I know I’ve written alot today, but bear with me.

I was playing one of my old games today. As I finished up an story that I have finished many times, My mind started wandering to the identity and motives of the hero. What was it that heroes do that make them heroes? Everyone can point out a hero they know of in fiction or reality, but how often do we really think about what makes them heroes? Are there any specific attributes that make us love them so much? Or is it all just the way the present themselves? I started thinking, and inevitably, started writing.

The words of Arthur Ashe came to mind. “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” A hero is defined not by single act or catchphrase, but by servitude. This rings true through time and history, how every man, woman, and child could be the hero of someone else’s life. Servitude is a demonstration of the care that a person feels for another person. By subjecting herself to the needs of someone else, the hero shows that they are capable of representing the virtues that define heroism. Of all the virtues written across fables and religious books the world over, three in particular stand out as heroic. Three interwoven virtues to heroism by servitude are integrity, actions, and attitude.
Heroes would be unlikely to perform any heroic feats if they were not guided by their own set of values. These values can stem from religion, tradition, or an overdeveloped sense of justice. The values that can define a hero are more commonly centered around what is best for the community. By keeping to their personal codes of honor, these heroes show that they place great importance on living a moral life. In a society where the importance of a moral life is undermined as it is in America’s media it is amazing that anyone can be morally inclined. A hero need only be focused on assisting the people around her in order to claim this heroic virtue. Thus is a hero guided by the integrity of his creed and faith.
However, Hebrews states that faith without deeds is dead. Without acting in a way consistent with their beliefs, the hero can not honestly claim such beliefs. Thus heroes could be defined by the actions they take and the way they react to circumstances around them. A doctor could be a hero for performing surgery to save the life of a man with cancer. A soldier could become a hero by saving a team by risking her own life. Both the doctor and the soldier have submitted themselves in servitude; the doctor served his patient while the soldier serving his country. Actions of self-sacrifice can defines a hero, no matter how trivial they may be. As Edgar Watson Howe said, “A boy doesn’t have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn’t like pie when he sees there isn’t enough to go around.” By surrendering their own desires for the benefit of others, anyone can achieve this level of heroic virtue.
Even the actions the hero performs may not weigh as much as his attitude while he performs them. Although it can manifest itself in many different ways, a heroic attitude is usually aligned with a hero’s religion or life philosophy. A hero could be defined by a defiant attitude against a great oppressor, a humble attitude when speaking to peers, or even a caring attitude when assisting others. The attitude that defines a given hero is one of the essences of who they are. The hero acts and speaks in a manner that sets her apart from the less congenial members of society. A person’s attitude changes the way other people react to them, so a person with a very poor attitude is unlikely to ever be regarded as a hero. By keeping to a positive outlook on life, a hero’s attitude can earn him/her this third heroic virtue.
“When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.” These are the words of Joseph Campbell, the author of Hero with a Thousand Faces. Joseph believes as I do, that only by rising to the occasion and doing what must be done, rather than what one would like to do, can one ever truly become a hero. All of the heroic virtues that have and could have been listed are interwoven to form one word; that word is servitude. The hero only becomes a hero when she has been in willing submission to another. The mark that a hero leaves on another person’s life is astonishing. By surrendering privileges or freedoms for the sake of another, the hero cements the quality of those actions into the mind of the person being served. As was said by Benjamin Disraeli, “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”

A Knife in the Dark

I wrote this some time ago. I believe about two to three years ago. I stumbled across it in the old files on my computer and thought I might share it. It’s not the most profound thing ever written, but regardless of that, I still enjoyed writing it. Hopefully you all can enjoy reading it.

I am Revenge. I am motivated, innovative, and can take any form. I am a retaliation against wrongs committed. I am viewed a friend by the downtrodden or abused. I am the cause of wars and feuds. I promise justice, but only grant more pain to anyone involved. I cloud minds, twist pure motives, manipulate thoughts, and crush ideas of forgiveness. I dwell in the minds of many and foster anger in all whose thoughts I enter. Tainting otherwise clean hearts, I instill a burning desire to act upon hellish impulses. I place degrading and demeaning words in the mouths of previously kind people. I stifle any good intention or pure motive that my victims ever held. I wound both the offender and the offended equally, though not always in the same way. I bring temporary bliss while I hide the fact that believing in me is emotional suicide. I give the illusion of satisfaction, while leaving a desire for more pain. I punish those who are innocent, kill those who are blameless, and torture any who believe that I am the answer. I am degrading to all involved. I am a blemish, a stain on the canvas of my victims’ lives. I crush the hope for bright futures. I will make any of my followers leave their dreams behind as they search for an illusion of justice. I cause death, debt, broken hearts, and blood to stain the hands of anyone who acts upon my urgings. I am always pushing for more pain and anger. I am the dirty little secret. I am the last punch thrown. I am a shot in the dark. I am a long pursued grudge. I am the darkest manipulation of the heart. I am Revenge.

Bleeding on Paper

While I can’t remember who said it, I have heard someone say that a good writer must bleed onto the page. A part of himself must be left behind for another person to find. While I don’t know an insane amount about writing, I know that those are some pretty lofty standards. It does say something important to me though. That no matter what you are writing, you shouldn’t hold back. Write what is painful to write. Write what is frightening to admit. Write about what worries you, scares you, drives you, builds you, breaks you, forms you. Write about things that tell other people more than idle conversation can ever share. You can know many things about someone, and still not know anything about who they really are. Maybe this is just me, but the idea of leaving something behind on paper so others can try and understand me long after I am gone, well, it makes me wonder how much I am really leaving behind for them. I think that writing is one thing that we can all pursue, leaving something for generations to come. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I will do my best to imprint my soul on a page.