three american heroes from bsu
As regular visitors to this blog know, I graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. My 3 best friends on this earth were guys I met at BSU, and the four of us lived together for one unbelievable year in a wretched little hovel north of campus during my 4th year in Muncie (I was on the 5-year plan). We were young and dumb, majored in pizza/beer/women (not necessarily in that order) and were really quite the wild bunch during our time at BSU. The hut we lived in (we thought it was a castle) became a university legend that year!
I say all that to provide context for what I'm going to say next. My three amigos, today in 2007, are absolute American heroes, and I want you to know about them and their heroism, in light of what I wrote in my previous post.
"Rock" is the first hero. After graduation, Rock had a couple of jobs before landing on the fast-track for a national corporation. He quickly climbed the corporate ladder and ended up with the stereotypical fabulous corporate executive position. He got married and had 3 kids. Today, two of his kids are in high school and one is in 2nd grade. The job called for long hours, but he worked just as hard to be a good father and husband.
Two weeks ago, his boss told him that he had to transfer to Alabama. Rock was not happy about this, because he has had to uproot his family before, and it's hard on the kids. Rock told the boss that, with two kids in high school, he just couldn't do that to his family anymore and that he would have to refuse the transfer, no matter what the consequences. Well, he got canned. No more job. Rock is a smart guy, and he has always had the unique ability to land on his feet, no matter what happens, so this will work out. My point is that Rock looked at the situation and recognized that moving his family would damage his family. He "took one for the team" because he is devoted to his family, and that makes him a hero in my book. There's not a lot of guys out there who would do that for their family.
Hero #2 is "Mario." He's my Indy 500 buddy. After graduation, Mario became an accountant, met a great lady and got married. After several years of marriage they decided to adopt a baby girl. The baby's biological mother was 17 and unemployed, and the biological father was 17 and invisible. Not a good situation! Mario and his wife adopted the girl and provided her with a loving stable family.
Tragedy struck when Mario's wife became ill soon after the adoption and, after fighting for almost a full year, passed away. Mario, with the help of his extended family and friends, held things together and maintained a healthy, happy home for his daughter. He soon met another fabulous lady who has two daughters from a previous marriage, and they married. Today, Mario is leading a "blended" family, he is being a loving and devoted father to three girls whose biological fathers were terrible, and he is a loving and devoted husband to a wonderful lady whose first husband was a jerk. That is so hard, to successfully lead a blended family, but Mario is a hero and heroes specialize in the difficult tasks. That's why they're called heroes!
Hero #3 is "Garvey." My man Garvey has a great wife and two beautiful kids, and he is a terrific dad. There's no big story to tell here-- no drama to report. Garvey goes to work each and every day to support his family. He comes home and is an active participant in the raising of his children. He loves and honors his wife, he loves and lovingly disciplines his children, he teaches them through words and actions to love God, and he is a heroic leader of his family. Why is he a hero? Because most American men won't/don't do what Garvey does. Garvey, unfortunately, is the exception, and he is exceptional. He is a hero.
When the four of us were getting drunk and chasing skirts at BSU, we were anything but "heroes." We have grown over the last quarter of a century, though, and I am proud to know these guys. It is not an exaggeration to call my 3 buddies heroes. I am honored to be able to call them my friends, and I hold them up as role models for other men who seek to become the heroes our country so desperately needs.
I say all that to provide context for what I'm going to say next. My three amigos, today in 2007, are absolute American heroes, and I want you to know about them and their heroism, in light of what I wrote in my previous post.
"Rock" is the first hero. After graduation, Rock had a couple of jobs before landing on the fast-track for a national corporation. He quickly climbed the corporate ladder and ended up with the stereotypical fabulous corporate executive position. He got married and had 3 kids. Today, two of his kids are in high school and one is in 2nd grade. The job called for long hours, but he worked just as hard to be a good father and husband.
Two weeks ago, his boss told him that he had to transfer to Alabama. Rock was not happy about this, because he has had to uproot his family before, and it's hard on the kids. Rock told the boss that, with two kids in high school, he just couldn't do that to his family anymore and that he would have to refuse the transfer, no matter what the consequences. Well, he got canned. No more job. Rock is a smart guy, and he has always had the unique ability to land on his feet, no matter what happens, so this will work out. My point is that Rock looked at the situation and recognized that moving his family would damage his family. He "took one for the team" because he is devoted to his family, and that makes him a hero in my book. There's not a lot of guys out there who would do that for their family.
Hero #2 is "Mario." He's my Indy 500 buddy. After graduation, Mario became an accountant, met a great lady and got married. After several years of marriage they decided to adopt a baby girl. The baby's biological mother was 17 and unemployed, and the biological father was 17 and invisible. Not a good situation! Mario and his wife adopted the girl and provided her with a loving stable family.
Tragedy struck when Mario's wife became ill soon after the adoption and, after fighting for almost a full year, passed away. Mario, with the help of his extended family and friends, held things together and maintained a healthy, happy home for his daughter. He soon met another fabulous lady who has two daughters from a previous marriage, and they married. Today, Mario is leading a "blended" family, he is being a loving and devoted father to three girls whose biological fathers were terrible, and he is a loving and devoted husband to a wonderful lady whose first husband was a jerk. That is so hard, to successfully lead a blended family, but Mario is a hero and heroes specialize in the difficult tasks. That's why they're called heroes!
Hero #3 is "Garvey." My man Garvey has a great wife and two beautiful kids, and he is a terrific dad. There's no big story to tell here-- no drama to report. Garvey goes to work each and every day to support his family. He comes home and is an active participant in the raising of his children. He loves and honors his wife, he loves and lovingly disciplines his children, he teaches them through words and actions to love God, and he is a heroic leader of his family. Why is he a hero? Because most American men won't/don't do what Garvey does. Garvey, unfortunately, is the exception, and he is exceptional. He is a hero.
When the four of us were getting drunk and chasing skirts at BSU, we were anything but "heroes." We have grown over the last quarter of a century, though, and I am proud to know these guys. It is not an exaggeration to call my 3 buddies heroes. I am honored to be able to call them my friends, and I hold them up as role models for other men who seek to become the heroes our country so desperately needs.
posted by hondo at 11:45 PM
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