In Word or Deed

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash I used to think that everyone else was lucky. They all had passions, they all had dreams. In others I saw consuming desires that propelled them into their futures. Some wanted to be doctors others engineers, others soldiers, while I sat to the side and didn't know what I wanted to be. I used to think I was broken, that some crucial part of me was damaged or simply missing or that I'd failed to pick it up along the way. Now that I'm a bit older I've begun to wonder, was I just hoping for something to make the decision for me? Is there any inherent merit in a passion that you did not choose and a life that merely carried you along? I can't help but think that maybe what I saw as a self-propelled desire was really the outworking of a personal decision to pursue a goal. Was I longing for something that nobody actually possessed? I like to write, I love it even. I genuinely enjoy sitting down and putting tho...

Photo by Joey Nicotra on Unsplash Have you seen the new “Avengers” movie yet? I have and it was amazing! I'm glad I was able to wade through the swamp of internet trolls, trailers, and memes without falling afoul of any spoilers before finally plopping down in the theater. I can't help but wonder though, just what is a hero? After spending nearly three hours watching Captain America, IronMan, Dr. Strange, StarLord and others gallivant on screen in their desperate attempt to save the world as they know it the question has crossed my mind. You see we often think of heroes in exactly this way, larger than life figures who do incredible things at incredible times for incredible reasons. Giants among men or supreme examples of courage and honor or sacrifice. But would you ever look at yourself and consider yourself a hero? Probably not. I think that really being a hero is not about what exactly you did or do and it's certainly not about having a snazzy...