What is a hero? One online dictionary describes a hero this way: a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. But the idea of admiration brings the subjective into the equation. What I admire, you may not.
We all admire different people for different reasons, and the people we choose to hold up as heroes speak volumes to who we are ourselves. There is no uniform list of heroes and heroines, deviance from which leaves someone open to public ridicule. Colin McEnroe views artists such as Robin Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman as heroes because they rose above their personal foibles to provide us with artistic performances that moved us and made us think [Aug. 17, Opinion, "Why Grieve Them"].
Following Robin Williams' death, I learned he was longtime friends with Christopher Reeve, who said the following: "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." I think we should celebrate all heroes by honoring their body of work, rather than the manner of their deaths.
Michele Rowe, Simsbury