What is a Hero?

The Tuskegee airmen were heros.

The 9-11 first responders were heros.

The policeman that died in the line of duty was a hero.

The dictionary defines HERO as a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievement, or noble qualities.

Thus, the airmen, first responders, and policeman fit that definition.

Yet, these individuals were simply doing their job. 

A lot of people just do their job and never are labeled as a hero, no matter how routine or dangerous their tasks may be. 

Before I read the above definition, I always saw heros as people who go over and above the call of duty, usually in an area they are not expert in.  

For example, the ordinary citizen who rushes into a burning house and rescues a dog from the second floor window is a hero. 

The 8th grade girl who submits a science project that forever standardizes what a measured teaspoon or tablespoon of medicine is, as opposed to the random spoon out the drawer, is a hero. 

By the above definition, most of you are heros on your jobs. You balance the books, make the coffee, sell the products, paint the walls, coach the kids, drive the cabs, write the legislation, sing the songs, as good as the best of them. Just because there’s no measure of danger in your tasks shouldn’t disqualify you from being labeled a hero, should it?

Even when danger is involved, like on my job, when we risk our lives to solve a problem, we’re not labeled as a hero. That’s what we are trained to do. But if YOU walked into a refinery and there was a vessel about to explode and spew dangerous chemicals in the air from high temperatures and pressures, you would be a hero if you could remedy the situation, because no one would expect you to know what to do. 

A couple weeks ago, the surgeon that operated on my father came out to tell me how his progress was far greater than expected. I told the doctor that he was a hero. 

He gave me a funny look and went about his business.

I guess he just thought he was doing his job.