Academy of Applied Science

SPARKS:2001

Who is Your Hero? We've Found Ours
by Don Kelly, Chief Executive Officer

Ever wonder about today's heroes? Who are they; where are they? Maybe they're everywhere, if we are to believe what we read. On the other hand, maybe they are rare indeed.

Today's morning newspaper heralds the exploits of three such "heroes." Front page, above the fold, is a report of the outcome of negotiations involving yet another corporate merger." One word grabs my eye as the reporter's account credits one of the players: "and (he) came through clearly as the hero of the deal." Turning to sports, there's that word again. This time it accompanies a stop-action photo of a local high school ball player in his dramatic slide against a catcher's outreached glove. "Safe at home, hero avoids tag," reads the caption. And over in the Style Section a TV column reports on a "Best Movie Stunt Awards" program, quoting a "stunt-double's" salute to his famous actor counterpart: "Arnie's our true hero for pushing our craft to ever higher levels."

Pardon me. Stars, perhaps, but hardly heroes. I'm thinking of people the likes of Rosa Parks, or those brave souls rushing the beaches at Normandy. I'm looking for Mother Theresa, even Winston Churchill. You know the ones. We want grace under pressure, courage under fire, risk takinggritguts. Certainly not fleet-footed athletes nor fleet-tongued corporate negotiatorsand surely not beefcake movie stars relying on stunt stand-ins for Hollywood heroics.

All this made for a stimulating water-cooler discussion, as my Academy colleagues and I reflected on the meaning of the word "hero" and its proper place in our lexicon. As we shared our thoughts on the qualities of people who would give their all to a belief, an allegiance, a hope or a dreamwho would risk their reputations, their well-being, their last possessions, one of my office-mates placed her hand on a poster thumb-tacked to the door.

"Just like these guys," she said. Looking at the words proclaiming "NATIONAL INVENTORS' MONTH," we smiled and realized we had work to do. We have heroes to support.

?

?

?

?

?

?