My Hero.

I was walking down the hall of the Jr. High I am teaching at the other morning, and someone was instructing my students of a new assignment: research, and write about your hero... I remember having a such an assignment proposed to me.

I was 6 and sitting in the 5th row from the back of Ms. Gianninni's first grade classroom. Wiggling anxiously in my desk, we were instructed to draw someone we admired. I remember pulling out my Crayola 12-pack of colored pencils and putting my head on the desk with a pink eraser, nervous to capture the essence of my hero. about half-way through the assignment, I remember looking at the desks around me, and seeing caped crusaders and hollywood starlets. I scratched nervously at my eczema on the back of my leg as I colored in the last line of what might have otherwise been an unorthodox type of hero. He had no cape, glamourous mike stand, or even an interesting Mask or Hat. I never thought twice as my juvenile hand created an oval shaped head, big ears, squares glasses, a red plaid print shirt with two pockets, two mechanical pencils, blue pants, and big brown shoes.

Upon first glance, one might HARDLY peg my grandfather as a super hero. A soft-spoken man in his late 70's, has done more with a soft-spoken demeanor, bachelor's degree, firm handshake, and can-do attitude than anyone else I can think of (and trust me, I have been asked to think of better... I just can't do it).

This is a big year for my hero. He turns 80. He will be knighted into a Service group, and he is receiving a character award from the boy scouts, another organization he has held very near and dear to him. And not only is he receiving this award, but he has asked me to speak for him on his behalf. At first, this was no big deal, I do public speaking and entertaining all the time, but when I learned he only selected 3 people to speak and I was one, I suddenly got very nervous. My first thought was "why me?" What about one of the SCU alums? ya know, the business/engineer school, in and out in 4 year one's? Why on earth are you choosing the State school, liberal artist, hardly-made-it-out-in-6 year grandkids? I felt like the Queen of England had invited me to tea. Twyla Tharp had called and asked me to choreograph a piece with her... Batman was calling to tell me the comissioner had been laid off and I needed to step in....

And now with the interview less than a week away I am starting to get nervous... How do I sum up the awesomeness to Gramps into a clean, 20-30 minute Q & A? In a way I feel words are very contradictory for my grandfather? As a man of action, he hardly said goodbye when he hung up the phone. My grandfather never sat me on his knee and TOLD me about what to do and not do, say and not say (that was grandma's department), be or not be. Instead he sat me next to him and showed me what I believe to be the most important lesson of them all: compassion. He showed me how to treat people, modeled respect, & was always consistent.

In my generation, our society and internet age has given us an "instant gratification" complex. Well, as I won't draw any caped super heros, I will try also to exercise my patients (impatience is a trait that my grandfather DID hand me down) and I strive everyday when I see my peers getting awards and affirmations for things they do now not to be jealous. I remember it is not yet my time. I think of Papa and how he never settled for 15 minutes of fame. He was holding out for those lifetime achievements. And if I could get HALF as far as he did, I will be lucky.

And I hope that I don't say anything wrong next week in interview....