H E R O

African-Americans have many so-called heros, mostly athletes and certainly actors and musicians, especially if they're rich and successful. We seldom make heros of common folks, you know, like scientists or scholars.., laborers or teachers. We pay lip-service to how much those lesser gods have blessed us, taught us values and guided us in the midst of trouble, but we purchase posters of Jordan or Tiger and hang them proudly as if these few have deposited the most into our lives.., or hearts. No one has more admiration for those that are certainly doing a good job with their celebrity and have proven time and again to be benevolent creatures with incredible pressures and opportunities to be much less most of the time. But admiration alone does not make a hero.

I've seen heros on my tele recently and they weren't camera ready. They were forced into roles of super human patience and compassion in the midst of almost insurmontable odds. Uneducated and uncultured 'tho spectacularly heroic, each and every one. I don't have a list of names to applaud, nor will there be any promotional merchandise for their heroism, but they will be recorded in the annals of Heaven for being selfless and generous.

Hurricane Katrina has been a great litmus test for HEROS. Perhaps you're one, reading this now. If so, I'm applauding you for being courageous and caring in these trying times. Next time you pass by a mirror, take a mental picture of yourself and remember from this day forward what a real HERO looks like.


However, if you still need another image of Heroism, here's my personal Hero, our future President of America, Senator Barack Obama. He's taking on the old Republican guard concerning their views and values toward those that have historically been less forturnate. He's about to 'rise to the occasion' in a very significant way. Remember you read it here, first.


BePEACE.