Monday, November 12, 2007
Hero Worship
(I know this post is a little dated, but it has taken me some time to compose my thoughts on the subject).
Who are your heroes? Do they deserve it?
We’re a little bit over a year from the passing of two of my personal heroes: Steve Irwin and Maynard Ferguson. Odd, you say? Why would these two be among personal heroes? To tell you truth, I’m not exactly sure why I picked them… you might say just because I thought they were interesting. Steve Irwin was a symbol to many and Maynard was a “god” to the trumpet players everywhere. Obvious enough?
No, but it’s more than that. I’ve never been much into hero worship, but I honestly admired these men and that puts them in a very small group of people. So I did some comparison of my fallen heroes:
Steve Irwin was nearly a caricature with his khaki clothes and jungle boots, jumping about on my TV every week to spread information about animals and his conservation mission.
Maynard was an over-the-top blow-hard (heh), who could be a bit garish clothes wise, blasting away with his stratospheric riffs.
They don’t seem much the same do they? But, I’ve found they share a common message. The lessons they taught went way beyond the TV shows they made or the charts they recorded.
First, have fun. Both these guys loved their job with a capital ‘L’.
Second, master your field. Strive to be the best at what you do.
Third, don’t be afraid to be larger than life (this is a hard lesson).
Fourth, maintain your focus and intensity. Shrug off criticism with a smile and keep the dream.
Fifth, teach what you know.
It’s interesting, but the old saw “those who can’t do, teach” didn’t cut it with these two. Both of these men were astounding pedagogs. They not only “did”, but they taught as well. Their legacies will live forever in the minds of their students, and I can’t really think of a better epitaph for either of them.
Who are your heroes? Do they deserve it?
We’re a little bit over a year from the passing of two of my personal heroes: Steve Irwin and Maynard Ferguson. Odd, you say? Why would these two be among personal heroes? To tell you truth, I’m not exactly sure why I picked them… you might say just because I thought they were interesting. Steve Irwin was a symbol to many and Maynard was a “god” to the trumpet players everywhere. Obvious enough?
No, but it’s more than that. I’ve never been much into hero worship, but I honestly admired these men and that puts them in a very small group of people. So I did some comparison of my fallen heroes:
Steve Irwin was nearly a caricature with his khaki clothes and jungle boots, jumping about on my TV every week to spread information about animals and his conservation mission.
Maynard was an over-the-top blow-hard (heh), who could be a bit garish clothes wise, blasting away with his stratospheric riffs.
They don’t seem much the same do they? But, I’ve found they share a common message. The lessons they taught went way beyond the TV shows they made or the charts they recorded.
First, have fun. Both these guys loved their job with a capital ‘L’.
Second, master your field. Strive to be the best at what you do.
Third, don’t be afraid to be larger than life (this is a hard lesson).
Fourth, maintain your focus and intensity. Shrug off criticism with a smile and keep the dream.
Fifth, teach what you know.
It’s interesting, but the old saw “those who can’t do, teach” didn’t cut it with these two. Both of these men were astounding pedagogs. They not only “did”, but they taught as well. Their legacies will live forever in the minds of their students, and I can’t really think of a better epitaph for either of them.
R.T. Lemur 8:49 PM