Speech for Amy Pounders
Acknowledgment:
Thank you Mr. Scott, and thank you for having me today.
I’d like to begin by giving you all a statement given by Miss Debi Mazar (Ma-zar):
“A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit; someone who just tries to
give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people
and who really deeply cares.”
Miss Mazar (Ma-zar) said that, to her, a hero is someone who saves people. However, saving
someone can mean so much more than just pulling a car off of them or dragging them out of a
burning building. To save someone can mean to keep them from sadness, comfort them in times of
grief, and be their rock when their world seems to be crumbling right before their eyes.
Everyone has an image of what a hero should be. Often, when people hear the word hero
they tend to think of superheroes from classic comics, a favorite athlete, or celebrities like Charlie
Sheen, but hey, everyone has the right to their own opinion.*chuckles*
To me, though, a hero doesn’t need a famous title or be well known. To be a hero in my
book, one needs to be a strong, confident, and fearless leader. This individual should also have the
ability to put others before themself, as well as inspire the lives of those around them.
Now, when I say someone needs to be strong and fearless, I don’t mean to say that they can’t
be afraid of anything. Everyone is scared of something.
Being strong doesn’t necessarily mean that you can lift a semi-truck with one hand. When I
say that someone needs to be strong and fearless, I am simply watching to see how the person reacts
when faced with a tough situation. I expect them to approach the situation proactively and with a
clear mind, like my grandmother, for example.
As a single mother she managed to raise three boys by herself. Being a single parent is hard,
a parent of three boys, no less. Now throw-in working multiple jobs and being completely involved
in each of her sons’ lives, and life gets a little bit harder. She was at every PTA meeting, as well as
cheering her boys on at their football and baseball games. For a while, my grandmother didn’t have
a car, but she managed to get to her jobs as well as get her sons to where they needed to be.
In spite of all the obstacles my grandmother faced she was able to overcome them without
complaining or giving up, and was confident enough that she could handle any curveballs life chose
to throw at her. Andrew Bernstein (burn-stine) once said, “nothing is given to man on earth. Struggle
is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible. The hero is the one who lets no obstacle
prevent him from pursuing the values they have chosen.”
The next step in becoming heroic is having the ability to put others’ needs before yours, as
my father does. When we are born we inherit many genetic traits from our parents, and as we grow
we take-on some of their characteristics. My father followed in my grandmother’s footsteps by
modeling many of her heroic qualities. He worked hard to give his children everything he never had
or got to experience. He always strived to put us, our mother, and other people before himself at any
cost. I look to my father when it comes to this quality of being a hero. I believe if more people tookon these values selflessness, even if it’s only once in a while, the world would be a much better
place.
I really do see my father as a superhero. He has always come to the rescue to save me in
times of need. From little things, like catching me when I was falling of my bike the first time I rode
without training wheels, to bigger instances like coming to get me when a driver ran into my car from
behind and sped off, my father has always been there. One story that sticks out in my mind with my
dad “saving the day,” was when I got a nasty voicemail from an ex-boyfriend. He and I remained
friends for a while, but had a falling out soon after. In the voicemail, he called me the “scum that
walked the earth,” along with other vulgar comments. Even though I was a 19-year-old in college,
what society considered an adult, my dad still came to my rescue. He drove right over to the guy’s
house and told him very calmly that if he ever talked to his daughter like that again, he would be sure
to make his life a living hell. He wasn’t a knight in shining armor; he was my hero in a blue Toyota
Tundra.
The third, and one of the most important qualities of being a hero, is being able to inspire and
make a difference in the lives of the people that surround them. This could be as simple as giving a
little bit of your time, or always being available to those who need you. Be a good listener and give
advice when it’s needed. Be nice to those that everyone else has deemed, ‘the outcasts.’ It doesn’t
take much to make a difference in someone’s life. Sometimes, all they may need is a kind word. My
grandmother and father have been an inspiration not only in my life, but many others’ lives as well.
You don’t need a cape, a badge, muscles, or a famous name to be a hero. If you’re a strong,
confident, fearless leader; if you can put others before yourself; and if you can be an inspiration to
the people around you, you’re a hero in my book. With that said, I hope you all have gained a new
perspective on what it takes to earn this title.