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There Goes My Hero

Not all heroes wear capes.

By Kathleen MajorskyPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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There Goes My Hero
Photo by Umberto on Unsplash

Hi, y'all! It's been a minute since I've been here. Don't worry. I'm still writing. I've been working on a very personal piece, and I'm still noodling around on how to move forward with it. But in the meantime, my fingers have been getting itchy to write and share again. So here I am.

What am I itching to write about? Good question. Recently, I've been thinking a lot about heroes and the people I admire. Why? Because I've noticed as I've zigged and zagged so have the people I've held in high esteem. What's going on in my life seems directly proportional to who I seek to admire. Not sure if that's true for everyone, but that's been my experience.

For a really long time, I rejected the idea of having any heroes at all. We put so much pressure on that term. We put heroes on dangerously high pedestals, and when they inevitably fall from grace, we are devastated. Heartbroken. Downright disappointed.

It sucks to realize our heroes have flaws or have the capacity to act in unethical or evil ways. Or they just plain don't turn out to be who we thought they were.

I had a friend once who felt completely destroyed after hearing of some awful scandal involving one of his heroes. Completely destroyed. Like sharing a "heart-wrenching social media post about feeling so betrayed" kind of destroyed. Like "taking a day off of work over this" kind of devastated.

My friend definitely needed a hug that day. I don't think I've ever felt so utterly disappointed by someone I admire. I think that's because in all of my zigging and zagging I've learned a few tough hard-won lessons about empathy and fallibility along the way. Nobody, and I mean, nobody is perfect.

For that reason, I deeply admire only a few people who I keep close to, and then I have a few heroes who are fiction and non-fiction in nature. Do I expect to meet them? Nope. That's okay. It's probably better that way.

For those friends and family I admire, I hold them loosely in our relations. I extend grace when they need it. I give them space when things get to be too much. And I celebrate their triumphs just as much as their struggles (if they let me). Both remind me I'm not alone. Seeing someone's authentic humanity means more to me than any high unrealistic pedestal positioning.

For the fiction and non-fiction heroes I hold dear, I thought it would be a fun writing exercise to share here. So in no particular order...

Mister Rogers - I mean first and foremost, he's from Pittsburgh (Squee). Enough said right there. Second, uh, it's Mister Freakin Rogers, y'all. Not only did he teach us the importance of being kind to one another, but he also taught us to love and accept ourselves. I don't know about y'all, but I certainly didn't learn any of that in school. I've seen this on a poster many times: All I needed to learn to be a good human I learned in kindergarten. Ohhh, I don't agree. All I needed to know about how to be a good human being I learned from Mister Rogers. Hands down. I've had quite a few trips around the sun, and to this day, I still think about all Mister Rogers taught me.

Simon Sinek - Now, what he preaches about in terms of leadership and business isn't new groundbreaking material. His books are mediocre at best. Where he gets me, though, is in his speaking delivery. He is a passionate and brilliant storyteller. I am immediately captivated. I've listened to hours of his speeches to graduates, corporations, and his interviews. Every time I listen I feel so inspired to be the kind of leader he aims to have out in the world.

Baby Yoda - He's on here because he's cute, adorable, and yet I'm pretty sure he could do some serious damage if he needed to. Baby Yoda reminds me of a professor I had in graduate school. She was small in stature and had the sweetest sounding voice I've ever heard. But sometimes after you had a conversation with her, you walked away and thought, "I think she just insulted me, but I can't tell because it sounded so damn sweet." I imagine that's how Baby Yoda rolls. Sweet, but with a little green guy spice. I dig it.

Cardi B - First, she 100% owns who she is. Second, she started out as a stripper in the Bronx. Now she's a bazillionaire because she cashed in on her words as a rapper and believed in her dream. Queen. Full stop. Period. End of sentence.

Snow White - This is not a joke. While she might not be my favorite Disney princess, she is the one I admire the most. Why?

Um, she got 7 dudes to do her chores. She's a genius.

For those of you who know me really well, you know that being a cleaning domestic goddess is not one of my strengths. Do I like things neat? You bet. But I don't want to be the one who does the cleaning.

Finally, and probably most important: ME

Yup, I've learned to be my own goddamn hero. Finally. Thanks, Mariah Carey for showing me the way. ;)

Sheesh. I didn't realize how itchy my writing fingers were. I appreciate you taking the time here.

Heroes are interesting beings in our lives. If you are one to someone else or if you have a whole list of 'em like I do, hold them loosely, extend grace when they need it, and do as Maya Angelou did...

"Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Remain unsurprised by anything in between."

I hope y'all are out there living your best zig zag lives.

Until next time ;)

Humanity
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About the Creator

Kathleen Majorsky

Life-long writer. Always seeking adventures as writing fodder. Loves tacos and warm chocolate cookies. If she could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, she would have dinner with Simon Sinek, Mr. Rogers, and Baby Yoda.

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