In these times of people searching for hero’s it’s too bad that people don’t or can’t look in their own homes. My hero is my Dad. And even though I haven’t talked to him in over 37 years I still think about him just about everyday.
Dear Dad:
You may not have been aware of the impact you had on me but it was huge and some of the things I observed and experienced years ago are still with me.
I remember you coming home from work as a carpenter. You were worn out but you still had a smile on your face. And I remember looking at your forearms. They were huge! Like tree trunks.
I remember you taking me fishing and you finding the “hot” spots and then calling me over to try my luck as you went to find another spot.
I remember all the volunteer work you did for the church and friends using your carpenter talents.
I remember all the friends you had. Your pleasant smile made people feel good about themselves when they were around you.
I remember that “feel” that our home had of honesty, integrity, always doing the right thing.
And it always amazed me how your work ethic followed you years after you were gone. For many years people who tell me how my dad worked like 2 or 3 not one and that he was the best carpenter they had ever known.
In closing I would like to thank you for sending my father-in-law Harold around along with my boss Peter G. You put some good subs in!
See you around. Love, your son, Walter Marvin

Comment by Walt Kotecki on 1/15/2006 @ 10:11 am

To me, a hero is someone you look up to. Growing up, I looked up to my older brother Cory. We were both in a performance group together and he was such a fantastic performer, while having a hilarious sense of humor and putting a smile on the faces of those around him. I’m going now to write him a letter.

Comment by Jaimie on 1/15/2006 @ 7:14 pm

To me, a hero is someone who helps to encourage you, to inspire you to believe in yourself and in your dreams - and someone whom you admire in return. I’m going to write my letter to Mrs. Townsend, one of my high school teachers, who was a wonderful mentor and confidante while I was in high school - and with whom I am blessed to have a wonderful friendship! Thanks, Mrs. T, for always seeing my “greatness”, and helping me to see it too!

Comment by Marci on 1/15/2006 @ 10:09 pm

One of the things I loved most as a kid was reading. And while I read just about every kind of story, there were a couple of series that I was particularly fond of - Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon Mysteries. So I sat down tonight and wrote a letter to each of the authors. While there have been many writers for the series through the years, both the original authors have since died. I think I might share the letters to the publishers of the series. As I was writing I was remembering and I found myself totally back to that 8, 10, 13 year old girl who lost herself in these adventures. I need to find those books again

Comment by Jenna on 1/16/2006 @ 12:44 am

I’m going to copy Jenna for this one and write to Richard Bach, author of my all-time favourite book Jonathan Livingstone Seagull.

I picked up the book in secondary (high) school because I just needed a book for a class project, and quickly fell in love with it. So, I’m going to write to Mr Bach to thank him for writing such an awesome and inspiring book.

Comment by Alex on 1/16/2006 @ 9:16 am

[...] Dreary-ness, that begins with ‘D’. The twelfth task: Write a letter to a childhood hero (real or fictional).My childhood hero is a friend of mine, Albion Clarke. I met Alby when I was about 11, and he was a great role model for me through high school and we were good friends for a few years after that. However he hit some rough times a little while ago and I no longer have active contact details for him, so I’m writing this in public in the hope that he does an ego-search on google and sees it one day . [...]

Pingback by The Rodeo » Blog Archive » Dear Hero (T.G.E. - Part 12 of 40) on 1/17/2006 @ 4:02 am

I wrote a letter to an old friend who I haven’t seen for a while.

Comment by Ian Tyrrell on 1/17/2006 @ 4:05 am

[...] The Challenge: Call or meet with someone in your family and ask them a question you are curious about regarding your family’s history. Kim:My original plan was to call my oldest sister who lives in TX. I soon found out that she has been blessed by a visit from the flu bug and was in bed. Plan B worked just fine, as my original questions involved my brother-in-law also. So this gave me the chance to pick his brain a bit, which I don’t often have the opportunity to do. He and my sister have been married for over ten years and in their early days they lived on Ramen noodles in their small apartment, as they tried to build Gene’s business. Jason and I really look up to their accomplishments and appreciate the sacrifices they made early on to help to get them where they are today. (There is no such thing as an overnight success.) I asked him to tell me about the biggest challenges they had in those early days and what helped them get through it all. He told me some things that I hadn’t heard before. Knowing that Jason and I are still in our “early days” it was inspiring to hear what got them through it. I think sometimes pride gets in our way of asking others about their struggles and successes. We feel like we have to pretend we already have it all figured out. This challenge reminded me that there is so much I can learn from those around me. My brother-in-law’s golden nugget advice was to stay focused and enjoy the little things!   Jason: My Dad’s letter from Challenge #12 inspired me on this one. (Yes, for those of you wondering, football free throw shooting Walt is indeed my father.) He wrote about his dad, my grandfather, and it occurred to me just how little I know about him. In fact, the first time I ever saw a picture of him was quite recently. His name was Walter, and he passed away when he was about 50; my dad was still pretty young. [...]

Pingback by The Escape Plan » #16: Family Tree Trivia on 1/18/2006 @ 9:46 pm