Arma Virumque Cano

Arma Virumque Cano
Literal translation- "Arms and the man I sing"
Common meaning- "I tell of wars and a hero"

The topic of "Hero's" came up the other day. I realized, that unlike my parents in their generation- I didn't grow up with many heroes. There was never anyone in particular that I idolized on TV or in the movies. I liked Wonder Woman, but I knew her real name was Linda Carter and that her golden rope of truth was not real, nor were her bullet repelling bracelets. Shazam (sp?) was corny, and the Super Friends were cartoons. My mom and dad, as kids, were swept away by the adventures of Superman and they were invested in him. They read all the comic books, knew everything about him, and they loved him. I was never able to invest that kind of energy or feeling into a character on the big screen or the small one.
I guess the closest I came to admiring a character was Luke Skywalker in Star Wars... who I knew was a guy named Mark Hamil- and lived in California, not some planet with 2 moons.

I like REAL heroes. I was 11 when Ronald Regan was elected President of the US- and I loved him. He was strong, and handsome, and seemed to be a devoted man to his wife and country. I liked the sound of his voice, and the determined way he held his ground in the Cold War...and I grew to hate Communism and socialism because of President Regan. As I look back, I see that he was my first true hero...and he was REAL.

In due time CS Lewis became a hero to me too- but he died about 6 years before I was born. He wasn't a living breathing man I could ever meet, and yet his words- to this day- have a had a profound effect on my life. A hero can change and shape a life like few others can. We can hold them in esteem, emulate them, praise them, and pattern our lives in such a way that would bring our hero recognition and honor- in addition to greatly enhancing our own lives.

However, Mr. Lewis was a humble man- and did not want to be praised- few true heroes do. He was always quick to give any credit that came to him to God. Lewis survived the trenches on the front lines in England during WWI, watched his friends die in combat, and took care of the mother of a friend, a soldier who died, for 30 years...because he promised in the heat of battle that he would.

I know heroes aren't perfect- they have faults, and some have pretty thick armor around their hearts. Some let us in, some hold us at arms length, but they have their reasons for all the things they do. As an adult I have a few new heroes- some are soldiers, some are writers, some and some are gifted speakers. A few of these people I have had the great pleasure of meeting- even being able to get in a hug...and a "thank you"- often with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

Their impact has been deep, and wide- like a meteor that crashes into soft soil- leaving a mark and a trail, long after the rock itself burned up or crumbled away. They've come into my life, said or did what needed to be done, and I let them and I listened.

Some of my heroes I may never encounter again- and some are as close to me as their book tucked in my night stand. For a girl who didn't grow up with many heroes- I have certainly discovered a few along the way- and they are treasures in my life, even if they aren't a part of my day to day living. Their words, ideals, values, and some tiny bit of their character exists in me...
which I think is way better than x-ray vision, or a golden headband boomarang~