My Heroes, to the rescue...
On dictionary.com, you can look up the word celebrity and you will read: a famous or well-known person. You can look up the word hero on that same site and you will read:
a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model. These are two very different titles but I am sure some have considered there hero to be a celebrity and vice versa.
As a child I loved every Disney princess character that had been created. My favorite was Cinderella, but nothing can really compare to my infatuation with wanting to be a real princess. Growing up I adored everything about Princess Diana. I found her to be so poised and beautiful and she was everything a hero was to me. I didn't quite understand the role of "princess" but all I knew was that she was this famous woman who lived a life of great luxury. I was always intrigued with her entire families lives but considered her my hero and I aspired to be just like her. She was always on the news for her philanthropy positions and making public appearances and I wanted to live her life. Not only was she a kind and caring woman but strong and stood up to so many who doubted her? Honestly, I was most intrigued with the glamorous lifestyle: the tiara at special events, the gowns, and the jewels, and the thousands that adored over her.
I remember the day I heard on the news that she was killed in a car accident and I felt very sad but didn't quiet have the reaction I thought I would. At this time I was quickly growing out of the princess stage and was more concerned with jr. high dances and trying to belong to the "in crowd." At this time in my life I was evolving into a teen that just wanted to belong. Trying to belong to this popular crowd meant being obsessed with the Spice Girls and using them as our personal fashion guides, which my mother quickly set straight! We also had arguments over who the biggest Leonardo DiCaprio fan was and argued over how many times we had seen titanic in the movie theater. My personal count, three. I was struggling at this time with who my true friends were but I somewhat relied on these celebrities to save me, so to speak, and be my personal heroes to get me through jr. high.
As I entered high school, my priorities and goals started to change yet again. I no longer cared to be part of the cool girls group and just wanted to make it through high school as a happy teen. I found my art and photography classes to be a real inspiration for me. I only enjoyed going to school for these reasons and it allowed me to stay sane and make it through these four tough years. During my freshman art history class I discovered several art heroes for me. I loved their stories of struggles and accomplishments and they really inspired me.
Many artists stood out as inspiration and heroes but one painter in particular really seem to impress me, Claude Monet. His story of a rough childhood and his mother dying when he was only a teen himself really helped me see that if you have dreams you need to work the hardest to achieve them. He showed his beauty and passion through his impeccable work and one day I hope to enjoy an original. Now that’s a big goal! For now a print, of a very recognizable painting named The Poppy Field, sits on my bedside table to remind me of the hero that got me through all of those tough teenage days.
As I continue to get older and wiser I find that my personal heroes are those that push me for the better everyday of my life and always have. My mom, who has supported me physically, emotionally, and mentally since the day I was born is my hero. My grandparents, who celebrated their 55th anniversary this year and continue to share all of their love with ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren, are my heroes. My boyfriend, who I met during those hard teen days in high school I mentioned earlier, is my hero. After several years he is still my best friend and my number one supporter. It is so important to have a hero, and even though The Spice Girls and Leo have nothing on these real heroes, they helped me survive and guide me through hard times growing up, just as Princess Diana and Monet did.
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