Au Contraire: My Heroes

James R. Delisle

It seems we have more heroes than ever these days. In past generations, the word hero was reserved for a soldier who sacrificed life or limb in defending our nation, or the firefighter who ran back into a burning building to save a child too young or too scared to save herself. Today, the bravery required to gain the status of hero is often quieter; more subtle. We speak of the young cancer victim valiantly remaining optimistic in the face of declining health, the young mom who walks away from an abusive relationship despite her outward loss of dignity and economic comfort, or the former drug addict whose rehabilitation includes turning tortured others away from the hypnotic appeal of a dangerous drug that once captivated the addict’s own attention.

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