HEROES - Part 1: The Confession

I have a confession to make.
A startling revelation to share.
A secret so deep I'm almost afraid to write it all down.

Before I do tho, I have to clarify something 1st.

 
The pieces I write over the coming weeks are not directed to any 1 individual (you should be so lucky) or written in response to anything anyone out there has written on any site or page. Rather, it’s just another wonderful opportunity to keep people stuck in front of a PC screen to ensure the full amount sterilizing radiation contributes to a further decline in populations in western civilization.

Actually, these particularly dull and boring pieces are an opportunity for me to share, to purge, to inspire, to let you into me, and me into you. Which, to be honest, I never do... much.

So...no more mucking around...

THE CONFESSION

I rarely if ever read other peoples blogs.
Or bulletins.
Or updates.

**insert dramatic musical sounds now**

There. It's out. I'm a free man.

I AM SO SORRY

I've tried. God knows I honestly have. But I just couldn't keep going.
I couldn't read another rant against an ex-something.
Another line about how good/ bad/ indifferent you are.
Another pointless fucking list.
Another add for some obscure dance club somewhere.
Another suck up to your friend.
Another dumb ass pass about how good your band (or your best friend's band) is.

So, I stopped reading peoples blogs + bullets + updates ages ago. And more importantly, swore on the skull of my dead grandfather not to inflict my own verbal diarrhea on others.  Hey, the world already has 2 squillion Perez Hiltons, why add to that mountain of puerile vomit?

So, what made me do THIS.
No, dude, really...

Most people on my sites and pages don't know me. At all. 

We've never met, probably never will. Even those whom I've met don't really know me. In fact half of you don't even know my real name. Which is totally unimportant anyway, and is probably another driving force behind why I'm writing now...  and that reason is... it's not who I am, but what I am that really counts.

As one of my heroes (one I've actually met) once stated "here today, gone tomorrow, don't need myself remembered. but what I help create and leave behind is important to me..." *(1)

So, if who I am is not important, and what I am is, then it goes to follow that getting to know what and who helped to make me what I am is an important step in getting to know me better.

Dig?

And what's shaped me more than working on the 9 - 5 treadmill?
More than 'life' experiences?
More than lovers (and ex lovers too)?
And... OMG ...more than even MUSIC...???
Are my heroes.
Hence the titles of these pieces. 

So, how do you define what is a hero? What qualifies (or disqualifies) someone as being 'worthy' of hero status?

What makes a hero....a hero? 



***and your comment would be...*** 

Well, the definitions of hero on the Web are -

1. A man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength; "RAF pilots were the heroes of the Battle of Britain"
2. The principal character in a play or movie or novel or poem
3. Champion: someone who fights for a cause
4. Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
5. (classical mythology) A being of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits; often the offspring of a mortal and a god
6. (Greek mythology) Priestess of Aphrodite who killed herself when her lover Leander drowned while trying to swim the Hellespont to see her
7. Bomber: a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States.

Gee Google, thanks for that!!!

For me 'hero' goes much deeper. In fact, it's not really the hero per se, as much as what they do to inspire and motivate me, make me challenge myself, make me change me, that qualifies an individual as a hero for me. And in some cases it not even wot they did as much as WHY they did it. Their motives, their reasonings...
 

My definition obviously disqualifies from my 'hero' list pretty much every damn hero ever held up to our ever receptive faces by this world's media/ propaganda machines.

Hell, I'm pretty much unimpressed by any current public figure or organisation daily thrust into the spotlight for our entertainment & amusement. It's all just McEyeCandy ™

 
None of them make me want to change me, let alone rise up and make a change in my community, or even slightly aspire to an inkling of world change.

Which is probably why I don't watch TV, or see the latest install of the newest teen/ comedy/ action flick @ the movies. This sentiment is reflected again in a quote from one of my heroes - "A lethargic population is the key to our control, who'd rather watch someone's life on TV than participate in their own" *(2)

Kinda sums up for me the reason why we no longer see the heroes so prolific before the 1970s. Our eyes are now so glazed over and the constant bombardment of useless 'infotainment' has dulled us all into a state of contented inactivity. It's all too much, couldn't be bothered, and as long as I recycle my Coke cans I'll feel content in knowing I've done my bit to reduce our carbon footprint. To be honest I couldn't give a flying fuck about our alleged carbon footprint. In fact most of my heroes were long dead before this buzzword was ever conceptualized.

And whilst most of my heroes carried the altruistic torch for a cause or reason, again, I'm not interested in the torch, as much as what motivated them to carry it, and even more so, their ability to change torches when it was discerned to do so.

And that's "THE KEY" 

You can stuff that whole nationalistic diatribe of "my country, right or wrong" fair up your ass. What a load of crap. Again to quote one of my heroes "If you're wrong you're wrong... and if you're right you're right" *(3)

And most of my heroes had the intestinal fortitude to both stick their hands up and admit to being wrong.... and then CHANGE.
Again and again.

THAT ability is what makes my heroes "HEROES".

Reflection. Self analysis. Courage. Humility. Change.

And now I get to inflict my "HEROES" pieces upon you for the next 5 or 6 weeks.

HA!!! Sucks to be you....

END OF PART 1

NEXT WEEK: HEROES - Part 2:  Malcolm


If you're still here... thank you.

Please feel free to comment on my pieces. I willingly accept constructive criticism and comments on all my work. Hell, I'll take non-constructive criticism too. It's not life or death stuff y'know...

I believe in respect. I'm not asking you to agree with anything in this piece, but please allow me to have my opinion. Remember, I openly admit I don't read other peoples stuff. Hey, you don't have to read mine, and I'm happy to let you write yours.
(oh, ok babyporridge, I'll admit I do read yours...)

Did i push your buttons? If I did, then share this shit with your friends.
Go on, hit that forward button...

All the words & mindless ramblings in BORDERLINE (c) 2008 - 2010 stonerphonic unless otherwise stated.
Find my punk ass - http://www.facebook.com/stonerphonic
Write my punk ass - stonerphonic@hotmail.com

Quotes

* (1) Jello Biafra. LARD - "Bozo Skeleton" Last Scream of the Missing Neighbours (Alternative Tentacles Records)
* (2) Jello Biafra. No Means No + Jello Biafra - "Bruce's Diary" The Sky is Falling and I want my Mommy (Alternative Tentacles Records)
* (3) Malcolm X. Malcolm X + Keith Le Blanc - "No Sellout" (Tommy Boy Records)