Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category
Real heroes
Leave a CommentThe movies and television make idols of them, shelves of glossy magazines sensationalise their glamorous lives, and gossip columns perpetuate their fame. But where are the real heroes?
It's not easy to be a superhero†
In this modern world of celebrity worship, society’s heroes are more often personalities, such as movie stars, who are almost as make believe as the characters they portray. They may be masters of their profession, successful in life beyond the film set and, in their own way, worthy of admiration, but the attention they garner often has as much to do with their riches and the perceived glamour which surrounds them.
It is therefore gratifying when the spotlight of attention steers away from the greasepaint and the catwalks, to focus on some real heroes: otherwise ordinary people who exhibit exceptional qualities, courage and determination; real people who we can embrace because they are more like us; people we would want our children to look up to.
In recent times we have been introduced to some remarkable people: Chesley Sullenberger, the airline pilot better known as Sully, who became a worldwide star when he crash landed his Airbus A320 in the Hudson River after multiple bird strikes disabled both engines, saving 155 lives. An equally modest American hero is Richard Phillips, the captain of the hijacked ship Maersk Alabama, who surrendered himself to pirates to save his crew. And let us not forget the president of the United States, Barack Obama. Undoubtedly the right person for the job at the right time, but the fact that he was also the country’s first black president made him a hero to people the world over.
There are always heroes to be found if we look beyond the wacky singers, the chic models and the stars of the football field. Marvel at the achievements of oil rig workers who overcome enormous challenges to bring the sticky crude up from immense depths beneath the ocean floor. Treasure that special school teacher who, year after year, inspires children to grow up and become captains of industry. And be forever grateful that the world contains people like the aid workers who travel to dangerous regions to provide medical assistance to the weak and the vulnerable, saving countless lives while risking their own. These are just some examples of our everyday real heroes.
On a recent flight, I was flicking through the on-demand video programming in the on-board entertainment system. I can rarely get engrossed in a film on those tiny screens that are set into the back of the seat in front, so I looked for something else and came across a documentary about the Mars Phoenix lander. I can’t recall which show it was, but it was a popular science show which was originally broadcast during the time the lander was entering Mars’ atmosphere and descending to the planet’s surface.
Between the live segments, there were pre-recorded interviews with the scientists and engineers involved with the mission, who talked about their roles on the project and the experiments that Phoenix would conduct on Mars following a successful landing and deployment. The challenges that the team faced just getting this tiny probe to the red planet were enormous. Even before the real mission began, there were incredible technical hurdles to be overcome. What they accomplished was astounding.
Each one of those team members could be called a hero for what they did, and they probably are to a lot of people. As role models, they can inspire us to work harder, do better and achieve the seemingly impossible. Hopefully there are little boys and girls out there who, instead of having their bedroom walls plastered solely with posters of pop sensations, have saved some wall space and a place in their imaginations for those real heroes who took us to another world, because, one day, we might be relying on those future generations to save our own.
This lady surely has it
I’ve bought my ticket and I’m stepping on the bandwagon right here and now. I was seeing her name everywhere and hearing it in even the most unlikely places, so I finally looked up from what I was doing, palms faced out in resignation and asked “what is all the fuss about?”.
Two words that send a shiver down my spine when put together are reality and TV. I abhor the concept. Freakish extroverts lashing out with their egos, trying to find fame and a raison d’etre. Not for me. This time, however, the shiver running down my spine was different, very different. If you haven’t already seen it, go and check out the performance of Susan Boyle on a British show called “Britain’s Got Talent”. This lady surely has it.
