Be The Hero

15th of April 2008

BE THE HERO

It struck me tonight with the honors of a young man who saved a little boy from a dog attack that he truly was a hero to that little boy. It was amazing that he was there and had the courage to take the necessary action to save another soul.

This was a nice story that I’ve been reading about over the past several days and this young man is truly a hero and deserves the accolades he’s receiving; but then so do each and every one who is a daily hero. I don’t mean to diminish this young man’s efforts or actions, but I want you thinking about your daily life. Think about the people who do courageous things for you that could use a thank you, a pat on the back or more. No I’m not trying to hang a hero plaque on every man who opens a door open for a lady, but that too deserves recognition for the effort; but more importantly bring your focus on the un-sung heroes that are among us each and every day.

Yes, when a person gives up their seat on a bus or subway to an elderly person or a man for a lady. Appreciate the gesture for what it is, a sign of respect and honor that one person is granting to another. This is not done much anymore because we all get too hurried with out own lives that we forget the pleasantries from yesterday. Parents aren’t teaching children today or reminding them to even use the niceties like “Thank You”, Ma’am, Sir or any of the signs of respect, so how can we expect our youth to understand meanings to words like Honor, Respect or what a true hero is other than Superman or Spiderman.

More importantly, we all need to seize opportunities to be a hero for someone amongst us. Yes, I know most people are too scared to get involved because of law suites and worst, accidents that turn deadly. I do understand, but in most cases, it only takes a second out of your day, but probably means the world to the person you’re helping.

Examples to define more clearly what I mean…you’re coming out of the local Mall and may have a package or not in your hands, but you see an elderly woman with a cane and multiple bags trying to get down the stairs and over to a bus. It only takes a second to ask how she is and if you can be of assistance to her. She may say “No” and if she does, don’t worry about it, the gesture was great. Feel good that you made it. She may not trust you, but needs some help and offering a hand may be exactly what she needs. You comment to her in a relaxing manner how beautiful the weather is and ask how she’s doing as you help this lady and her packages to the bus. It takes two minutes in total...maybe even five, but she will remember your kind act for ever. To her you are a hero!

When the person in the car next to you turns on their blinker while you’ve been sitting in traffic for an hour, let them go in front of you. It is simple and didn’t save a life, but what if she has a sick child at home that she is rushing home too…maybe it did, but the act within itself was good.

We forget just how important the people around us are and you must open your eyes to see who needs a helping hand. In my life I’ve always tried to take that little extra step and I can remember the first time I did something really brave that may or may not have helped. I was fifteen years old and had been driving into town. I was in my fathers little beat up Datsun when I noticed the car in front of me swerve over into on coming traffic with a person honking their horn coming at them and then swerve way back over and off the road and then back in the lane again. I could see the driver’s head bounce forward and then backwards like a rag dolls that was being tossed around by a little girls brother who was about to enact some revenge on little sisters doll as the passenger was reaching over to take control of the wheel. There was a kid in the back seat yelling and crying as the lady in the car was pulling it over and off the road into a parking lot. The car came to a screeching halt and she was crying with the son in the back seat jumping all over the back of the car yelling and screaming while it sounds in slow motion, this was all within seconds.

Without even thinking I whipped the car off the road in front of theirs and actually killed the car because I just let the clutch out without turning the car off or putting it in neutral as I was opening the door, unbuckling the seatbelt and running back to the old Ford behind me. His lips were blue from choking on something, but he was also flailing around. He was halfway lying over the legs of the lady as she was trying to pull him over the full seat towards her as she yelled uncontrollably at him and their son at the same time, but she didn’t know what to do. It is strange because I haven’t thought about this in years and never told anyone in my family about it, but what still amazes me was somehow I was calm while moving almost as if I knew what I was doing. Yes, I had taken a CPR class at school, but there was never any mention of seizures, the Heimlich Maneuver or what to do when someone was choking, but I rolled him onto his stomach and moved him over her knees telling her to shit still, while I flat palmed slapped him in the square of his back twice and then rolled him on his side telling her to keep him on his side. I thought he was eating food or something, when he started to choke on it; but later I found out he was choking on his own tongue. By placing him on his side afterwards it kept his airways open and he started to breathe. The seizure was a mild one but I didn’t know what it was and the wife was trying to tell me that he had them all the time and he would be alright. I still was saying call 911, but before I could run down the road to the closest convenience store up on the opposite side of the road when the business proprietor came telling us help was coming. This was before cell phones and the closest phone booth was up the road and across the street.

The police got to the scene quickly and so did the ambulance, they were not that far, so I got in my dad’s car and left. The man was coming around and his wife was taking care of it so I would have only been in the way. I didn’t need a medal or an article in the local news paper to tell me I did something right. I don’t even know that I did anything right or that my actions saved a man. I was a scared fifteen year old boy who just saw something and responded accordingly. I never even received a Thank You from the people, but that was really OK too. It was the right thing to do and I was grateful I was there.

I am not advocating that I was a hero or that you must do something like this for consideration. Actually, I am advocating just the opposite. Being a hero is noticing that someone needs help and providing that help. It may be holding the door for them or it may be performing CPR. It may be helping a neighbor mow her yard and it may be volunteering at the local Nursing Home. It may be teaching a child how to read or helping with school work or coaching sports. Being a real hero is all of these things and everything in between. So tomorrow when you’re on your way to work, look for your opportunity to be a hero for the person next to you and no matter if they thank you or not, know in your heart you did something good…something right.

Be a Hero for Someone Today!

Your humble servant – Todd M. Dobson