What is a hero?

I mentioned in my previous blog that Tony was my hero.

(pic from SHR website)

I’ve been asked numerous times since than what exactly makes him my hero? At the beginning of the year I would have looked at you and said that I wasn’t sure. I think we create heroes when we need them the most. Heroes seem to serve a psychological purpose to help motivate and inspire us to bigger and better things. Even my hero has a hero and he’s stated it many times. I would like to ask him someday what makes AJ Foyt his hero. Maybe I will get that chance.

According to the dictionary, a hero is:

1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal
4. Classical Mythology .
a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
b. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.

I can easily place Tony into the Homeric period definition: a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability. From one perspective, he is both warrior and chieftain (driver and owner) and it takes a tremendous amount of courage to get into that race car and yes, drive fast and turn left! You must have the ability and if you have ever seen that man drive a dirt car (any kind) you’ll know what I’m talking about. The man has the ABILITY, STRENGTH and COURAGE to successfully drive anything with four wheels. I went to my first Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway this past June 2012. I know he can drive but until you’ve seen him flying around that ½ mile dirt track, you have not seen his pure talent. It’s never a good idea to open your mouth during a green flag run and let’s just say I ended up with a mouth full of dirt as my chin hit the ground at a certain move he made on the track at the end of the night.

From another perspective, his occasional cocky arrogance and self-confidence is a huge turn on but combine that with his philanthropic tendencies, homeboy (particularly now that he’s older and more mature) looks and the softer (less public) sides of his personality; you have a fine human being. A man any woman would be proud to know.

But that’s not what made him MY hero. These definitions are easily understood by everyone else and these reasons are universally accepted, but that is not why I’ve placed him on a pedestal. And yes, take note; WE place heroes on a pedestal. They don’t usually ask to be there, but we put them there.

So why is Tony on a pedestal or better yet, why have I placed Tony on a pedestal?

It’s very simple.

He is living and succeeding at a life that I can only dream about and he has struggled with relationships just as I have. Although observations suggest he’s found a partner now, he’s still a few years older than me and unmarried. I found a kindred soul to look up to and one who can provide me with the ability to still hold out hope that life hasn’t ditched me along the way. I can believe that my hard work and diligence will pay off in the end because so far it has for him so why not me?

Yes, I find him extremely sexy with his salt n’ pepper hair, that crazy smirk of his and those big brown eyes, but…

Please don’t mistake this as a crazy fan that lusts after him with these unrealistic expectations that he’ll fall madly in love with me! I do have self-respect and common sense unlike some other people I know! Plus, I proved that to myself by not having any problems talking to him last Sunday. I wasn’t nervous and I was able to articulate everything. That does not sound like someone who is infatuated with the man, but I digress so back to the main issue.

A hero should be someone who has attained a status that we are striving to achieve ourselves. I want to work in NASCAR and he most certainly is part of the sport! I want to help people and I love to volunteer. Tony most certainly does and to see him giving back to those that need it gives me the drive to keep at it myself! I want to make a difference and to the thousands of fans that follow Tony every week, he has made a difference in their lives by giving them a distraction and giving them something to cheer for and have hope for!

HOPE


A small four letter word that is to me the most powerful word ever created. It is the most powerful emotion.



With hope, we learn to fly.

With hope, we dream big.

With hope, we strive to be the best we can be at everything.

But, without hope, life is dull, meaningless and boring.

So I think a hero is someone who gives us hope. Tony gives me HOPE in ways in which you will never understand because I am still trying to comprehend them myself. He gives me the strength to keep going when the going gets tough and the strength to keep striving to achieve my dreams. He isn’t intentionally doing this, he doesn’t know me but I know him and I choose to place him on that pedestal where he can be a strong beacon of hope and keep me going when all I want to do is curl up in a hole and let life pass me by.

While writing this it suddenly dawns on me why I became so angry as he talked of dying on Sunday. The rational side of my emotions should have known he was only using it as a means to get a point across, but the irrational and selfish side of me was horrified to think he could die. My heroes are immortal (at least I want them to be). An immortal hero will never leave you; you will leave them when the time is right.

So, Tony, I still need you as my hero so drive fast, but be safe!