For Those who Covet Inspiration

"We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by."
-Will Rogers

This quote has the possibility to strike you in two ways: you can think "That's crazy! Everyone can be a hero" or you can think "Actually, that makes a bit of sense". It is true that everyone can be someone else's hero, but for the most part this exists on a much smaller scale, like a dad idolized by his young son. It is indisputable that "average" or "everyday" people can inspire us all through things like battling cancer, saving a baby from a fire, or investing their time in a worthwhile charitable cause. These "heroes" are certainly out there.

However, I don't believe these are the heroes that Rogers somberly speaks of. He talks of politicians, artists, scholars, and athletes; those who have contributed on a larger scale (in his opinion) to society. There must be those who watch and idolize, rather than take action, in order for heroes to exist. Do you think Che Guevara could have led the Cuban Revolution and become a national hero if he did not have any followers? Certainly not. It is not meant to discourage ambition, but there are people that are meant to lead and people who are meant to follow. We are always preached leadership, but who will we lead if there are no followers. There are people who have become heroes by their own accord; think of Heracles or Tiger Woods. The thing is: if everyone tried completing the Twelve Labours or winning the Masters there would be no spectators, just competitors.

Rogers's quote might come across as negative or discouraging, but I see it merely as an observation of a society that craves the next big thing, someone to insipire them and launch them out of a life of mundaneness, if even for a minute.