, et cetera, et cetera. Given the most recent global event, I would have never even thought of what the people are currently doing during this economic crisis as heroes because I could not even imagine the impact of the CoVID-19 pandemic. However, all of the people who are going to work to do the essential jobs are heroes, be it grocery store workers or restaurant employees, are heroes in their own right. The governors that are actually acting to stop the spread, like Mike DeWine or Andrew Cuomo are also heroes. You will recall that in my definition essay that I said intentions matter, so people who are going to work to their non-essential occupations, ignoring this pandemic and trying to live life as usual, are not heroes; they are, for a lack of a softer word, idiotic in their choice, or at the very, very least, misinformed. Those are some ways in which my views towards what qualifies as a hero has changed. Another way is that I am much more inclusive in what I refer to as a hero; anyone who lends a helping hand to someone in need, be it the smallest of kind gestures. If you brighten up my day, or anyone else’s day, you are a hero in my mind.