THE COOP

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Super Heros 2011

Hello Chicksters,

I was on someone's blog recently and the post concerned superheros.  This close to July 4, it got me to thinking...who will we look back upon in 100 years on July 4 and remember as a superhero.

Because it is odd, but we never really seem to recognize the true superheros until they are gone from this earth. 

Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin, and the guy who invented lightbulbs....

We all pretty much would agree, I think, that they were pretty futuristic.  Pretty super heroistic?

And that Henry the 8th sucked.

But what about now.  Right here.  Who are the people out there doing things that we will look back on (well, not you and me, but our kids and grandkids, maybe) and say, "Wow.  They were so ahead of their time".

Because, really, that is all a superhero is, if you don't count the nonhuman strength and agility.  A superhero is a person who is ahead of their time; a person who knows what the world will need in 20 years, 50 years....a steward of not just the human race, but of the planet. 

In my mind, the world, our world, is going to need a little kindness, a little nurturing.  A little less raping of resources and a little more sacrifice.  Who are the people that will lead that charge?

I'm not a political girl.  I don't keep up with who is doing what out there, but I know some of you do, so who are they?

It could even be that there is a little superhero in all of us.  There should be.  Most of us have kids or nieces or nephews or hope to. 

This independence day, I'm thinking can I use less?  Can I recycle more?

And I'm feeling guilty because although I grew up learning how to grow things, how to preseve things, and how to be respectful of the earth, I've kind of forgotten a little bit in my last 30 years or so of urban living.  Would I know a wild blueberry if I saw one?  Or would I think it was poisonous? 

I'm also thinking about that old biblical prophecy..."blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth".  It makes me think of farmers, especially.  I think the farmers are key. And I'm not talking about ConAgra.

So, until you people tell me different, my superheros right now are the local farmers. C'mon. Buy an heirloom tomato, for God's sake.  For our sake.

And seriously...educate me.  Who should I be following out there?  Who do you admire?

21 comments:

  1. No one blogs about farmers. You are now officially my superhero.

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  2. I think it's the "little " people doing every day things that are actually the superheroes. I honestly cant think of anyone famous thats doing anything that's so wonderful they'll be considered a hero in 100 years.

    What the planet needs is less "Me, me , me " and more collective "us". We've lost that somewhere and it bothers me.

    Im going with the farmers too...they dont get enough credit for getting us all fed and it's a hard life on the land.

    Interesting thought provoking post Chicken.

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  3. @dbs-aw. Thanks:-)

    @shay-that's why we get along so well. I have been doing a little research into the subject of sustainability lately and wow, you Aussies seem to be leading the pack. There's less "me" and more "us" in Australia than anywhere, it seems

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  4. The PTA at my school interviewed the teachers and asked us who our hero is that was not related to us. I said Bill Murray. They laughed thinking I was joking, but I wasn't.

    I feel bad about it though. They used this for a big assembly and shared with the kids our heros. Really, I should have picked Steve Martin.

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  5. If you've ever watched 'Kick Ass' then you already know what a real super hero is.

    Alternatively you have me.

    oh dear....

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  6. Cheeseboy-you should have picked Robin Williams. But between Steve and Bill? I think you made the right choice.

    4XD-whoa, throwback to 2009. I did see Kick Ass. It was awesome! Nice to hear from you, friend.

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  7. Yay! I've been trolling the farmer's markets recently, the veggies taste so much better when straight from the source.

    If I looked up to anyone it'd be the guys who founded Invisible Children. It takes guts to go to a third world country and document what happens to kids when there are warring guerrilla armies around, THEN set up a way to try and do something about it. Those guys are superheroes.
    And my dad, because he can crack a joke to a marine in the middle of a mortaring while stitching some dude back together.

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  8. My hero is a woman named Nancy, she has 8 kids and works 3 jobs to keep a roof over her head and food on her table. In between, she finds time to volunteer as president of the PTA, advocate for better schools and generally makes the community a better place to live. If we could all dig a little deeper and find our "inner Nancy" we'd all be much better off as a country and as a people.

    CB

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  9. Certainly a post to get me thinking. I don't keep up with mainstream media. You won't find ultra pop culture in my writing space...I look more for the super heros in every day life. I like your definition of what one may be though!

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  10. I think the farmers who are pesticide free are true super heros. Saving lives and our earth at the same time.

    And anyone who works hard at sustainability so that there is an Earth left for our children.

    And Greg Mortenson is definitely a hero in my book. He wrote Three Cups of Tea and he is an incredible advocate for the education of girls in the Middle East, establishing over a hundred schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan where it is considered a crime to educate females. His quote is, "Educate a girl and you educate an entire community." His thought being that girls grow up to be mothers and children learn every important concept in life from their mothers.

    Trying to promote peace through peace and education. I love that.

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  11. Oh and I forgot. You know, Bono. Because it always leads back to Bono.

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  12. Ashes-that sounds like a great organization and I hadn't heard of it-thanks.

    CB-Nancy is my hero now, too! She sounds like a superwoman. And funny, how your hero supports Daffy's theory that real heros are all around us if we look.

    Joann-of course it all goes back to Bono-you didn't have to make a special trip back to tell me:-) And I'm going to get the Greg Mortenson book-thanks. I agree with him for the most part, but I think kids learn a lot from their dads

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  13. Aussie Mike for all his preaching about Peak Oil and sustainability. And, teachers, all teachers my heroes, especially the ones who taught me. I hope my mother is remembered as a hero..

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  14. Another Aussie! I'll have to look him up, Practical. And teachers, yes that is a good one.

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  15. You'll be happy to know that I'm a big purchaser of heirloom tomatoes - man, those things are TASTY!

    But you raise a good question, Chicken, who ARE our heroes? And the sad thing is that I don't even have an answer for you. Like you, I appreciate good people who live their lives simply.

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  16. i'm not very political either, with the exception of knowing sarah palin is not a political leader but more of a reality show tv celebrity ho. but i would say bill maher is one of my own personal superheroes because his "politics" always seem to reflect my own. and he cracks my ass.

    but bill murray is a damn good choice, too.

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  17. I agree: it is very difficult to identify a modern super hero. And the local farmers are indeed fighting a tough battle against all the big corporations. Speaking of that, I need to buy and cook more vegetables. *Shame*

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  18. Future nostalgia--I'm Munk, Okay

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  19. Happy Birthday, Chicken!

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  20. AA-me, too. I buy them. I just all too often don't get around to using them.

    Munk! Munk! I don't know what it is but I needed to exclaim it twice. Okay.

    Anonymous-thank you.

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  21. Heroes.
    This is a good question Chicken, you've given me something to ponder.....
    I'm going to have to put my thinking cap on.
    It just might take me some time to locate it....

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