Imagine

What is heroism? Is it an act of good? Is it saving someone? Is it helping others? Many people have different thoughts when it comes to this open-ended question. Some believe heroes exist; others think they aren’t real, just created from childish fantasies and imaginations. But are we really to assume that heroes don’t exist in the world? Even if superman or batman isn’t real, that doesn’t mean we have no hope or belief in heroes in our world. We have policemen and firefighters, protecting citizens and the law. We have the military fighting for our country to keep us safe. And even if we don’t see it, we have our parents and teachers teaching and helping us learn what is right and wrong, guiding us to be strong and smart to live on our own. But people underestimate heroes all the time, saying that just because they did something good doesn’t make them a hero. Others might disagree and say just being able to do an act of good considers them a hero.

Heroism is confusing really. What is it? Why does it exist? Why is it so meaningful? All it really is is a word everyone dismisses. Nobody bothers to look it up. But again, why does it hold such a strong meaning behind it? Imagine a kid growing up in a terrible home, his parents were awful and never took care of him. But then how does this kid grow up to be powerful, strong, and determined? How does he choose to do the right thing and become known as a hero to others? Maybe there was something deep down inside of him that struck him saying, be better than the life you were given. Be stronger than the harshness of your parents. Be smarter than the dullness and stupidity of the world. This child grew up telling himself to be better, stronger, and smarter than everything he was taught because, in the end, he was taught nothing. The only thing that made him who he is was himself and the perseverance to move on and say hey, this isn’t the life I want. I want something more than this run down crappy lifestyle. I want something more than this crumbling dusty house. I want something more than my terrible parents who don’t care about me. I just want something more.

He never went to school, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get an education. He got himself a job, working late at night when his parents were asleep. They never allowed him to do anything, even earn his own money. So how could he afford to buy himself food? They never fed him. He often went to bed hungry. After getting this job, he was able to make a little money to buy himself food to eat, saving up most of it and hiding the cash from his parents. He knew they’d surely take it away if they found out about it. He worked every night from the age of 8, washing dishes and making deliveries. He was exhausted, but he knew this would all be worth it in the long run. When he wasn’t working, he would sneak out to go to the library and read as many books as he could. He slowly taught himself how to read and write, constantly practicing whenever he got the chance. At the age of 17, he saved enough money and finally left his parents and his so-called home. He packed all his things and never looked back.

From then on, he worked many part-time jobs and continued to save money. He taught himself how to be a better person and after many years passed, became the owner of several businesses. He was well-known all around the world, being very kindhearted and strong-willed. From the day he started to the day he died, his only goal in life was to help people and continue helping people for as long as he lived, hoping that one day, nobody has to live the way he did. And to many people, he was looked at as a hero. Not only for his generosity but for his determination, which made him a better person as a whole. And that alone is heroism.