The Un-Secret Life of a Hero

I just finished reading the short-story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber.  (http://www.all-story.com/issues.cgi?action=show_story&story_id=100.)  The last time I read it, I was a sophomore in High School.  Reading about Walter Mitty’s imagination back then caught my interest immediately.  It was a fun, relatable story for me.  I remember the joy of a mental escape that my own imagination provided.  As a young high school kid, there were countless dragons I slayed, helpless women and children I rescued, and, of course, my recurring success at keeping civilization at bay from all the havoc, mayhem, and … well, just really bad stuff.

Even now, I can fall into my daydreaming, hero world with ease.  I mean, with a career as a coffee drinking, nerdy accountant and possessing virtually no handy-man skills, it can make for an appealing, even necessary, escape for me.  Like when I thoughtfully offer to fly my wife, Carrie, into work using my stealth helicopter so she can avoid traffic … or was it using my jet pack … or perhaps it was offering to beam her up ala Star Trek style.  Yeah, I think I like that last one best.

With that said, I would never trade my life experiences for all that Star Trek space travel stuff and going where no man has gone before.  I’ll take the ordinary, the mundane, and the phenomenal experiences that come with participating and engaging in real life events.

I cherish the ordinary memory I have of sitting with Carrie in our lawn chairs and watching our kids play soccer in the pouring rain.

§  I wonder if we were real life heroes to our kids for being there.

I absolutely love the mundane morning I spent with Carrie on our back deck drinking coffee, talking, and being together.

§  I wonder if we were real life heroes to each other for being there.

I anticipate all the phenomenal experiences I’ll have doing nothing, doing something, and doing everyday things with others.

§  I wonder if I’ll be someone’s real life hero for being there.

Sure, I’ll still climb the Himalayas to rescue the stranded hikers and I’ll personally administer the antidote to that small tribe in Africa, but I’ll also smile, open doors for others, listen, be a friend, and seek ways to encourage people.

Do you ever wonder if all those simple and ordinary life events you experience can be life changing events for others?  Look for opportunities to be an everyday hero to your waitress, your co-worker, and your family.  And you too just might save the world … one boring day at a time.