Heroes
-
HeroesNo, I'm not commenting on the new series that's appeared on NBC. There are a few shows that I watch on a regular basis but that's not one of them. Instead we're taking a bit of a break from the technical world. After all many of you will be leaving early today, getting ready for Christmas and some relaxation.
I'm not sure what caught my eye lately, but I know something caused me to jot this note down for a poll. There are lots of interesting people here on the site, as you can notice from the answers to many of the polls in the past. Since I often find inspiration or learn something new from these, I thought of this poll:
Who was your hero as a child?
It could be anyone, in any walk of life, and at any age under 18. Was there a person that inspired you or made you want to follow in their footsteps?
For me it was #12. So much so that last year when I decided to play baseball and needed to pick a number, I chose 12.
When I was a kid, probably 10 or so, football was a weekly tradition and for some reason I was drawn to Roger Staubach. The first game I ever saw in the mid 70s was Dallas v Pittsburgh and I followed Roger Staubach for many years. I read numerous books about him, followed his stats, kept the card that I got from a bubblegum pack for many years. I saw him as someone worthy of emulating and even seriously considered attending the Naval Academy at Annapolis because he went there.
When he retired, I was disheartened and stopped following the Cowboys and even football for 4 or 5 years and moved on to other things in life. He's become a successful businessman over the last 27 years and role model for many. I still have it on my Life List to have lunch with him and just spend an hour talking to a hero of mine.
Maybe this editorial will get me off my duff and write him the letter I keep thinking about writing and asking for the lunch
Steve Jones
-
For me the person who most embodies the definition of hero, is Lenny Skutnik
I remember when the Air Florida plane hit the bridge across the Potomac in Washington on January 13 1982. I watched with horror as the pitifully few survivors thrashed around in the ice of the river, their lives obviously slipping away as the cold overtook them.
Lenny Skutnik jumped in to save them. He knew he could easily die, but he jumped in anyway.
I remember him being interviewed afterwards and saying that he couldnt just stand and watch, and that in a few days, no-one would remember his name.
Well, I did. Top bloke.
Tim
Robertsbridge, UK
-
Erwin Rommel
Gentleman, visionaire, creative thinker, true leader, always on top of things and always at the spearhead of operations. "Where Rommel is, is front"
The man could easily have been a DBA
Just too bad he was on the wrong team.
-
Neil Armstrong. I watched him walk on the Moon when I was 6 and it made me crazy for science (and science fiction). I tried to follow in his foot steps, but ended up just being a geek. Still, aim high, if you miss you'll probably still land somewhere fairly high up (or make a really pretty hole when you crash spectacularly).
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore RooseveltAuthor of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning -
I, too, had Roger Stauback as a hero when I was a kid. Funny, you don't hear much of him now a days, but he was great.
But another for me was the fictional character Spock, as played by Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek the original series. I loved Spock's coolness and his scientific knowledge - it is probably what drew me to math and science when I was a kid, and eventually got me to where I am today.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Doctor Who -
Dear Steve,
So do it - write that letter to Roger. It would be a great encouragement to him, and you may find you gain even more for having done so.
Bob
-
Quote
***Erwin Rommel
Gentleman, visionaire, creative thinker, true leader, always on top of things and always at the spearhead of operations. "Where Rommel is, is front"
The man could easily have been a DBA
Just too bad he was on the wrong team.***
Hmm... Not sure about that, not only was he on the wrong team, he got well and truly thrashed in North Africa, which arguably pretty much pivotal in winning the war, with a small amount of assistance from a hero of mine, Spike Milligan. Flawed genius, gotta love him.
-
Swami Vivekananda!
I never saw him, He definitely died before I was born.
But he impressed me so much. Even today I get inspiration
just by thinking about him. The power he had, made all
other powers look feeble. What is that power, is still a
mystery for me.
As a boy of 17 before I left for the Indian Air Force, I used
to read his works all through the night. Many things I never
used to understand, but still was unable to stop reading.
He was a force, and still is one, within me.
Other people who are my heroes, are my High School Principal
Mr Johnston. In the city of Hyderabad, India, there was a big
agitation/strike going on where the students were pulled out
of classes to burn buses, trains and things like that. Walking
on the roads is like walking among bullets. Always police and
military were patroling the streets.
One day a group of agitators (who were also students) provoked
by mean minded politicians, came into our school at about 9 am
and tried to pull out the young students that we were (I was in
8th grade). No one would dare to go near those agitators, because
they will beat mercilessly with sticks etc.
We were trembling in our benches....
My principal came to my class room, and stood in the door way
of the class holding his hand on one side and his body on the
other, and was shouting/literally crying (just tears were not
rolling out)
"Please don't touch MY children"...."Please don't touch MY children"...
He risked his life and tried to protect us.
And I don't know what happened after that....how did the
agitators go away, or how did we go home safely......
You know this agitation went on for about 5 to 6 years and so many students lost their beautiful careers because of this. Though I am OK today, I also had a great disturbance in my career.
Even today I hate that BASTARD (sorry for using this word in this forum). But there is no better way to describe him. His name was Chenna Reddy, and he wanted a separate state, and so he spearheaded this agitation. And you know what, even today that state did not happen. He was a failure and even you will agree that he deserved nothing more than that. But, you know, politics is so nasty, I saw him as a Governor of a state after some 15 years. How could people forget all the havoc he did.
Please join me in thanking MY Principal, who was a real, real HERO.
My other heroes are Mother Theresa, You know her.
Another of my hero was my nun teacher who taught me how to pronounce the letter 'O'. I think I was in my Nursery class at Good Sheperd Convent. I even today remember, the whole period she just taught how to pronounce the letter 'O'. She used to make her mouth look like a 'O' and used her finger circling around her lips, and used to say 'Oooooo' (sounding Ohhhhhhh). If not for her may be I may not be able to express my feeling/emotions like this with all of you.
See there is still good in this world. GOD is there. He comes as these heroes. I am already too boring probably. But I cannot miss my Grandfaher in the list of my Heroes. He taught me so many things just through the vocal medium and even today, i remember each bit of it. He told me the Ramayana for about a year or so every night for a hour or so. We always used to sleep in the open on a cot made of ropes. I used to gaze at the stars, and he started teaching me astronomy. And some forty years back he told me there are no Nine planets (can you believe). He was referring to the 'Navagrahas' (the eight planets around the sun). He also told me that even before Copernicus, Hindu philosopy knew that the sun was in the centre of the universe.
And lastly I do not want to leave out my favorite, Rober Frost.....
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Thankz for bringing up such a nice topic Steve. You gave me an opportunity to salute my Heroes.
I tell my kids, all these stories whenever I get a chance, so that they belive there is still good in this world.
Have a nice and happy Holidays folks!
jambu
-
As a child, I was fascinated with war. My friends and I would spend hours every day fighting “the Japs”, “Indians”, or, being a good southerner, “Yankees”. My childish view of war was one of glamour and heroics where the “good guys” always win and even if you did get hit, you counted to ten, got up, and continued the battle.
Which brings me to my childhood hero; Clyde Sharp. He was a corporal in the 4th Infantry division, fought in North Africa, Normandy (Utah beach), France, and Belgium. He received two purple hearts and the bronze star.
Since he lived far away, I remember eagerly waiting for PawPaw to arrive for visits. Without fail, when he entered our home, I would ask him to remove his shirt and show me his scar from the war. He always humbly obliged.
I often wonder what was going through his mind as showed that starry eyed little boy his remnants of the horrors of war.
Now that I’m old (and some would say, “more mature”), I have a monumental appreciation for the sacrifices he made for his family, his country, and even the world.
He’s gone now. I can no longer thank him. I would like to thank those who, in military service have, and still do make the same sacrifice as my childhood hero did so long ago.
Sincerely,
Take care,
Bert
"Speculations? I know nothing about speculations. I'm resting on certainties. I know that my Redeemer lives, and because He lives, I shall live also." - Michael Faraday
-
Very interesting and thanks for sharing.
And I'll see about writing the letter. Easier for me to say it than do it, though I've composed a few in my head. If I get a response, I'll let you know!
-
While you're in the writing mood, write one to Willie Nelson for me. I'd kinda like to play a round of golf with him.
Take care,
Bert
"Speculations? I know nothing about speculations. I'm resting on certainties. I know that my Redeemer lives, and because He lives, I shall live also." - Michael Faraday
-
I can't stop myself to say, that this editorial was such a nice one, that allowed so many of us to thank our beloved heroes.
give me the address, I will write to him. I know you are busy
j
-
I really can't remember having a hero as I grew up. However, as I got older my younger brother became my hero.
My mom had German measles when she was pregnant with Tom. Normally this can cause the child to be born deaf, blind, and mute. My brother was born legally deaf (he only had 18% hearing in one ear). At 41 years old now, he is married (his wife was born on the same day, same year, and has the same disability) and has a son. He owns his own home and car. He supports his family by working at a company that refurbishes automatic transmission parts. He could have been like lots of his hearing-disabled friends who live off of subsidies, but he has chosen to work. He tells everyone he isn't disabled and that he's not deaf. He can hear, just not very well. He recently lost all his hearing and has had the cochlear implant done and now hears even better. Though good times, bad times, and worse times, my brother has never taken the easy road (getting state handouts).
He shows me that no matter how life can be stacked against you, with perserverance you can take charge of your life and succeed. He's my HERO.
-SQLBill
-
My world view growing up was fairly myopic. Sports didn't interest me, but my grandfather was always there to try and explain the way things worked. He gave me an incredible appreciation for tools. Not only the great good they can accomplish, but also the damage that can be done when used incorrectly! I loved listening to his stories, about depression era work camps, his life with my grandmother, driving in the snow with blankets across their legs because the model "T" was so drafty they were covered in it! I still review many of my decisions and activities through his eyes. Thanks!
Merry Christmas!
-
Jambu's first post in this thread got me to thinking more about my heros growing up. My grandfather, on my Dad's side, was a good man, but he was also a hard man. My father learned from his father's hardness, how to be kinder.
My Dad told me that once when my Dad was growing up that he saved for many months to purchase his father a jack-knife for Christmas. My dad really sacrificed to make that purchase for Christmas Day. On Christmas day when they were opening their gifts my grandfather opened the gift my dad had bought for him and my grandfather wasn't very appreciative. My grandfather actually said, "What the hell is this?" (Please excuse the explictive; it is what my grandfather said to my dad.) That really hurt my dad, who was a boy at the time. My dad vowed to himself that he would always appreciate whatever his children gave him as gifts.
Years later, when growing up my silbings and I would get gifts for our parents for Christmas. Often those gifts were pretty silly, when I think back to them now. But each and every time my Dad got anything from myself or one of my siblings, he would say, "Thank you!" and really mean it.
Now, when I talk with my Dad on the phone, I will occasionally remember that story he told me and how he would show gratitude to myself and my siblings, and I will tell my Dad thanks. So, my father is also a hero of mine when I grew up.
Doctor Who
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply