The Heroes Around Us
May 10th, 2010 by Ana Scherer
Last week I’ve heard a very touching story. As most of you know, there was a major earthquake in the north-west province of Qinghai. In spite of all the progress and wealth China has been accumulating, the rural areas such as this province are extremely poor. A friend told me that she knew of a man, a truck driver from Hong Kong, who decided to go to this province and help. When the earthquake hit, he was there. He went inside a school and saved a few people before he succumbed to his death when another unexpected shock hit. The Hong Kong government offered to bury him in the official plot with all the honors of a statesman. His family refused. They said that they are humble and want to be all buried in the same humble place together. Besides, what he was doing, they said, was simply what their family did for generations. They never had much and helped those who had even less.
Now, showing off is big in this town as it is in any other money driven place in the world. Here is a family that said no to that; they didn’t want to show off their good deeds. To me this man was a hero. A quiet hero who drove a truck and moved vegetables from one place to another and who was moved by the suffering of other people he didn’t even know. He did something about it and served others to the best of his abilities.
Like him, there are many others who go about their every day lives cleaning streets, selling pizzas, handing us our coffee, teaching, and taking the time to perform extraordinary acts of kindness. They go by unacknowledged and uncelebrated. Not that they seek that. They are happy knowing that someone has something to eat, shelter for the night, clothes on their back because they followed their call to be of service.
Look for the heroes around you. Get inspired by their stories and follow their example! Make sure you help others when you have a chance without expecting anything back; recognition, fame, whatever. Just follow your instincts and be fully engaged in the process of being of service. I know you can!
With energy,
Ana