Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Superheroes are Us

Down through history the real heroes have always been unsung. Sure, there were always a few that were stronger, smarter, faster, better trained etc. and they sometimes got the credit for being real heroes. But most of these never really felt like heroes because they would have done the same whether anyone recognized them or not.

The latest "hero" is 'Sully' Sullenberger who landed the plane in "Miracle on the Hudson" when Canadian Geese took out both engines on his U.S. Airways passenger plane. Heroes almost always follow this motto, "Be prepared" which is the motto of the Boy Scouts. I have found this to be true also in my life. If you literally prepare for anything at least you have a fighting chance of surviving whatever comes.

I'm sure that we would consider heroes the early soldiers in Iraq who on their own got 1 inch to 3 inch thick metal sheets and reinforced the armor on their humvees on the sides and underneath so they might survive a bombing or other suicide attack or cell phone remote controlled roadside bombing.

And down through the centuries all the technological innovations that won wars, new strategies etc. and all the people who thought of these things that actually won wars have to be seen as heroes. Likewise great thinkers, designers, engineers, and tinkers, idea men and women etc. are all unsung superheroes. Look at Henry Ford for example, who first mass produced cars. And look at those who started mass producing guns with interchangeable parts even before Ford. Mass production of devices with interchangeable parts changed completely the way we live and allowed the average person to actually own a car, toaster, oven, washing machine, and Microwave oven etc.

All the inventers of all these things were in their own right superheroes. Ideas, inventions, innovations, and whole new ways of thinking and acting which allow civilization to move forward and to survive at all and all of us are the superheroes mostly unsung that have made it all happen.

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