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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - 5:51 pm
Heroes Where are the heroes of today?" a radio talk show host thundered. He blames society's shortcomings on education. Too many people are looking for heroes in all the wrong places. Movie stars and rock musicians, athletes, and models aren't heroes; they're celebrities. Heroes abound in public schools, a fact that doesn't make the news. There is no precedent for the level of violence, drugs, broken homes, child abuse, and crime in today's America. Education didn't create these problems but deals with them every day. You want heroes? Consider Dave Sanders, the schoolteacher shot to death while trying to shield his students from two youths on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Sanders gave his life, along with 12 students, and other less heralded heroes survived the Colorado blood bath. You want heroes? Jane Smith, a Fayetteville, NC teacher, was moved by the plight of one of her students, a boy dying for want of a kidney transplant. So this woman told the family of a 14 year old boy that she would give him one of her kidneys. And she did. When they subsequently appeared together hugging on the Today Show, even Katie Couric was near tears. You want heroes? Doris Dillon dreamed all her life of being a teacher. She not only made it, she was one of those wondrous teachers who could bring the best out of every single child. One of her fellow teachers in San Jose, Calif said, "She could teach a rock to read." Suddenly she was stricken with Lou Gehrig's Disease which is always fatal, usually within five years. She asked to stay on job .. and did. When her voice was affected she communicated by computer. Did she go home? Absolutely not! She is running two elementary school libraries! When the disease was diagnosed, she wrote the staff and all the families that she had one last lesson to teach .... that dying is part of living. Her colleagues named her Teacher of the Year. You want heroes? Bob House, a teacher in Gay, Georgia, tried out for Who Wants to be a Millionaire. After he won the million dollars, a network film crew wanted to follow up to see how it had impacted his life. New cars? Big new house? Instead, they found both Bob House and his wife still teaching. They explained that it was what they had always wanted to do with their lives and that would not change. The community was both stunned and gratified. You want heroes? Last year the average school teacher spent $468 of their own money for student necessities ... workbooks, pencils .. supplies kids had to have but could not afford. That's a lot of money from the pockets of the most poorly paid teachers in the industrial world. Schools don't teach values? The critics are dead wrong. Public education provides more Sunday School teachers than any other profession. The average teacher works more hours in nine months than the average 40-hour employee does in a year. You want heroes? For millions of kids, the hug they get from a teacher is the only hug they will get that day because the nation is living through the worst parenting in history. An Argyle, Texas kindergarten teacher hugs her little 5 and 6 year-olds so much that both the boys and the girls run up and hug her when they see her in the hall, at the football games, or in the malls years later. A Michigan principal moved me to tears with the story of her attempt to rescue a badly abused little boy who doted on a stuffed animal on her desk .. one that said "I love you!" He said he'd never been told that at home. This is a constant in today's society .. two million unwanted, unloved, abused children in the public schools, the only institution that takes them all in. You want heroes? Visit any special education class and watch the miracle of personal interaction, a job so difficult that fellow teachers are awed by the dedication they witness. There is a sentence from an unnamed source which says: "We have been so eager to give our children what we didn't have that we have neglected to give them what we did." What is it that our kids really need? What do they really want? Math, science, history and social studies are important, but children need love, confidence, encouragement, someone to talk to, someone to listen, standards to live by. Teachers provide upright examples, the faith and assurance of responsible people. You want heroes? Then go down to your local school and see our real live heroes the ones changing lives for the better each and every day! TELL US WHO YOUR HEROES ARE!
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - 5:53 pm
You want Heroes? Every single teacher at Valley Oak High School in Napa, California. You made my daughter (who has severe ADHD) love school again. Regular high school was too overwhelming for her, yet she has a genius IQ, she was failing half of her classes in regular high school. She started going to Valley Oak in October. She got all A's on her first report card from there, the first since elementary school when we had her in a small private school.
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Native_texan
Member
08-24-2004
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 9:56 am
Here is a place to find some heroes. If you search for the name "Paul Sanchez" you will find Timothy's obituary and a guestbook. I must warn you that you will need a couple of boxes of tissues. http://legacy.com/Obituaries.asp
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Denecee
Member
09-05-2002
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 10:33 am
I do want Heroes! Landi, what a great thread! I think my heart would break in two if I were a teacher and had to witness all the unloved kids in school. My heart hurts just witnessing bad parenting in public places and I try to give the child a smile of sympathy or even a kind word to the parent helps sometimes. I pledge right now to be kinder to all living beings.
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 10:45 am
My hero of the moment are my sister and BIL who are away at book camp. One on the east coast one on the westcoast. This is the first time in their 6 year relationship that they have been apart for more than a coupld of days. Now they are spending 3 months apart doing some of the most strenuous, emotional, physical, and mental testing anyone will ever go through. And the possibility of going to war is very apparent. While sis may not have to go because of her size, BIL will. Thank god for people who are willing to fight. Thank god for the US Military!
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Zachsmom
Member
07-13-2000
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 11:03 am
note to self, stay away from book camp! and boot camp too Great thread landi.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 11:08 am
There are a lot of folks who I believe are heroes and its a huge topic so I'll think about it and post when I can get my thoughts around it. Great topic BTW! I ready this thread the other day and was moved to tears, landi... Just so you know.
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 11:29 am
LOL @ Zmom! Book camp. Careful, it's tough!
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 1:44 pm
Bump!
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Karen
Member
09-07-2004
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 3:18 pm
I My Mom. Knowing where she came from, and seeing where she is now, she's the only hero and role model I'll ever need. Great thread, landi!!
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 4:12 pm
My hero has always been my dad. There has never been another man like him. He never ever said a bad word about anyone and he was loved by all. He truly lead by example. He rose from his bad childhood, his life in foster homes, and made everyday something that mattered. He was strong of faith and his beliefs. He enjoyed everything in life. And he faced his death with dignity and acceptance. I don't think I'll ever meet another like him and I only hope that I emulate half of what he was.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 4:13 pm
There you go, landi. I also want to say that my heroes have always been cowboys....
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Hermione69
Member
07-24-2002
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 4:24 pm
My mom is my hero. She is most centered person I know and she has the biggest heart. She has lived through a lot in her life. She survived a brutal stabbing in which she was attacked because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she not only managed to escape her attacker but she protected my little brother from harm during the incident. She survived breast cancer and this January celebrated being 5 years cancer free. She almost lost two children-- me to meningitis when I was 4 and my brother to a heart problem when he was in 3rd grade. Her own father, who was HER hero, died of a heart attack when she was pregnant with my older sister. None of us ever got to meet her dad. And through it all she's been strong and amazing and has kept her sense of humor and her joy in life. I feel incredibly lucky to have her as a mom. On a lighter note, I also admire Buffy the Vampire Slayer because she kicks demon ass! 
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Hermione69
Member
07-24-2002
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 4:29 pm
P.S. My mom was a teacher, too. She spent over 30 years in public education and she touched an incredible number of lives. 
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 4:56 pm
My Dad is my hero. Although he and my mother divorced when I was young, and my mother had primary custody, I looked forward to those every-other weekends, before we moved to Florida. We went camping alot, and I enjoyed those times the best. He is a man that has been through alot and is a true stand up guy. When I got in trouble (ok...one of the major times I got into trouble, I know it's hard to believe) and my mother informed me that I was flying out the next day to live with my Father in California, he was at the airport with open arms. It was no picnic, he demanded (and deserved) respect. He made me get a job to pay off my debts and expected good grades! And when the school figured out that I had missed first period for the entire semester and made that phone call, he was standing at the door waiting for me when I got home. We'll say I never did that again! I am his youngest daughter, and he and I have a relationship that is different than what he has with my (half)sisters. I respect that he treats all of us individually and doesn't expect one of us to be like the other. He's been there for my husband when I was rushed into surgery and they thought I wouldn't make it. He has survived cancer three times..prostate, throat and tongue. He will be 74 years old this year, and he still works (at Home Depot). He golfs and is very active. I could go on and on but I'm getting all teary. At 39 (and holding) I'm proud to call him "Daddy"!
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Pashine362
Member
08-20-2005
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 7:05 pm
I have a couple of heroes: First, my heroes are the brave men and women who fight every day to protect our freedom and our lives. The men and women in the military, on the police force, in the fire department. These people put their lives on the line so that me and mine can live the lives that we do. With that said and on a more personal level, I have three other heroes. One is my Mom, my very bestest friend in the whole world who taught me by her actions how to be the kind of woman and mother that I am today. I thank God every day for her quiet love, steady support, and ever-present strength. My second hero is my oldest son, Michael. As some of you know, Michael is bipolar and has struggled since he was 10 years old with this illness. I've seen how many times he has wanted to give up but has persevered through all kinds of difficulties. A young man with a huge heart and a wonderful personality who has always struggled to find his place in this world, to be "normal." In his 23 short years, he has been to the brink of despair and has struggled back. Things that are so easy for most people are such a struggle for him! And lastly, my other son Matthew, who during his 18 years of life has had to deal with his brother's & mother's constant struggle to deal with the devastating effects of his brother's mental illness. Who has always been a rock of strength for his mother when his mother was at her weakest. Who has left home to go to college far away from the familiar. And as a last thought, I admire the many heroes that post here at TVCH. I have read many of your stories and have admired from lurkdom the strength and courage described in these pages. Kudos to each and every one of you! (Okay, I'm done being sappy!)
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 10:36 pm
I'm a puddle of tears ladies! Your stories are so poignant!
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Friday, January 26, 2007 - 12:42 pm
bump!
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Tater
Member
03-19-2003
| Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 12:28 pm
My Heroes are my family and friends. I know it may sound sappy but it is true. They love you unconditionally and would jump through fire to save you. Their shoulders are heavy with their own burdens yet they will offer the same shoulders to bear yours.  
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 3:17 pm
My hero died when my Dad passed away 14 years ago. Its so hard to believe its been that long because I still miss him so much. He was the most wonderful man I've ever met in my life and my hubby is the only man that has ever come close to that. I sure wish they could have known each other.
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Dogdoc
Member
09-29-2001
| Monday, February 05, 2007 - 4:44 am
I have found some heros. Since 6:00 pm last night a Columbia Gas crew has been working to replace gas lines. Did I mention that last night the temperature was 8 degrees. This morning it is minus 2. It is 6:30 am here.Last night when the man came up to check the gas pressure I told him I was sorry he had to work in the cold. He said he was sorry he had to miss the Super Bowl. Thank you guys.
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Marysafan
Member
08-07-2000
| Monday, February 05, 2007 - 9:15 am
This probably isn't what you were looking for, but I've had a hero since I was in the eighth grade. She was the one who showed me that my life could be different from the one that was automatically "assumed" for me. She was my role model when I very much needed a different role model from the one my mother provided. If I knew anything, I knew that I didn't want my mother's life, or my mother's mindset. Fortunately for me this women began making a name for herself when I needed her most. When my mother began to insist that I give up the things I loved most like baseball because girls didn't play baseball, or riding my bike all over town because girls didn't do that either, along came tennis...and Billie Jean King. Every time there was someone telling me that I couldn't do something, there was Billie Jean saying, "Yes. You can." When my mother was telling me to be quiet, Billie Jean was telling me to speak up. When my mother was telling me to stay on the sidelines, Billie Jean was telling me to get in the game. She taught me that it was okay to be a girl who loved sports. It was okay to be me. When my mother would claim that boys wouldn't want to date a girl like me...there was Billie Jean with a husband. And oddly enough there was always a young man at the door or on the phone for me. She taught me that it was okay for a girl to be competitive and to play to win...when my mother would tell me that it wasn't a good thing to beat the boys, that I should "let" them win to build up their confidence. What about my confidence, mom? She taught me that women were treated like second class citizens in this country when not many had the guts to stand up and say that, and if they did were derided for it. If you called a "woman's libber" it wasn't meant as a compliment. She took a lot of abuse from both men and women. Billie Jean taught me that when women banded together in common cause, they could accomplish great things. My mother taught me that when women banded together, it was for soap opera talk and gossipping about the neighbors. Billie Jean got me to think about a woman's right to choose for herself. She taught me about thinking about having the starring role in my life, and not just a supporting role in the life of my husband. That was instrumental in my decision to go back to school. And then Billie Jean taught me it was okay to be gay. When she came out, everyone knew that she was my hero, and still everyone took such delight in telling me the latest joke. When I stood up for my gay friends, it was Billie Jean who taught me that I should. Billie Jean was always at the front of the pack,and ahead of the curve. She took a lot of slings and arrows and busted down a lot of doors so that those of us coming behind her could have an easier time of it. I owe her a lot. Billie Jean showed me that it was okay to have opinions even if not every one agreed with them...and especially if not everyone agreed with them. It doesn't mean they're right, it's just means it's a different opinion. I cannot imagine what kind of life I would have had if Billie Jean had not come along when she did. I just know that I would have been a different person, and that person would not have been me.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Monday, February 05, 2007 - 9:31 am
That is a lovely tribute Mary. Have you ever written her and told her that? I know many celebrities don't read their mail but there is a chance that she might see it.
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Treasure
Member
06-26-2002
| Monday, February 05, 2007 - 9:37 am
Marysafan, I think HEROs come in all forms. Billie Jean King is the best of role models and that makes her a HERO for all time. Such a breath of fresh air for so many women!
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Monday, February 05, 2007 - 9:45 am
marysafan, THAT is truly a hero!
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