Define Hero

An Autism buddy recently asked a question for a vote for "Autism Hero of the Year"...

Simply put, "Who is your hero?"

I read all the names. Thought of a few new ones to add to the list. Heck, for a flicker of a moment, I even let my pride include myself on that "H" list.

But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized how differently I see that concept of 'hero' in the autism community. Or any community for that matter.

I just don't like this concept of "who is the hero of the year".

What even defines a hero in that regard?
Is it someone who has the resources to make a big change and they did? What about the ones that don't have the resources, the funding; but make changes with that they have?

Is it someone who started an autism organization, chapter, or support group? There are hundreds who do that daily. By what measurement would you choose one doing more than the other if they all make the journey for someone with autism in their life a bit less confusing?

Popularity? I hope not.

Celebrity? Please not.

Is it a mom who walked at a rally shouting "Enough!" and you were there to hear her, or you read about her? What about the invisible mom in her house in Podunk, USA who also stood up and roared, but no one heard her? Does she not get a vote because you don't know her? Didn't see her? Didn't read about her in the news?

Would your definition of hero be someone who wrote a book and sold many copies and thus changed views and attitudes?

Or the mom at the ARD meeting who simply wrote "disagree" on the ARD papers and walked out, refusing to have her rights to a FAPE silenced in defeat - and thus by that example changed the views and attitudes of those in that room only?

Is it the fact that a parent, physician, or professional did what they had to? Were trained to do? Learned how to do? Or just that they did what they didn't want to? We would all get equal votes in that case.

Do you have to have lost something in doing what you were doing? Better get more paper, no one is exempt from loss in this community....

Doing the right thing doesn't make you a hero.

Doing what you can do, doesn't make you a hero. That merely makes you responsible and someone worthy of great admiration and respect. It makes you the opposite of a scum-bag leach of society.

Most of the people mentioned as heroes did what they could do. They chose to do what they are doing. And they willingly do it. I am humbled by them. But that doesn't make them heroes.

For us, you want a hero, then find someone who did what is virtually impossible to do.....

Someone who wasn't given a choice.....

Someone not paid, or funded, or rewarded, for doing it......
Someone who doesn't even know they are doing it....

When you get through all that, you will find that many deserve a standing ovation for their service, but that the only true hero is the child with autism. ...

They must daily fight an enemy they never even saw coming.

On a foreign battleground they aren't even equipped to fight on.
And they do that not with bitterness, hatred, grudges, anger, or defeat...
But with the grace, innocence, purity, and joy of an angel.
Daily, they march on.
Fighting for one painstakingly slow victory after another.
Many don't even know they are fighting!
Many without an exit plan in sight.

By that definition, could any of us say we are worthy of that title?

Hero???

Not I.

Just he.

~~~~~~~

You are my hero Brandon....... thank you.

MichelleMGuppy@yahoo.com