Who is an Everyday Hero?
Last
December, my girlfriends and I went on our annual Christmas getaway. We ate a
great food and checked out historical homes decorated for the holidays.
After
we returned to our rooms and put on our comfy jammies, we exchanged gifts and
then, chatted about stuff. All kinds of stuff. This time, the topic turned to handsome
hunky heroes.
Yeah,
we went through all the normal attributes heroes are perceived to be, like
firefighters and policemen, military, etc. Out of nowhere, I added, "My
heroes are handymen--plumbers, carpenters, and fixer-uppers like the guys on
HGTV."
Needless
to say, hysterics took over us.
But it's the truth. Nowadays, we'd rather have
someone who could clean the pipes, patch a hole in the wall, fix a light
fixture, and keep our computer running. Those are real
men.
The
giggles continued on when we began discussing the HGTV hosts that rock our
world. And we did wonder if they were as helpful at home as they appear to be
on television. LOL
I
tend to write about everyday heroes in my sweet meet stories. Chances are we encounter
them in real life over a Navy Seal or Army Ranger. The lawyer who volunteers to
run a Christmas tree stand. The accountant who helps someone figure out how to
fund a business. The restaurateur who provides jobs and helps the local animal
shelter. The store owner who wants to help his sick dad have a wonderful, last
Christmas. The architect taking over his mom's business when she retires. The schoolteacher who coaches a team. The pilot
donating a kidney.
These people
don't--usually--risk life and limb; they are the unsung guys and gals who keep us going
every day. Just normal average Joes and Josiephines. Those
small things they do are truly heroic.
BTW,
did I mention the electrician is a fireman? LOLOL
What kind of hero
do you like to read about? Who are your heroes?
Coming February 1, Bug Stuff...and other stories. Not all heroes are guys, you know.
Amazon Website
23 comments:
My everyday hero is IT technical support - both toll free lines and friends/family that support my continued ignorance...because lord knows I'd never be able to function without them!
Hi, Kelly! This could sound flufflish; however, we have been in binds, when something is critical in our work and only the IT person can save the day. The relief is so welcomed when they finish.
My hero for today? Roger, my plumber friend of... well, a long time.
I love those hunky biker-looking dudes who work for the Humane Society of the U.S. who save the dogs and cats who are abused at puppy mills and such.
Hi Vicki,
Great post. My dad was a guy who could fix anything. Things around the house, cars, whatever. And I married a guy who is the same way. I'm so spoiled. I'm like standing there telling Robert that my dryer is out and he says, "I'll look at it later." My reply, "But I'm holding wet clothes." And it somehow magically gets fixed. So I'm partial to hands on heroes.
Hi, Patti! Those are great heroes. There are many kinds of heroes out there and they are often looked over. I'm so glad you mentioned your group.
Hi, Pam! My dad is the same as your dad and hubby. I rarely remember a plumber or electrician coming over. I did try Handsome today because the water heaters aren't heating; but he's in Las Vegas and can't exactly run home. So my friend is called again. lol
Oh, wow, what a great post! We do tend to make our heroes larger than life, when the real heroes are the ones we pick up and call when we're in trouble... says she who called my plumber when the furnace quit last week. I certainly wouldn't have called a cop!
As a matter of fact in The Past Came Hunting my police lieutenant acknowledges that when the heroine walks up to him with a microwave box -- if she thinks I can fix that, boy, has she come to the wrong person :) Fortunately, a .357 Magnum was inside!
Great post, Vicki! xxoo
Hi Vicki,
I love your post!! I'm a lucky woman whose husband thinks he's a handyman. Most of the time he does a great job but occasionally I want to say to him, "Just call someone!" But I love the heroes in your books because they're such nice guys. I always have the bad boys who need to be changed and reformed in my books and sometimes even I get tired of reforming them.
Mine is my plumber. So funny that you wrote this post. We must think alike.
Hi, Donnell! With the cops, firemen, and military guys, there is built-in danger. Then why can't the architect give up his big city career for his mother's store? Doesn't that scenario hit a sweet spot?
BTW, the pilot donating a kidney is for real.
I love your example about the gun in the microwave box. Thanks, honey.
Hi, Sylvia! Well thanks for liking my nice guys, but not always is nice so great as all will find out when Temporarily Employed comes out. lol
Handsome tries too. And his fixes always involve lots of trips to Home Depot. Hmmm
Hi, Janie! We both have crazy humor and maybe that's why. Before we renovated this house, my plumber friend was over here all the time--crazy faucets, valves, pipes. My home is 66 years old. Then we fixed her up and all has gone pretty well until last week and an outside faucet blew due to frigid temps. He came. I'm so grateful.
And yes, OMG I almost forgot, am grateful to Mr. Mailman who called the city when he saw the waterworks.
I agree about everyday heroes! I am in love with the guys on HGTV, The twins- the Scott Brothers are two of a kind. The jokes are snarky but they are so nice. I read that the construction Scott was married previously and while he is great about fixing up things, I'm sure that he spends a lot of time working which would be a downer.
I love everyday heroes. I wrote an HGTV hero in one of my books. I love that channel and they have some sexy hosts. :)
Hi, Melissa! We were a giggly bunch when we discussed the HGTV guys and wondered the same things as you have. lol
Hi, Amber! I like the HGTV guys too. I am missing Sarah Richardson a lot. She is my kind of designer.
My everyday hero would have to be my husband, Paul. Not only does he remove the scary bugs that sometimes invade the bedroom, but he's an auto mechanic who keeps my beloved 1988 Volvo running. Nothing's better than when the car makes a suspicious-sounding noise and he's able to fix it!
Hi, Laura and thank you for visiting with me today at the Plotting Princesses. So many of us have mentioned our handsome hubbies and that's pretty cool. Being a supreme exterminator is very important.
However, a while back when we found a creepy crawlie in the kitchen sink, Handsome said something so hilarious, I had to write it in a story, "Bug Stuff."
And yes, I still tease him.
My hubby has always been able to do everything, but recently he told me he wasn't going to fix my computer if I had problems. He's always been very techie, but now he's gotten older on me and doesn't want to do it. He's always done all of our electrical, but no more. At 78, he thinks enough is enough.
He justs wants to have fun and ride his scooter. lol
I really didn't think about it until I read this post, but the gentlemen who come every week and collect our trash (and, yes, some of them are kind of "hunky"). It's freezing cold out there today, we've had some snow off and on, and these gentleman are out there tossing our trash into the back of their trucks. A big "thank you" to all of them.
Hi, Sandy! I guess they do get tired of tinkering. I would panic if mine decided not to help debug my techie problems, though. :(
Hi, Angela! You are so right. Despite the icky weather, these guys turn out. Just like my plumber friend. It was freakin' cold, and he came and capped my busted pipe. When we have a job to do....
Thanks, hon!
Yep, the unsung, every day heroes are my favorites! And we just don't thank them enough - so thanks, public service workers!
Hi Vicki! Loved the post! I guess my everyday hero is my hubby. He cooks. I don't. Enough said. :)
Sweet post, Vicki.
And I do love everyday heroes, and heroines. Teachers and coaches, mailmen and grocery store managers. You are so right to say that these are the people who make somebody's day every day.
And tow truck guys. Yeah, they're they guys who have been my heroes on many a dark night. :)
Wonderful thoughts. Thanks for posting. Cheers, EE
Hi, Ashantay! You bring up a very good point: Do we say thank you enough every day?
A good one to live by daily. Thank you for the reminder.
Hi, Karilyn! I've grown to not care about cooking and thankfully, Handsome is flexible. Yet, he can do a mean steak justice...
Hi, EE! I appreciate your thoughts about the everyday hero. Just a simple reminder that we all have the potential.
Did I ever say how I saved the guy next door? Some day...
I've never written a story about a bazillionaier because I'll never meet one. I write about the kind of men you meet everyday and wonder what they're like. And I've written about blue-collar heroes as well as doctors, lawyers, chefs, firemen, and other sexy men.
My husband fixes everything in and outside of the house, and he's a tech-whiz. I'm so spoiled! He used to be able to work on cars until they got so specialized. But I cook, bake, sew, crochet and keep him happy, so we're a good team.
Isn't that the whole point of romance? That each gives, each receives, and a harmonious (mostly) whole is achieved?
How did I miss this post, Vicki? I'm soooo with you about everyday heroes.
Michael Hauge's super-helpful list of ways a writer can get the audience to like a character is to have the character demonstrate competence at something—to be good at what he or she does.
In the movies and on TV, we're often shown extreme examples of this, i.e. the spy, the rescue worker, the surgeon.
But in my own life, I am impressed by a guy who is good with everyday emergencies. Like when my brother steps up (yet again) to help me with my web site. Or the guy I work with recommends a resource to solve a problem. Or my creative partner stays calm and patient in the face of my freaking out over a deadline.
These are the guys that let me know I'm in good hands. These are the guys that don't scamper away when I ask for help.
Not one of them commands a police precinct or has an MD, but they're heroes, for sure.
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