[thenightwriterblog] The Night Writer: We can be heroes

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Posted by The Night Writer:
We can be heroes
http://thenightwriterblog.powerblogs.com/posts/1171383480.shtml


                   "We can be Heroes, just for one day."
                               -- David Bowie

   Last month I had a [1]short post on this blog about a man in New York
   who jumped onto the subway tracks to save a stranger's life. In that
   post I described the Carnegie Hero Medal; this story led to a series
   of posts by me on another blog ([2]here, [3]here and [4]here) on the
   nature of heroism and its roots in our day-to-day lives. One of the
   things that has stood out for me is that the Carnegie folks have found
   a common response in many of the people who survived their act of
   heroism and received an award: a belief that God or Jesus would have
   wanted them to do what they did.
   I was reminded of this in today's [5]St. Paul Pioneer Press:

     "God was the one who helped me make my decision," said Carrera, 46,
     of South St. Paul. "I took it upon myself to help stop the guy in
     the van."

   David Carrera is the man who used his own vehicle and driving skills
   on January 28 to force another driver -- who had struck a young girl
   with his van and was dragging her down the street -- to stop his car,
   saving (so far) the little girl's life.

     He said he did what everyone should do: Pay attention and help each
     other. "I would have done it for anybody else," he said.
     His wife, who was a passenger during the chase, said the couple
     really had no other option.
     "I don't think it's a really big deal," Antonia Carrera said. "We
     had the opportunity to make a difference in somebody's life. I
     think it's everybody's responsibility to watch out for each other.
     Not to preach, but just try to do the right thing."

   Carrera didn't go to that intersection looking to be a hero. Something
   happened, however, and he reacted. His sense of responsibility didn't
   end after the initial event, either. He and his family have gone
   regularly to Regions Hospital in St. Paul to visit the 10-year-old
   girl, Gladys Reyes, and her family. Gladys remains in critical
   condition in the burn unit and has already had several surgeries,
   including one to amputate her right arm.
   I strongly believe that your outlook on life, and the way you live
   your life, are things that you choose and this becomes ingrained in
   you and makes it easier for you to act on a moment's notice in an
   extreme need without having to ponder or debate the "right" thing to
   do. For David Carrera and his family the response was both immediate
   and ongoing. As for the rest of us, we weren't at the scene (though I
   could have been, as it happened at an intersection near my home that I
   drive through several times a week), but we might still play a part.
   Gladys Reyes' family has no medical insurance, and her parents are
   struggling financially. Contributions can be made at any US Bank
   branch office, or mail a check or money-order (sorry, no on-line
   capability) to:
   US Bank - West St. Paul
   1493 South Robert St.
   West St. Paul, MN 55118
   Attn: Heritage Middle School's Gladys Reyes Benefit Account

References

   1. http://thenightwriterblog.powerblogs.com/posts/1167970770.shtml
   2. http://solidrockmin.blogspot.com/2007/01/i-had-post-on-another-blog-about-wesley.html
   3. http://solidrockmin.blogspot.com/2007/01/heroes-ii.html
   4. http://solidrockmin.blogspot.com/2007/01/heroes-iii-are-you-ready-for-destiny.html
   5. http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/16684562.htm