They say you should never meet your heroes
They say it's not a good idea to meet your heroes. I often wonder what the true percentage is - how many heroes fail to live up to expectations? It can't be all of them. But expectations are subjective, so it's impossible to know for sure.
When I think about this, I can't help but ask myself who my heroes are. Who are the people throughout my life that I have looked up to? Who were the role models that inspired me?
To be honest, I've never sat down and tried to create a comprehensive list because I didn't see the point of it. But just as a thought exercise and journaling device, I'm going to give it a shot.
Casting my memory as far back as I can remember takes me back to my toddler years in the 1980s. Back then, the people I idolized were imaginary characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, or Yoda. Definitely Indiana Jones, but above all, I idolized Marty McFly. Michael J. Fox did such a fantastic job portraying that character that I doubt anyone ever wants to see it played by anyone else. I'm saying it here and now: I never want to see a "Back to the Future" reboot. But I digress. Oh, and I must admit, Maverick, Tom Cruise's character in "Top Gun," was also pretty cool.
As I got older, I added real-life people to my list of role models, like Bill Murray, who fearlessly spoke his mind to my mother. It was something I had never seen done before. Tom Hanks, and almost every character he's ever played (not all, but almost). Eddie Murphy, who taught me so much about joy and bravery. Sylvester Stallone, who showed me through his artwork how to connect with my heart. Barack Obama, who inspired me to believe that America had a chance to be better than ever before. Keanu Reeves, who seems almost otherworldly in his decency, integrity, and grace. The entire cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," a show that taught me so much that I can't accurately express my gratitude. Tim Robbins, for his role as Andy Dufresne, a character who inspired me not to give up hope when I was staring into the abyss, considering jumping. I'm grateful to every single one of them for helping me become a better person.
Will Smith was on my list until recently, but I also think he's the one who got me thinking about whether or not I would like to meet my heroes. Just to be clear, I'm still a fan, but I no longer see him as a role model.
I know I've already mentioned a few, but I can't forget to include all the professional comedians - the brave members of our society who aren't afraid to say what needs to be said. George Carlin, Christopher Titus, Chris Rock, Denis Leary, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Redd Foxx, Bill Burr, Katt Williams, Jim Carrey, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Billy Crystal, and of course, the goat, Dave Chappelle. The most recent addition to my role models list is Kumail Nanjiani due to my recent viewing of The Big Sick. There are many more comedians who could be added to this list, but I'll stop there.
And then there are the doctors, scientists, and philosophers. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Sam Harris, Aristotle, Diogenes, Socrates, Buddha, Marcus Aurelius, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Søren Kierkegaard, Leonardo da Vinci, and Carl Jung, Alan Watts, Ram Dass, to name a few.
And again, I find myself asking, would I really want to meet them? Every single person on the list I've just described stands on a pedestal in my mind. I acknowledge that none of them asked to be put on a pedestal, and none of them deserve to be judged if they didn't live up to my idealistic expectations.
I guess the honest answer is, I still don't know. Of course, the most amusing part to me is the idea that I'll ever have the opportunity to meet them anyway, so this whole thing has been an exercise in my fantasy world. I might have to credit most of this blog post to my inner child. I have tried to reach out and make contact with a few of them, but haven’t heard back yet. I acknowledge I am aware they may have no good reason to talk to me? Who am I to them? What exactly would I have to offer them? All fair perspectives.
Honestly, I'm not sure where I'm going with this today. But I set the intention to show up for myself and write a bit every day this year, so here I am...
Who are your heroes? And do you think if you ever got the chance to meet them, that they would shatter your illusion? Or do you think if you met them, they would live up to everything you imagined? Or maybe something else, because false dichotomies are, well, BS.
Stay mindful,
InteGritti
