Hero

 

“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. “~ Bob Dylan 

Earlier on this Christmas Eve, the compliment or at least the opinion was given that I am a hero.

And I had to stop and think. Did I respond? Did I give them words of appreciation? What do I do? What exactly IS a hero??

So I looked it up online. A definition is as follows:

A person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

Am I courageous? Am I brave? Did I fit the definition by my deeds and qualities??

Perhaps the definition is still too general. Because I believe that many people would say that certain others are heroes for a myriad of different personal reasons.

One thing that I have always noted that whenever someone had been called a hero, and that person who was called one has always denied it to be true. No matter what they had done and no matter how much courage and ability they had shown, they never actually replied in a manner of “yes I am” to anyone who had asked them if they thought that they were.

I believe that in the most recent case with regards to me, my actions of courage and bravery were there because I simply have made a decision that I will not allow any kinds of physical aggression to be used against me, against my family, against anyone that I hold dear to my heart in life. I will not stand for it, in any sense. I choose NOT to be a victim because one may perceive me as weak and vulnerable and an easy target.

And therefore since I show resistance and defense, it could be seen by others as an act of courage and bravery. Yet in doing so, there’s always a 50/50 chance for anyone involved that the outcome of such defense against lawlessness and aggression would not lean in that person’s favor. Including myself.

But through a series of life lessons and a level head, so far I have prevailed more than once.

Am I a hero then in that sense? What do you think? Do I become self-centered and a prick if I was to say that I am??

Who are the heroes in your life? Why do you think that the person is a hero? Let me know in the comments below.

 

 

 

Stick in the Mud

Stick in the mud!

“I’m a perfect example of the grumpy, old man. I’m really good at it.”~Ned Beatty

Can it for a second there, Ned!!

There is a really big problem in the world that there are those kinds of people that just cannot seem to have any joy and peace in their lives. And not only that, but they just cannot allow anyone ELSE to be happy either.

I live around many of those such people.

Today I was finally, finally, FINALLY able to make some progress in planning that trip to Houston at the end of this month. I think that I will make it, although it might not be as fun as the trip that I took in April. At least on the personal side of the trip, by that time I am going to be broke as a joke like a poke with no smoke.

Still though, I can do my best and make what I can of it. The whole idea that I now can see the light at the end of the tunnel after fighting and battling for two long months over this, just overwhelms me with happiness.

When that realization struck me, I exploded with joy! And I ran out into the 102°F heat and decided to tell anyone that would listen. But of course, there’s always gotta be some stupid jerk-off that lives a miserable life and has for many years, and just won’t let anyone else around them do as much as crack a smile around them. Why they are so bitter, I do not know!

I wasn’t even talking to these people directly in the first place. I was talking with someone and telling them of my excitement, and then these “gems of glory” chime in with their down-putting and negativity.

Geez!! I probably could ask the rhetorical question of whatever did I do to them, but I know for a fact that I have done nothing to them. Lousy, stinking, no fun-having neighbors I live with, I swear.

But you know what??? NO!! They are not going to do this. Not to me, not this time. I don’t care what they’ve said about Houston and their poor experiences back when they were a toddler, I am going to go. I have to go, I need to go. The business side of this trip is very much depending on me to show up.

And I WILL have my fun. As much as I can. And nothing that these people can or will say is going to stop me from doing it.

There’s a lot of people in our lives who are just terrible at being a big stick in the mud. They don’t ever wanna bend from their ways and they don’t even want you to be who you are, because you are the one that is bending- living your life the way you want to, and not the way that they want you to.

People need to stop bowing to the wills of those people who are simply out to stop others from being happy. We need to quit allowing others to run over our lives. And yet we need to learn how to live for ourselves, and not always for others. Compromise is one thing, slavery is another.

If we make the wrong choices in life, we’ll pay for it. Not them. They are not going to be the ones taking the hit. We are. And if we make the right choices in life, then we’re going to be so much happier that we did it in the first place.

Our lives… our decisions… our consequences.

But there’s one thing that is for sure. I know for a fact that I have scores of people who will be happy for me that I am going back to Houston. Some to the point of extreme happiness that they are losing their minds just thinking about it. Yep, I’m serious. Total loss of self-control over an extreme sense of jubilation.

For the rest of them, they will simply be happy because “I” am happy. Those scores of people are the TRUE friends. And you can bet your last dollar that they are the ones that are going to be there if I get pushed over and fall. They are the ones that are going to catch me and help me stand up again and always watch over me so I will not slip again.

These people who are relentless to be the stereotypical stick in the mud, have nobody. And they always fall. So in the end, whom do you think is going to be happier??

Look out, Houston. Here I come!!!