Your heroes

[aviv chadash]

I am currently reading an autobioggraphy, suggested to me by my brother, of someone who I have come to greatly admire and respect.

So, I was wondering, who are your heroes and why do you admire them? The catch is, you must have come to admire them from reading about them, or books by them.

Apologies if this has been done before!

[poppyshake]

My biggest heroine is probably Audrey Hepburn, I just adore her and I must have read five or six of her biographies and they did make me love her more but I already did from watching her so it doesn't really count.

The person I most admire, after reading about them, was probably Miep Gies who was one of the Dutch citizens who helped hide Anne Frank and her family. She took great risks, was incredibly kind and encouraging to Anne and, of course, was the person responsible for preserving the diary. When you think of the risks involved in the deception and the further risks she took in trying to bring about their release after capture ... she really was one remarkable lady.

Btw .. who is it that you've come to admire aviv?

[Mac]

Is this exclusively real people we're discussing here, or can we include fictional lads and lasses?

[Nollaig]

I'm bending the rules slightly here, but one of the people I most admire (though I wouldn't call him a hero) is Andrew McMahon from Something Corporate/Jack's Mannequin. There aren't any books about him or by him, but he's one of the most beautiful writers I've ever come across. He blogs on his website, and the man is poetic beyond belief. He suffered from leukemia a few years ago, and required a stem cell transplant from his sister Katie. Since then he's developed the Dear Jack foundation to raise awareness of/money for the treatment of leukemia. He's written (and recorded a documentary, which I have yet to watch) about his illness, but even beyond that everything he writes is beautiful. He's an incredible intelligent, artistic individual with a very unique perspective of the world, and he's better equipped to articulate that in words than many authors I've read.

 

/fangirl

[BigWords]

My biggest heroine is probably Audrey Hepburn.

 

I've only recently picked up Audrey Hepburn by Barry Harris (a particularly shiny Orion paperback), and I'll get around to reading it before the year is out.

[Pixie]

I don't know if I really have a hero. I don't want to model myself after someone else. I try to be my own hero and often fail, but I guess the point is I keep trying. I also think it can be detrimental to your own self worth if you idolize someone else too much.

 

The only book I have ever read about a real person is Ghost Rider by Neil Peart (the drummer from Rush). It was about his travels on motorcycle across Canada, America, and Mexico after his daughter and wife had died within a year of each other. His daughter died in a car accident very suddenly, and then his wife died from cancer very soon after. It was one of the saddest things I have ever read. When Neil Peart wrote about it, he seemed to believe that his wife had given up because her daughter was killed so suddenly, and that was why she lost the battle with cancer. I don't know if he was right or not, but I am sure her daughter's death didn't help.

 

I guess you could sort of think of him as being heroic, going on with life after such a horrible tragedy. But everyone has their own struggles in life, and I think it's important that we all be heroes for ourselves, as much as we can be.

[poppyshake]

I've only recently picked up Audrey Hepburn by Barry Harris (a particularly shiny Orion paperback), and I'll get around to reading it before the year is out.

 

Is is Barry Paris? If so then it's one of those that I've read and enjoyed. Probably my favourite was the one written by her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer, it just had that little bit more insight into her than the rest. Hope you enjoy it when you read it.

[chrysalis_stage]

I agree with Pixie. I cannot think of anyone I see as a 'hero' exactly but there are many that inspire me for different reasons and make me want to be a better person, emotionally, scientifically, artistically etc. I suppose one that comes to mind is Robert Hooke, he is labelled as England's Leonardo and a polymath.

[Talisman]

Like Pixie, I don't really have heroes either - I admire people for the same reasons as already stated. Hvaing said this, the so-called celebrity that I most admire and would mos like to meet would be Stevie Wonder. I admire him not just for his musical talent, although he possesses this in adundance, but also for his sense of humour, his humanitarian work and politics, but most of all because of the energy and presence that he just radiates. He has this way of just lifting everyone who comes into his presence, as anyone who has ever been to one of his concerts will know. I was lucky enough many years ago at Wembley Arena to get 2nd row tickets, and this probably the closest to him I will ever get. It was one of the best nights of my life.

 

My everyday heroes though are the men and women who I work with at the nursing home as I see the hard work and the dedication that goes into everything they do - and the brave men and women who are actually in the home, for all they have experienced and taught me.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Talisman

[aviv chadash]

My biggest heroine is probably Audrey Hepburn, I just adore her and I must have read five or six of her biographies and they did make me love her more but I already did from watching her so it doesn't really count.

The person I most admire, after reading about them, was probably Miep Gies who was one of the Dutch citizens who helped hide Anne Frank and her family. She took great risks, was incredibly kind and encouraging to Anne and, of course, was the person responsible for preserving the diary. When you think of the risks involved in the deception and the further risks she took in trying to bring about their release after capture ... she really was one remarkable lady.

Btw .. who is it that you've come to admire aviv?

 

Aristides de Sousa Mendes was another chap who done much to help the jews escape persecution during the War, he was mentioned 'fairly' recently in the The Independent. I think most people have to agree with you on this!

The person whom I have come to admire is Bertrand Russell. A truly amazing person, I would love to have met him!

 

Is this exclusively real people we're discussing here, or can we include fictional lads and lasses?

 

Initially, I was thinking real, but I suppose fictional would be interesting!

 

 

I guess you could sort of think of him as being heroic, going on with life after such a horrible tragedy. But everyone has their own struggles in life, and I think it's important that we all be heroes for ourselves, as much as we can be.

 

I agree! Though sometimes it's very hard, and we may not be aware of our shortcomings sometimes...

 

 

I agree with Pixie. I cannot think of anyone I see as a 'hero' exactly but there are many that inspire me for different reasons and make me want to be a better person, emotionally, scientifically, artistically etc. I suppose one that comes to mind is Robert Hooke, he is labelled as England's Leonardo and a polymath.

 

Robert Hooke is one of the scientists whom I admire greatly. I believe he was from a poor (or at least not well off) background, yet still went on to become an eminent scientist despite, as it was in those days (and may soon be), it being very difficult to do so, as the opportunities weren't available then for those who were less fortunate. You may like to correct me on this point!

[Echo]

Wow, I have so many people I admire!

 

REAL PEOPLE:

 

My parents, my brothers, and my boyfriend, because they're all amazing.

Coco Chanel...because she overcame amazing obstacles and became an icon who changed the world.

Barack Obama...come on, the first African-American president?! Also, he's intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, and someone who really thinks deeply about everything he says and does.

Jane Austen...because she wrote some of the funniest books ever written!

Tite Kubo...because he's the creator of Bleach, and my life would be meaningless and empty without it.

J.R.R. Tolkien...because he devoted his life to his art, developed a mythology for his beloved country, and masterfully explored issues of war, heroism, urbanization, nature and environmentalism, spirituality, and friendship.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa...in my opinion, one of the all-time best Japanese authors. He dealt with horrific mental illness, both in his own life and in his family's, and was able to incorporate it all beautifully into his writing.

 

...every soldier who has ever fought for their country, every woman who has fought for her rights and independence, every person who has faced oppression with courage and dignity.

 

MADE-UP PEOPLE:

 

Aloysius Pendergast...from the Pendergast novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I think he's the greatest detective ever!

Sebastian Michaelis...the demon butler from Black Butler. Hee hee!

Sam Gamgee...in my opinion, he's the real hero of The Lord of the Rings. Frodo was a complete failure in that capacity.

Pretty much every character from Bleach. I'm such a nerdy fangirl.

Anne Elliot...from Persuasion by Jane Austen. She's my favorite Austen heroine, and I love her because she knows who she is, something I've never accomplished.

[Pixie]

Initially, I was thinking real, but I suppose fictional would be interesting!

Well, if we can use fictional characters, the one that comes to mind that I admire is Atticus Finch. There was a character that used analytical thought in everything he said or did.

[Peacefield]

I would say all the men and women of the armed services, both past present and future. They're willing to do what I'm not brave enough myself to do, and without them I don't think I'd be here.

 

There are plenty of books out there regarding these amazing men and women.

[BigWords]

@Poppyshake Guess I'm going to have to pick up a few more biographies of her. It was only because the book looked so much like the excellent Bogart biography (by A.M. Sperber & Eric Lax) that it caught my attention in the first place that I decided to buy it. I'm still on the outlook for more decent biographies - the myth-centric stuff is fun, but the truth behind the magic is much more interesting for me.

 

As they deserve wider exposure, and people kinda overlook the medical advances made during the Second World War, The Guinea Pig Club deserves a mention here. There are a few decent histories and biographies about the emergence of plastic surgery, but the personal stories are much more effective than the dry texts about the manner in which the operations led to the wounded airmen getting restorative surgery. I suggest the names of all involved more than deserve to be on any list of heroes.

[vinay87]

I've always wondered what to say when someone asks me if I have a role model. I really don't have an answer to that question. There are a few people I do admire though I know only a little about them, which is why I don't try to come up with a definite answer to that question: essentially, every human being is flawed.

 

The people I admire:

 

1. Christopher Reeve : In the broader sense of the moniker, he was Superman.

2. Robert Jordan : I love the way he has dedicated most of his books to his wife; it's so clear to even a complete stranger like me that he absolutely adored her.

3. Mel Blanc : The voice actor who was called "The Man of a Thousand Voices". It's magical how he survived his accident and woke up to say "What's up Doc?" The very idea of a man who loved children as much as Blanc did is just endearing.

4. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi : A lot of my friends hate, loathe and detest the man for what he is. They point at his "experiments" of sleeping naked next to women to see if he really had conquered his lust, they say he was narrow-minded, resulting in the huge war between India and Pakistan that has not ended to this day, they say that he was just a stubborn old man. All I see is that non-violence is just the best solution to all the world's problems. And one man moved the nation I live in.

5. J D Salinger : I haven't read any of his books. But the way he has stayed out of the limelight is just spectacular. I know some fans demand to be able to see him, but the fact that a man can reject all that fame brought him is amazing.

 

Fictional? Well, just one springs to mind.

Jean Valjean. If you need to know why, just read Les Mis.

[Books do furnish a room]

Not sure about the word hero, but I admire Mandela

[aviv chadash]

Barack Obama...come on, the first African-American president?! Also, he's intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, and someone who really thinks deeply about everything he says and does.

 

I initially thought he would be good. But then he kind of let me down. He hasn't closed Guantanamo, he didn't handle the BP crisis well, he hasn't got Americans a national health service (okay, I admit that requires a lot!, and maybe the majority don't want it [fill in rest of argument here!]), and I believe he supported Israeli aggression towards Lebanon. I'd still trade for Cameron, though! Maybe...

 

 

Not sure about the word hero, but I admire Mandela

 

Perhaps I was to footloose in using the term hero! Nice choice, have always been tempted to read his biography. Once read an excerpt in college.

[Echo]

I initially thought he would be good. But then he kind of let me down. He hasn't closed Guantanamo, he didn't handle the BP crisis well, he hasn't got Americans a national health service (okay, I admit that requires a lot!, and maybe the majority don't want it [fill in rest of argument here!]), and I believe he supported Israeli aggression towards Lebanon. I'd still trade for Cameron, though! Maybe...

 

In Obama's defense, I think our biggest problem has been Congress and the lack of backbone in the Democratic Party. Obama is an idealist, which is a good thing, but when faced with the realities of the political system here in America, he wasn't able to accomplish as much as he wanted. But hey, since he's been in office, we got health care reform (not everything we wanted, but it's still a HUGE improvement), an increase in the federal student loan program, more protection for consumers from unfair credit practices, stimulus spending which has done a lot for jobs and infrastructure projects around the country, huge extensions in unemployment benefits, the passage of the Lily Ledbetter Act, which allows women to sue their employers over pay inequities, and a general improvement in our relations with just about every other country in the world.

 

When you look at it like that, he's done a lot!

[lauraloves]

iv'e been thinking about this for the past couple of days and watching the TV last night I saw a video about a soldier in Afgan who stood on a land mine and his leg was blown straight off. The brought him back to britain and took him to the military hospital and saved his life. when he was interviewed he described his horrific injury as 'just a scratch compared to others here' and he has just got on with things.

 

I also watched another programme about the military hospital about a soldier who had lost both legs and his goal was to stand on parade for Prince Charles. and he did it.

 

I think these guys are the heroes, not famous people like Katie Price (I myself was guilty of this one a few years back). Yes there are some famous people that are famous for reasons that deserve a mention, Mandela for example, that are deserving of the word hero, but I just think that the soldiers that are coming back from Afganistan with life changing injuries are heroes.

[Hayley]

One of mine has to be Ed Kennedy from Markus Zusak's 'I am the messenger'. He is sort of forced to go around helping people but when a girl asks him if he's a saint, he replies 'no, just another stupid human'. This has stuck with me for years as it reminds me what us stupid humans can actually achieve. Also Roald Dahl as I used to have 'the Roald Dahl treasury when I was younger and there was a quote near the front which I'm pretty sure was 'watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.' As I got older I realised this could be applied to real life and the fact that you have to appreciate the world around you and believe in yourself to be happy. Both truly amazing authors.

[emelee]

I have an autobiography by a Swedish woman who was attacked in her home by her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. The ex attacked her, Emma, and her two young children with a hammer. Both the children were killed, and Emma ended up in a coma for a while. The whole country knew what had happened by the time she woke up from her coma and was told that her children are dead.

 

The book is called "Why doesn't Emma cry?" and she tells her story and how she survived the tragedy, how she managed to go on in her life. There was a somewhat public trial and the ex-girlfriend is in jail now, a total psycho from the pictures I've seen. And Emma has a new baby now and has been able to continue living.

 

I admire her because she has gone through the most horrible thing I could ever imagine, and she is able to live on.

 

http://www.varforgraterinteemma.se/

[Echo]

Some more of my heroes:

 

Rick Steves

Johnny Depp (for more than just the obvious)

The Buddha

My late uncle...I never understood just how fully he lived his life until he was gone.