Hero Worship. Do we need it?

Is it just me or are others bothered by the term heros, I don't consider my self one and wonder why this termonology seems to be on the rise . We do a job we chose and train for and the amount of hero worship is now croping up in even some of the advertising we read, not to mention the number of general tributes to firefighters on here. May be I'm wrong but it does bother me personally.

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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on May 23, 2010 at 7:02pm

And Roy:
I think that here in the US, the "hero" worship of public servants, in our case, firefighters has seen a regression, because of the issues surrounding benefits paid to firefighters. Our public isn't so adoring in these tough economic times.
Honestly, I don't see a problem with a young child calling firefighters heroes, because their feelings are naivete and pure.
But when we call ourselves heroes, we have stepped over the line.
IMHO.
TCSS.

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Permalink Reply by Roy Walker on May 24, 2010 at 7:41am

Art that is really what I was getting at. If a child or civilian wants to play up the hero issue then that I can live with( but don't need it) However on this site I like to believe that most ,I know not all, are members of the brotherhood and those are the element that bother me . We don't need to praise ourselves. You even see some of the advertisers starting to include this in their copy. Some on here seem to exist only to post "tributes to all the fire fighters" time after time. I would rather see this space used for training and communication than this use of space. LEAVE THE TRIBUTES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EARNED THEM! Not to everyone who is a brother.

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Permalink Reply by Beverly on May 24, 2010 at 8:48am

Let me take a crack at this from another angle:

In this era when everyone is a "hero" or put on a pedestal for their accomplishment so many people want the title without the work, sacrifice and unselfishnes. A Hero is a role model. Sorry Hollywood, but starring in a multi-million dollar movie..for which you were paid millions does not make you a hero...sorry sports world, but home run titles when you have been using steroids does not make you a hero...sorry musicland, but all the platinum record sales cannot make up for the felony charges. Role models are those who EVERYDAY step up and do their very best, who work to make the lives of those they touch better, even in a tiny way, who sacrifice unselfishly of their time and sometimes of their lives. We are trained to do what we do and should be proud that we can make a difference in the lives of people who are having one of the worst days of their lives...BUT the passerby who pounds on the door of a burning home at 0300 to wake the occupants or the neighbor who does CPR on the child next door that fell in the pool and the parents are too frantic (understandably so) to even think straight...these people are heroes.
In our personal lives we should try to be heroes to our children, because in their eyes a hero can "make it all better, take on the bad guys and win". Shouldn't we strive to have our children think that we can make it all better. In this time when even a small child knows what a terrorist is, when it is growing increasingly difficult to maintain the innocence of childhood, shouldn't your child have someone to look up to, to believe that this person can keep them safe from all harms?
As for me I have a few heroes...my Mom, Jesus Christ and every member of the military.

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Permalink Reply by Capt./Chaplain Mike Petrosky on May 24, 2010 at 10:49am

This is what Webster says:

Main Entry: he·ro
Pronunciation: \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural heroes
Etymology: Latin heros, from Greek hērōs
Date: 14th century
1 a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage
2 a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement
3 plural usually heros : submarine 2
4 : an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol

Well, most of the guys and gals that I know that do this job wouldn't think of themselves or dare call themselves "a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability". We are just regular people that are doing a job so others may remain safe. If someone likes the job we are doing and sees in their eyes a "hero" in front of them, so be it. It is in the eyes of each person. Each of you have the chance to touch someone's life each and every day. Whether we act on that chance is up to us.