Have no heroes.

[Bouncy Ball]

My boss told me about his theory the other day. He doesn't believe in having heroes. Living ones, anyway.

His thoughts are that, nowdays, we find out so much about public figures that you are BOUND to find out something about your hero that disappoints you and after all, we're all just human, so why put people up on pedestals? They're just going to fall.

I thought he had a good point. He said admiration, respect, those are both great. But no heroes for him anymore (he's in his late 50s and a Dem, if that is significant here).

So is he just cynical? Or right about this? Do you have heroes?

[WindRavenX]

1. depends on how much you "worship" your hero

I consider Hillary Clinton, Lance Armstrong, and Derek Jeter to be some heros of mine; they aren't perfect, they have done some things I disagree with, but for the most part, I admire them for who they are and what they do.

[Bouncy Ball]

14. I have a friend who has SUCH a horrible crush on Derek Jeter

that she regularly refers to herself as "Mrs. Jeter." I mean ALL the time, at work, everywhere.

[WindRavenX]

21. that's um...........nutty

That's what I'm talking about. Obsession...

[Bouncy Ball]

23. OH yeah, total obsession.

She has a life sized cardboard cutout of him in her apartment and she has dressed it up in a tux for their "wedding."

[WindRavenX]

24. wow, thanks to your friend, I now look sane

I love me my DJ, but holy shit...

[progmom]

2. You're my hero

:loveya:

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Oh now stop that! No heroes!

You are my girl crush. SO there.

[Bullwinkle925]

3. I do Ms. Bouncy - and one of them is someone you admire as well...

Barbara Jordan!!

I am salivating to get the Watergate Hearings on DVD - IF they ever are released.
Would love to relive that wonderful time again.

[Bouncy Ball]

9. ...

Since she is no longer living (:cry:) she can be up on that pedestal. And is, for me.

[Bok_Tukalo]

4. All my heroes are fictional characters

Or historical figures ... which is damn near the same thing.

[Bouncy Ball]

6. See, according to my boss, that would be ok

because they never change, they are set in stone. So no disappointment, no falling off that pedestal.

[Bok_Tukalo]

13. Currently, I am wrapped up in the Sidney Poitier character Mark Thackeray

Have been for the last year or so. Can't get it out of my head.

[amazona]

7. my theory is very similar to his

My theory is...don't meet your heroes.

As long as you don't meet them, you can blow off the gossip press in my opinion. But when you meet them, you can't really ignore that they have feet of clay as do we all.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[4_Legs_Good]

8. I love saints

and I can easily just ignore the shit I don't like. I think a lot of digging is just silly and gratuitous - everyone has some dirt, that's what makes them human. I don't expect people to be perfect, and imperfections actually prove that they're like me, and if they're like me and yet they achieve great things, then they are completely worthy of my hero status.

We could be heroes
just for one day

david

[Bouncy Ball]

11. Totally off-topic

but your kid is SO DAMN CUTE, I want to take a bite outta him.

Not literally. You know what I mean. I just want to eat him up!

[4_Legs_Good]

19. :) Thanks, and on the eating

You know, I always say that, you know, kidding around, "you look really tasty, I'm going to eat you up." and then kinda gum his stomach or his cheeks, like I'm sure every parent does.

Anyway, it's gotten to the point where instead of saying "NO NO NO" or whatever, he'll get a little pinchful (imaginary) in is fingers and feed it to me.

Okay, that story is really a lot cuter than it sounds. :)

Thanks again!

david

[Bouncy Ball]

20. Oh no it sounded very cute.

I'm a mom, I can TOTALLY imagine a young kid doing that. I used to say to my daughter "I'm gonna eatchoo face!" and then pretend to take bites of her chubby cheeks. She'd squeal.

Sigh. If I did that to her now, she'd look at me like I was crazy and probably ask me if I had been doing drugs or something.

[4_Legs_Good]

22. LMAO

I'll be sure to get all my apetite can take before he turns 4...

:)

david

[Bouncy Ball]

25. Don't worry, he'll let you do it past that.

All the way to about six or seven.

But at pushing-11, no freaking way. You'll be lucky if you can sneak in a clandestine hug when dropping him off at school.

:cry: I want my baby back!

[4_Legs_Good]

26. I know what you mean...

I'm facing slightly different stuff. Little games or books or sayings that we had when he was 1ish that he just doesn't recognize anymore. Different from outgrowing, I guess, this is actively forgetting just because of his little mind.

It does blow me away, however, when he does remember something really "old" that I didn't expect him to.

david

[Beaverhausen]

10. funny you mention that- I am partying with a rock legend tonight

and I hear he is an ass.

I don't have my hopes up. I mean, the guy is a fantastic musician but I think meeting and hanging out with him will be a let down.

[Bouncy Ball]

12. Hmmmm who would this be, we wonder?

[Beaverhausen]

17. I won't say. His girlfriend knows my boyfriend

and they are in town now so we are getting together.

[mongo]

18. man. your life must just suck....

I'm partying with DU tonight - and if I get lucky a girls night out will come visit the store and gigle uncontrolably in the back room.

I live for the gagles of tipsy women that come trasping through...and the 18yo girls blushing as they make their first vibrator purchase.

I just want to make people happy....

[YankeyMCC]

15. He's right

And it's a point I press with my son.

There are great people in the world and in history who have done things you can admire but they all have had flaws. And it isn't just about being disappointed it's also about pointing out that regular human beings can achieve great things.

So people like Washington, Lincoln, JFK are flawed human beings...just like him...and he just like them can achieve great things.

[Bouncy Ball]

16. Great point and great thing to teach a kid.

:toast:

[unsavedtrash]

27. heroes or mentors?

Im not so sure about the hero part. I think more along the lines of those who have been my greatest mentors.

[Swede]

28. There is a difference between a hero and hero worship.

Those bystanders that jumped into the freezing Potomac when that airliner crashed are heroes. Brad Pitt doiing it in a movie is not a hero.

[Redstone]

29. I think we need a new word besides "hero."

Most of you are talking about someone you admire and look up to. (I actually typed, "to whom you look up," but saved myself from sounding like a twit at the last moment.)

I think we (speakers of English) need to invent or adopt a new word for a person in this position, rather than "hero."

Because, in my opinion, if there's no risk to life, there's no heroism. It's perfectly OK to admire, for example, an athlete who overcomes significant injury or other problems and perseveres at his or her sport.

Or someone who must struggle, but fights the good fight in any other field of endeavor.

But is that person a hero? Not in my book.

Barbara Boxer? Genuinely someone to be admired, and I do.
Martin Luther King? Hero.

Boston Red Sox? Admirable group of idiots.
Fireman who runs into a burning building to rescue someone? Hero.

See the difference? Come on, there are a whole bunch of bright people around DU; let's coin a phrase or a word, and spread it around.

Redstone