Slicing through the air, the red and blue shield slammed into the Winter Soldier. Stumbling, he looks up to see Captain America striding towards him in his patriotic uniform. The girls in the theatre around me sigh in admiration at the sight of the dashing Captain. His perfect hair, beautiful body and “never give up attitude” is something that some girl dreams of.
But what about the real life heroes? The people who devote their time and jobs to helping others? In a world filled with fantasies about being as awesome as Superman, we forget the true heroes that surround us in our world.
When my dad comes home from work, all I see is a loving father who does everything he can to take care of his family. Other people, though, will see him as a doctor who saves lives. I forget sometimes that he plays such an important role in the community. Without dedicated people like him, many loved ones would have been buried in a grave instead of living their life to the fullest. And not everyone can appreciate that the way they should.
One day, while eating lunch in an airport, my dad heard a man behind him choking on his food. He immediately stood up and performed the heimlich maneuver, popping the chunk of food right out of the man’s esophagus. And what did he get in return? A free meal. Save a life, get ten dollars back guaranteed. Maybe doing the heimlich isn’t medal worthy but it is worthy of more than free food.
Being a doctor requires no small amount of courage. If I saw a lady with a fence post impaled through her leg, I would faint. Or if I pulled off an old guy’s socks and found his feet had no skin with maggots crawling over the tendons, that wouldn’t go so well either. How does my dad do it? I have no idea. But I do know that he, as well as other doctors, are willing to do whatever it takes to help their patients. Even if it means cutting open an overweight man’s stomach and watching yellow, jelly-like fat ooze out. Could Batman deal with that? I would guess not.
Even though my dad doesn’t have super strength or the ability to fly he is every bit a hero as Iron Man. His combination of bravery, dedication and compassion are what make him a person that I admire greatly. Maybe even more than Captain America.
