Real Talk with ZTS

#18 - The Rona Series Episode 10: Heroes and What They Mean to Us

September 06, 2020 OSYL Episode 18
Real Talk with ZTS
#18 - The Rona Series Episode 10: Heroes and What They Mean to Us
Show Notes Transcript

In today's episode, we're going to be reading an article written by Tyler. It's called "Heroes." This is an article that was inspired by the sudden, tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, and what he really meant to to the community, to the world, and how many people looked up to him. After the article reading, we'll have a small discussion. 

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Tyler :

After Yeah, Chadwick like that. That news was crazy. First of all saw Yeah.

Steven :

It was so unexpected, you know?

Tyler :

Yeah. And that and that's the thing I think. I think the craziest thing was uh, no one knew about it because he kept it to himself.

Steven :

Yeah. And his family yeah even celebrities who are like reaching out and then memorial to him they didn't even know

Tyler :

Yeah, yeah. All this crazy. It's crazy that the see that in the in I don't know if you watch the documentary last night. No, I did it on 2020. But it was crazy to just like hearing them talk about it. And just like, even when you saw these, these things, like on Twitter and stuff when he was visiting, you know, St. Jude and everything. Yeah, and whatnot. It's just crazy to think about, because it's like, here's a man battling his own battle with cancer but make to go to St. Jude and see These children that have cancer and put a smile on their face, you know

Steven :

It's crazy.

Tyler :

Because, you know, at that point he had been diagnosed with stage three, which is crazy because like, that's really hard to come back from.

Steven :

Yeah, yeah.

Tyler :

And for him to just have the word with all that just be like, you know I want to I want to make these kids happy and still battling his own disease. It's like,

Steven :

right

Tyler :

it's insane

Steven :

Yeah, man I can Yeah, I can't even Yeah, I can't even imagine. But, yeah, it's one of those things where Yeah, who would have thought you know? Yeah, cuz when I heard it, it was, you know, I thought it was like a joke or something or, you know, with the internet these days, but it's crazy. But rest and peace to him.

Tyler :

Yeah, Rest in Peace to Chadwick. He's... it's crazy. It's just crazy. Welcome to Real talk with Our Stories, Your Legacy. In today's episode, we're going to be reading an article written by me. It's called "Heroes." And it was an article that was kind of inspired by the sudden tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. And what he really meant to to the community and to the world, and how many people looked up to him. So we're going to read this article on heroes, and then we're gonna have a small discussion right after. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the conversation. Heroes. What does it mean to be a hero, or what makes a person a hero? Are heroes someone that relies excessive individual and physical struggle and just power through it. Is it someone doing altruistic deeds in the name of someone else? Or the animal kingdom? Or is it someone with superhuman strength that goes around fighting crime during these times, this is something that I've thought about a few times. The traditional definition of a hero is someone who is admired or idolized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. We see many heroes day to day and they come in different forms, veterans, moms, dads, public figures, and so on. You know, when we were still younger, or even to this day, we were inspired by leaders, caped, and or masked superheroes. And those brave men and women who did amazing things to not only transform themselves, but the world. We looked up to those who inspire change in our own lives, while at the same time overcoming their personal struggle to achieve their goals. It makes for a good story and motivation. We regard their nerve and commitment in high esteem. We aim to be as courageous and focused as they were to get where we want to be. A hero, aside from the definition above, is someone who does something we couldn't do don't want to do or don't think we could possibly do. It isn't only about an accomplishment. It's about the influence that those heroes have on us. It's what we take away from the adversity they've endured over time. These heroes are what we often refer to as the prototype. They're the ones who display the elevated standards of personality and enthuse us to accomplish the utmost that we can in order to imitate them. Heroes inspire who inspires you? Most of the time, the people that inspire us are just everyday people who have done extraordinary things. We appreciate when someone is willing to be selfless, creative or innovative. We appreciate those that give back and encourage others. Take a look at yourself. We never know who we're going to influence when we give freely, not caring, who may be able to reciprocate it, or when we ever find ourselves in need and giving back leaves a legacy that will survive much longer than we will. We all have our heroic moments. But by these definitions, we rarely recognize our heroic moments as heroic. When they're brought up later, we're often surprised by the fact that others thought that these actions were heroic heroes have unique characteristics and qualities that make them heroes. Just because we may not see someone as a hero doesn't mean that person isn't a hero to someone else. There's no mold of what or who can be a hero. The individuals we consider are more cherished heroes don't just face the occasional heroic moment. They seek it. They face their anxieties and defy challenges. They consider others before themselves. They run towards the sound of those in need. They thrive when others would second guess or walk away with poise and composure. We shouldn't say that someone isn't a hero, because we don't know what they've done for someone else. Being hero isn't always about being in the spotlight. It's what you do behind the scenes. A hero can be the person who works extra shifts to save and send their kids to college. So they have the opportunity to have a bright future. A hero can make sure the people around them have food, clothes and shelter. A hero can be one who dedicates their time to cultivating our communities while facing crazy obstacles themselves. A hero, or even a superhero, doesn't always fly. In fact, most of them are the most grounded individuals you'll ever encounter. So the question I asked you, who is your hero? All right, now that we've had a chance to kind of listen through that, that article there on heroes, you know, we're gonna kind of break it down and discuss it a little bit. I think, you know, the main point of that article was to kind of define what a hero is, I think in 2020. It's been a little crazy, obviously in 2020 with COVID And all the things that are happening and I think the the reason why we're talking about this something that we've been thinking about and I know I've thought about you know, since since COVID has happened and even in years past is just like who who is a hero? What defines a hero? You know, as we grow up we, we look up to these people whether it be a superhero, someone that is, you know, in a mask or, or what have you, Superman, Batman, Spider Man, whatever that may be, you know, do they wear a cape? Do they wear a mask? Do they have superhuman strength, that kind of stuff. But then you have to look at like your heroes in, in in things like sports and stuff. So I know when I was growing up, one of the biggest things was role models are heroes. You know, you can call them you Change them a little bit role models and heroes are kind of kind of similar in that regard. But I know I had people I looked up to athletes, and what they meant to the sport, what they meant to me growing up as a kid. And it's kind of crazy. When when we try to define what a hero is, it's like, you know, do we look at the traditional definition of what a hero is, like a superhero? Or do we look at the hero that a person that's kind of just, you know, admired for what they've done in their life, and how we try to kind of live up to those expectations of like, I want to be like them when I grow up. So we see heroes in the form of athletes, actors, superheroes, and then you know, the everyday heroes that we that we have in our own lives. Whether that be our parents, or siblings or whatever that may be. And I think the biggest thing outside of just the people that we know is, you know, like, it's kind of crazy when we talk about heroes in that in that regard is that you probably will never meet your hero, that person that you look up to that role model, whether it be an athlete, actor, whatever it may be, but it It's crazy to think that in 2020, we've lost some some very memorable people in the world, some people that have made a real impact in the world. In some of those, like athletes, actors, doctors, those kind of things. So the reason why we're bringing this up, is 2020 has been crazy. COVID has been crazy. And, you know, the real heroes out there right now are all The people that haven't had a break, you know, all the people that when everyone got sent home to work from home or they got, you know, furloughed or lost their job, everything, the people, the real heroes in the world since March, till now are still those frontline workers, those nurses, those doctors kind of risking everything to make sure that everyone else has health is good and that this virus does not spread, trying to save lives trying to find a cure that kind of stuff. But we've also seen athletes in all that stuff get hit by COVID and even before COVID started, you know, we had Kobe Bryant, who who passed away tragically in a helicopter accident. And it's crazy to think just the type of impact that people have on your on your life. Without you ever knowing them ever meeting them, you know, you, you might not even be a blip on their radar, you know, because they got their own life going on and everything. But it's crazy to see just how much that that affects you Kobe Bryant just Mamba mentality. He was just you know, the killer in the in the in the regard of success is always striving for success and everything. A lot of people looked up to him. And then just just recently a few days ago Chadwick boseman, huge actor known mostly for his role as Black Panther. Which is why the hero topic also came up passed away due to colon cancer in the you know, it devastating loss. A lot of people shocked a lot of people hurt because I mean, that's, that's one of those things. Chadwick boseman has played numerous Well known people in portrayed them in movies that have, you know, gone through our history and everything and you could look at those Jackie Robinson, you know, is one of them Black Panther fictional character, but a superhero nonetheless for for young kids and everybody looking up to the to those people. So it's crazy to kind of think about and look back at those folks and how we react to people we may have never met and how that affects us. So yeah, so it's hard to see when, when your idol or your superhero or your, you know, role model goes down and or passes away or leaves or whatever. So, you know, it's one of those things. It's just crazy. So what we'll do today, we'll talk about What do people mean to us as far as heroes who our heroes are? And also, you know, like, whether that be in your in your life or someone you look up to, and kind of like to jump in to and discuss, like, why do you think we, you know, we we fall in, I say fall so hard but, you know, have that connection to someone we've never met. So, Steven, I just wanted to hop over to you real quick and just kind of get your get your thoughts on kind of what it means to be a hero. And kind of jump into it. Just right there like that.

Steven :

Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I appreciate your post. Because, you know, I think we need heroes, everyday in our lives. And when I was reading through your article about, you know, the Many different types of heroes, whether it's not even just celebrities, you know, whether it's your sport hero or, or movie actors. I love how you pointed out. There's everyday heroes, you know, and just as you mentioned in the introduction, you know, you have veterans, you have doctors and nurses, just medical field workers EMTs and just as simple as just your mom and dad, and maybe your siblings, you know, those are all heroes. And, you know, they inspire us in many different ways. How I interpret why heroes are so prevalent in our lives, whether it's a celebrity that we probably won't get a chance to be friend down to, you know, your cashier at your favorite local grocery store, you know, I think instead of them inspiring us is more of that We appreciate them. You know, I think when we appreciate someone for what they do, and for what they do that we don't do, like you mentioned in the article, sometimes heroes or things, or people who do things that we don't do or afraid to do all that stuff, we appreciate that because they help balance this out, you know, because I think in a world that we live in today, we know more and more that, you know, perfection is not always the goal, but it's to find balance. And so through balance, we we put our appreciation or inspiration to other people who can do the things that we can't do or or we just, you know, don't do so. We appreciate our mom and dads, you know, for for always doing the unconditional things that we don't realize as we were growing up. And so there are heroes in a way because they instilled things. They instilled an outlook in life for us. they instilled a way for us to, you know, just grow up and become, you know, just grow, to become leaders are in different ways. So, in terms of celebrities in the balance, kind of going back to your original question, you know, like what? Chadwick boseman, you know, Black Panther, Kobe Bryant, all these heroes who we recently lost. One of those things, it's like, we appreciate what they bring to our balance, you know what I mean? And so because part of our part of our growth as humans, we're always trying to grow up and so we're always trying to find something find purpose find meaning, right? And so, when we watch Kobe Bryant play on television and him, you know, coming down, you know, 20 points, but then coming back to win the game like willing his way to lead his team Victory to Black Panther, you know, on the big screen, you know, just his presence on the screen just inspiring us. We appreciate that from these artists, these celebrities, because they give us a little purpose in life where we're like, you know what, that's something that we want to strive to do on our own scale, you know, we're probably, we probably won't be able to take a ball, jump into an NBA game right now, and lead a team down from 20 points, you know, to, to lead a team to a championship, but that in the way that they persevere to kind of get to where they want to go. That gives us a low purpose, low inspiration, a little appreciation that we're like, you know, what, that's motivation. That's motivation right there for us to do the things that we want to do, you know, and so, so I think that's, that's where heroes come into play. You know, Where it's it's, it's less of like, you know, these guys on pedestals these guys in and girls, you know men and women on pedestals that we look up to. It's more of like, we look to them for a sense of purpose or a sense of a little nudge, to kind of get us to find balance in our own lives. And so, so yeah, so that's for me is, I appreciate this post a lot that you wrote. Because it gives us a chance to reflect on our blessings of the people, the heroes in our lives. And it gives us a chance to think about our mortality, you know, when we see like, celebrities who inspired us in some form, whether small or big, you know, inspiring our lives in that way. So, heroes, you know, it gives us a chance to just realize that we play a bigger part in the grand scheme of things.

Tyler :

Yeah, in, in your last point, there's just we all play a part. It's one of those things, it's kind of crazy that, you know, people, whether you you know it or not people do look up to, you know, it's gonna be one of those things like, I think for me, you know, coming from a coaching background too. It's one of those things there's, there's always going to be someone that's watching you, you know, kind of doing whatever you're doing and kind of how I alluded in my post was just that you never know, someone's story. You don't you can't judge them in the sense of like, that's what they're doing. That's not a hero move or something like that, you know? Yeah. And that people are so quick to judge other people. Yeah, based off of who they are. But you know, at the end of the day, that person is probably someone's hero. You know, and it's just you may not see it, but to somebody else. You know, they could be their whole world that could be a superhero to them, you know. And I think that's, that's the, that's the awesome thing about it. Everyone has a unique story. And we just, we just don't know, you know, like, like I said, I come from a coaching background. So, for me, I think when I'm out there coaching and I'm having fun, I'm trying to teach these younger athletes to kind of really understand the game, but also kind of show like, you know, teach them respect for the game and all of that stuff. But, you know, when I'm doing that, it's one of those things like, I, I'm just out there, I'm having fun and I'm hoping that I'm like, portraying in in giving the right message to those folks, you know, to those to those kids, and it's just, you never really think like you're making like a huge impact when you're in that moment when you're doing those things. Even, even when I came from that, that place, you know, I grew up in a kind of troubled, troubled area, all that stuff, gangs and all that and whatnot. And, and I played sports in that took my mind off of those things and what those coaches taught me, you know, kept me going and doing all that. So like, I looked up to my coaches when I was growing up. And it's funny because when you get to that point, you, you stop, you almost stopped thinking about it, because you're just out there doing you're having fun, you want to pass on that knowledge and whatnot. But those kids and those parents of those kids have that appreciation to you and then, you know, at the end of the season, whatever it may be, I think that's when it hits, hits home a little bit more. When you don't realize what you're doing is like something that people look up to you or people watch you for, you know, at the end of the season multiple times I've had at that players kind of, you know, in conversation with other kids on the team, it's like, it's one of those things like, Hey, man, don't worry, it's just that and then they say something that you, you've taught them and you're just like, oh, man, that hit me right in the feels right? Because they're, they're picking up these things, they're sponges, they're absorbing these things, and then you get, you know, messages or cards at the end of the season from parents and stuff saying, like, Hey, you know, our kid really looked up to you. He had a great time playing the sport and he we just really appreciate you and it's just it's kind of crazy, like, you know, that goes into a whole nother direction and whole nother story of things just like us not really realizing the impact that we have on others. But you know, that's, that's the whole point. Like people, people look at you and you can be Here are some people just the like, the way you look at other people, and, you know, they're heroes to you. I think with that, I was going to jump over and say, you know, with all these people in our lives and everything, like, Who is your hero growing up, whether that be and you can give, you can give multiple people so you can give like, someone in your life that you actually knew or had in your life, and then you can give someone who you looked up to as far as like, an actor or an athlete or whoever it may be.

Steven :

Yeah. I mean, my heroes, you know, growing up and still today, you know, thinking in hindsight, you know, as cliche as it is, you know, are my parents but it took me it took me until I got older to realize that, you know, what they did was very under the radar, but, you know, they helped build me up in things that I didn't know understands how I got older. And so those, those are still one of my heroes today. And just them, you know, just being good people at heart that continues inspire me. You know, I didn't have a lot of heroes growing up, that I could look up to or appreciate, but heroes, to me that kind of helped me find balance in my life or maybe who I am, where, you know, like sometimes celebrities like, like, like athletes, like, I remember, I was big Kobe Bryant fan, you know, just watching him will, you know, just being a leader of men and leading his team to victory. It was something unmatched and But beyond that, I didn't really have like a lot of celebrities where I'm like, you know what, I want to be like that guy. But when it came to I think one big source of inspiration was probably music, you know, was a was a thing for me, too. Because the music that I listened to, even though the artist per se wasn't the biggest inspiration to me, they technically were because the music they put out inspired me to write, as well. So in terms of heroes, I would consider that heroic, you know, because even you know, the the music that they put out whether they wrote it or not, was was a beautiful thing where it inspired me to find balance. It taught me to be more poetic in how I speak and how I write appreciate poetry a lot more. Because I think that right there in terms of understanding and appreciating the arts was pretty heroic to me. So terms of heroes, I didn't really have too much, but as I got older, and you know, especially now, obviously, there's there's heroes, you know, with me doing a lot of reading. There's authors that are I love and you know, and I and I appreciate what they put out. And it helps me continue to grow helps me continue to be more aware and just learn from myself. So those are, I guess, heroes as well, that I would like to meet one day to shake their hand and, you know, appreciate them for putting out this work. But, you know, again, I think it comes down to at the end of the day, the biggest hero, I feel like is yourself as well, you know, to find strength in yourself, and your heart and your mind to continue to will yourself throughout every day. My thing to put yourself up there too as a hero for yourself is huge too. And so that's the way that I look at it is without myself as selfish as that sounds, but I think having looking up to or appreciating yourself because I think as a hero, it's just something You appreciate too. And so if I flip it on that terminology, you got to appreciate yourself too For how long how far you came and how you became the way you are. But all of that, ultimately, again, is a combination of the balance of everyone else in your life that you look to your parents, your siblings, your, your favorite music, music artists, your favorite philosopher, your favorite artist, author, all that became a combination to make you who you are. And so you got to appreciate yourself as that top final hero. And so that's how I would answer that one. That's how I would make who my heroes are in my life.

Tyler :

Yeah, no, I mean, that's great.

Steven :

Yeah, and the list keeps growing too. So it's not you know, it's not like a it's not like a set thing. Like I'll maybe pick up a new book one day and I'm like, you know what, that encompass everything that I could not have said better myself. That right there is a hero, you know?

Tyler :

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And I, you brought up a good point is just like, you know, believing in yourself in that regard. It's a hard but it's a hard thing to do you know, we are our own greatest critic.

Steven :

Oh yea.

Tyler :

No one will be harder on you than yourself. And I think that's the thing you have to do recognize that, you know, you're, you know, you're always going to be enough. You know, everything that you've done to a point, you know, you have to hold yourself on on a pedestal. There a little bit, you know,

Steven :

oh, yeah.

Tyler :

Don't get too cocky with it. But you know,

Steven :

right, right.

Tyler :

Yeah. Just knowing like, you know, you You've worked hard to get where you're at, you know,

Steven :

right.

Tyler :

Yeah. So, I mean.

Steven :

Who's your heroes and in your life?

Tyler :

Yeah, for sure. Like, just like you I think with hindsight, it's definitely my parents. They it's one of those things As a kid growing up, you don't necessarily always see the amount of work and the amount of time that your parents put in, to make sure that you, you know, you have food on the table, they have clothes on your back. You know, and just kind of place to live really. And, you know, like, there's a lot of people that are that are fortunate to have those people providing for them, you know, whether that be your parents, your step parents, you know, whatever that may be foster care, whatever, like, there are people out there doing work to make sure that kids grow up, you know, in a safe environment. And I know that's one of the biggest things in the world today is just providing safe environments for those for those kids that may not have those, those opportunities as well. But I would say yeah, definitely my parents. And the more you know, as I grew up, the more and more time you think about it like my my grandfather They're one of my heroes as well just kind of instilled a lot of a lot of the traits and characteristics that I have today. Learn that through through him and his journey. You know, this thing you respect your elders and they teach you a lot of things, you know. So yeah, so my life I've had my parents, my grandparents, but definitely like coaches, with sports and everything, like they, they teach you a lot of things like away from your parents, you know, if you're in here's how I rate like a coach, if you're a good coach, you're not only teaching or coaching, whoever you're coaching, just to play the game, you're you're preparing them for the world outside the game as well. You know, and that's what we see in a lot of coaches, like, kind of growing up, it's like you're there to just yell at them and coach them for whatever or you're there to make a difference in their lives. as well. So that's that's usually how I deem a good coach is just how, you know how they prepare you for life outside of sports as well. I think growing up for me, one of my biggest heroes, I have a couple to name but both of them were baseball players. And I think one of the biggest things growing up was learning more and more about Jackie Robinson. When he bullet, broke the color barrier for baseball, went from the Negro Leagues and went into like, what is now Major League Baseball, but he broke that color barrier. And really, you know, in that regard was a hero to a lot of people, a lot of people of color, especially black blacks, and everything kind of paved the way for him and every everything in that sport. So that was always one of those questions like you know, those questions you You get when when you're growing up, like if you were able to meet and have dinner or a lunch or a meal with, you know, one person from the past, present, or future. Well, you say future but past, present and future, who would it be? And why kind of thing. And I've always said, Jackie Robinson would be an amazing person to kind of sit with and just have a conversation with just to get to get his his thoughts on things. And I think one of the biggest heroes in my book when I was growing up was we Ichiro, so when he jumped from the Japanese League, over to the major leagues, it kind of it made my love for baseball that much more renewed in the sense. I I've loved baseball my entire life. I've played baseball my entire life, but I think when, When he made that jump in prove that Japanese players could play in the major leagues, I think that it's very motivating, in that sense to see someone who is the same nationality as you go and actually, you know, be successful in that league in a foreign league. Prior to that, you know, no position player in in from Japan ever played in the major leagues other than a pitcher, you know. So, it was kind of crazy to see that and all the critics say like, oh, he can't do it. They, you know, the Japanese baseball league is equivalent to minor league baseball. In America, they just won't make it and everything and have him come over and just destroy the competition, get, you know, set a lot of records for hits and everything. And just be just an outstanding player. I think that was definitely motivational. And all of that, and I definitely considered him a hero growing up just because it gave me something to look forward to and really kind of gave me a boost of confidence when I was playing baseball in that regard, so, so yeah, yeah, it's kind of kind of crazy how, you know, like I said, all these people kind of influence you in everything.Without you actually knowing them, you know? But yeah, I think, yeah, it's just crazy.

Steven :

Yeah, no, I mean, yeah. And I love this quote that you put at the end of your article. You said, a hero or even a superhero doesn't always fly. In fact, most of them are the most grounded individuals you encounter. And so you know, going back to what you're saying about your coaches and the ones who inspired you to see life beyond the game. All that stuff. And even our parents and all that stuff. Or even just like someone like Ichiro, you start to realize at the end of the day, some, some are in the spotlight more than others, but at the end of the day, everyone's all human. And, and the truest ones that embody that, that they are just like us, you know, regardless of the skills or the money and the fame when they truly remember that they're still humans at the end of the day, those are the best heroes that give us the most inspiration and purpose for you know, looking up to them.

Tyler :

Yeah, yeah, for sure. At the end of the day, we're all we're all human.

Steven :

Yeah.

Tyler :

So yeah, with that, just want to wrap it up here. Keep it kind of short today. But

Steven :

yeah.

Tyler :

Just want to say you know, to all those people out there, let's About the heroes and whatnot, you know, I think the biggest thing for you to do, or we challenge you to do just like at the end of every episode, ask yourself, who's your hero? Why are they here? Why are they your hero? And then if you know them if you have the means to reach out to them, or just let them know, do it. You know, just just go do it. You know, if it's your parents, I don't know. One of the things just, you know, you just have to kind of cherish cherish those who you consider your heroes because you never know 2020 has been crazy with with you know, just like those, those role models and heroes kind of passing away. They You know, it happens every year, but I think the biggest thing is, when people are in their prime, they're of their life like Coby like Chadwick Like, you know, all the doctors that have passed away and nurses and everything those people like are in the just the prime of their life, you know, and it's just I think that's what makes it harder when we see them fall. You know when when you have someone who, who passes away due to natural causes. They've lived a good life in you know, it's it's sad but I think the the more tragic ones that makes you really think about man, that's crazy life is not guaranteed and it's just something we can't take for granted. So it's unfortunate that we've lost so many heroes, so many people that have influenced other people and just yeah, it's crazy, but you know, life life goes on and it is what you make of it. So our challenge for you ask yourself who your hero is. Why are they your hero? write them a letter. Go talk to them, cherish them, let them know and think. Who are you a hero to. With that, we'll wrap it up. Transcribed by https://otter.ai