Where Have All The Heroes Gone?

"Show me a hero and I'll prove he's a bum." Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington

I can't find independent confirmation Major Boyington actually said that but I'm going to go with it anyway for the purposes of this blog which is probably filled with more questions than answers.

It dawned on me today that finding a hero in today's cynical world is about as difficult as finding a spending cut in the federal budget. We exist in a media driven culture where heroes are written out for us. Filmed for us. Fed to us, heroes, anti-heroes, the latest hero de jour.

Is it that heroes don't exist in the real world?
Are we too cynical to notice a real hero? Are they not interesting anymore? At one time Neil Armstrong was the hero of an entire generation, now anyone under forty probably doesn't know his name. Winston Churchill helped defeat one of the biggest evils of the twentieth century and eventually the public turned against him.

Yeah when the world needs saving I'd like Jack Bauer on the case. When a perp needs roughed up and no one else will do the dirty work I want Vic Mackey. If a airplane is hijacked over Pennsylvania I want the true life heroes who brought it down, saving untold lives by the sacrifice of their own.

So why or how can a hero wear out their welcome?

I guess it matters what the definition of hero actually is to each person. To some it might be the caped heroes in the comics with extraordinary powers to stop super villains with equally extraordinary powers. Now they are all doomy and gloomy with dark origins and tragedy along the way. Is that how we can relate to our heroes? Perhaps they need to have something in common with us.

Everyone has had their share of misfortune. Perhaps it is to allow us a way to connect with someone we hold in high esteem such as a hero. If they can do X then we can certainly do X too. I mean everyone believes they would do the right thing when presented with a situation to be a hero, who has ever daydreamed about the day needing to be saved, the game on the line (usually accompanied by a free throw line and your team is down with no time left on the clock), and you aren't up to the challenge.

The daydream never goes that way. We always put ourselves in the role of the hero and really not the sidekick or the goat. Scott Norwood anyone? I mean did Mr. Norwood wake up in the morning and think to himself that if he had the chance to win the big game he would actually miss wide right? No! He visualized himself kicking it dead center.

I guess what this rambling post is about is what if I were faced with a bad situation. A situation that needed saving would I have it in me? I occasionally drink, I smoke cigars, I live a less than extraordinary life, quite boring actually. Would I be able to hold off a hijacker, would I be able to do X and then be able to live with myself after?

Would people hate me after if I failed? Would my friends help me rationalize my failure to make me feel better? Well I know they would do that anyway, I've got friends like that;) Would I? Would you?