What makes a Hero?

Here’s just your 'average guy' who saved a girl from a shark attack by grabbing it‘s tale.

Australian man saves woman from shark by grabbing tail

source

"As the shark bit her, it brushed aside a fairly large male who grabbed hold of the tail of the shark, which then made it let go.
"The girl then started to sink to the bottom and he grabbed her and brought her to the surface and got her back on board the boat."
The man, who was taking part in the swim, refused to speak to journalists when the tour boat returned to dock, other than to say: "No comment, thank you. It's cool. All I want is the girl to be OK."
More than 30 people, including several children, were on board the boat at the time of the attack.

He didn‘t want fame or fortune, didn’t even want to be interviewed. He only wanted the girl to ‘be ok’...

What ‘makes’ heros like this man?

What compelled this person - the only one among many - to save this woman - at the peril of his own life?

And death by shark? You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s a living nightmare!

But he overcame his fears, and the shark - to save a life.

What makes a hero? What's going on in their heads? Ss it instinct? Something more? Angels among us? Or just an average person who really really cares?

Modern Day Heros

peace

peace

Heroes are everywhere Silo, you just have to know how to recognise them.
You are one yourself, and you've faced up to worse than sharks.
I'd love to pay homage here to all the heroes I've known, but the ATS servers would collapse under the strain.

I used to long to find a hero, but that seems to be a long time ago now. For many years I had to face up to difficulties on my own until I realised other people were looking to me when they needed a hero.



I've been a "hero" in all sorts of situations because I just happened to be there when needed. I've fought off gangs alone, with my bare hands. I've saved a girl from getting dragged off a train by a guy with a knife. I've stood in between a disgruntled guy who had just been thrown out of the Aussie SAS and a group of punks who didn't realise he was crazy enough to use the gun he was toting. I've laughed when a guy, pretending to be from ASIO, pointed a large handgun at me, in my livingroom, telling him I was dissappointed; I'd hoped if a guy brought me a magnum it would be a big bottle of champers. And I've done so much other stuff, and stood up to so many people, I just take acting that way for granted. I don't value my life highly, and I feel for other people, so it's easy for me. I believe God has used me, knowing I wanted to be made use of, to solve situations which needed intervention.

But when my four year old daughter slipped from my grasp while getting off a tram, and the tram started going with my little one's foot stuck in the tram door and her head slipping under the wheels, I just froze into a useless lump of ice, and couldn't lift a finger as I watched, horrified, knowing that the one person I loved in this world was about to die horribly. Then a man ran through the traffic from behind me and grapped her, jerking her foot from the door. He quietly returned her to my arms and disappeared into the crowd.



We tend to think of heroes as people who face up to a one-off confrontation with death. I was used to people like that as a kid, growing up in fire-prone areas where fire would commonly cut off means to escape and the locals took it for granted that the men all fought to save whichever houses were directly threatened while the women and children carried water, put out brush-fires and fed the men. Fire in the Aussie bush can tear through, sounding like a hurricane. Eucalyptus oil evaporates from the trees, floats along as a fog, and then explodes like a fuel-air bomb. Temperatures on 1400* Celcius have been measured, and human bones reduced to a powder.

Every bad fire there were/are men killed fighting it, and families killed who couldn't escape. However that never stopped more men, and sometimes women, from facing up to this terror.

However true heroism is not just being a hero during occasional desperate circumstances.

The world is full of quiet heroes, coping with dispair and difficulties but bravely plodding along, simply doing the best they can for a lonely lifetime.



There is one hero I have to mention.

I was 19, having a a baby in Manly Hospital, and had no-one to care about me. Hospital staff made sure I was being punished for being a single mum, and for refusing to sign an adoption agreement, so I was lonely, frightened, and being treated horribly while I went through the pains of labour on my own.

But a rough, very pregnant woman turned up who was sure I'd been her "bestie" in prison. I'd never been to prison, but she met my denial with understanding forgiveness and stayed with me, holding my hand, reassuring me and giving me sips of water, throughout hours of hard labour. She was going into labour herself, but refused to tell the staff that, because she wanted to be there for me.

And she told me about her baby. It had no skull, and would inevitably die during birth. I was honoured to hold this kind-hearted, brave and lonely woman in my arms while she sobbed.


You can never tell, even if you think you know a person, what burdens they've been given, or what courage they are capable of.

reply to post by Kailassa

I've never read a reply to any post that's effected me the way yours has...
I'm streaming tears of joy, and tears of pain...
Heroes.
I just met one.

Thank you from my heart.

peace
gracie

reply to post by Kailassa

But when my four year old daughter slipped from my grasp while getting off a tram, and the tram started going with my little one's foot stuck in the tram door and her head slipping under the wheels, I just froze into a useless lump of ice, and couldn't lift a finger as I watched, horrified, knowing that the one person I loved in this world was about to die horribly. Then a man ran through the traffic from behind me and grabbed her, jerking her foot from the door. He quietly returned her to my arms and disappeared into the crowd.

I have to just post again.

I'm reading this, and thinking, no I'm believing, Hope is still alive and well on planet earth!

What an incredible beautiful story.

I hope you and your daughter are always blessed like you were that day - and - more.

I hope more people are encouraged by your honesty, sincerity and heart, to post their own stories of Heroes.

Question: This person 'disapeared' into the crowd?

WOW...

Thank you again

peace

Originally posted by silo13
What an incredible beautiful story.
I hope you and your daughter are always blessed like you were that day - and - more.

Thank you.
We've both been helped out when we've least expected by people who one would not expect help from.

Question: This person 'disapeared' into the crowd?

Yes, he just mumbled, "it's nothing," when I tried to thank him, and ran off.

There are animal heroes too. I've had my three black chooks fly at a bull-terrier/dingo cross I was puppy-sitting to get him off me just days after he'd eaten the fourth chook.


I'd posit our actions are based on three factors, choice, instinct and habit.
And I suspect choice is a deciding factor far less often than people would like to believe.
But it's the accumulation of little, seemingly unimportant choices that make a habit, and that will usually create the mindset from which an action comes when there is no time to make a conscious choice.

i hope that anybody who is asking "where are the hero's" is willing to be one themselves...seems to me that too many people are asking for hero's instead of stepping up and acting like one in the first place...I think of it this way...if we had a world full of hero's willing to step up and fight for what is right, then we wouldn't even really need the term "hero" anymore because it would be something that is a part of everybody

reply to post by here4awhile

i hope that anybody who is asking "where are the hero's" is willing to be one themselves

Yes, there are two kinds of heroes it seems - the ones who step up and knowingly with thought put themselves on the line such as in war, etc.

And those who, with seemingly no thought to themselves step out and just DO IT. Step up and save that baby, move in front of the out of control car to save the school children.

It's the later I was tryig more to focus on - probably the video I included was a poor choice, maybe I can replace it.

Anyway, I was thinking more, hoping that is, to discuss what 'makes' the hero that just steps up and does it - runs right up to the burning car and pulls the driver to safety, when the other lookey-lou's just stand about.

Thanks
peace