Heroes

A new TV show this fall on NBC is about a group of ordinary people who possess extraordinary abilities. As I understand the direction of the story, they will unite together and use their unique gifts to save the world. Interesting but over-worn premise (Remember the Justice League and Independence Day - the movie?).

The characters are very interesting. There's a high school cheerleader who instantly heals after suffering various kinds of severe injuries, a cop who can read people's minds, a heroin addict who paints pictures of the future, a couple of flying brothers, a web-cam actress with a violent alter-ego and a Japanese office drone who can teleport.

Simply put, it is a random assortment of normal people who are poised to do something extraordinary.

The popularity of the show after five weeks may say a lot about our culture and our desire to have heroes or perhaps be a hero. Whether the show can sustain itself with the current storyline and characters is yet to be seen. But beyond ratings and viewer-ship, perhaps something is being said here.

In a nation where heroes are few and far between, where members of our military are being accused of crimes, where sports figures are known by how much money they make, and entertainers and who they have babies with are the biggest news stories, people are crying out for heroes. Who can we trust? Who can we look to? Who can we depend on?

I suggest looking no further than at yourself. I propose that you be the hero. I say you be the one who comes to the rescue.

How can you be the hero? Simple: encourage someone. Hold the door open. Be kind. Squat down to a child's eye-level and talk to them. go out of your way for someone else. Make someone feel good about themselves. Now that's a hero!