Heroic Hearts

INTRODUCTION

Hero, noun

1. a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities

2. a sandwich

Heroes have fascinated humanity since we started telling stories. They became even more fascinating when we started writing the stories down—and achieved the status previously reserved for pantheons of deities when we started putting them on the big screen. Heroes have become big business.

But heroes, real heroes, aren’t titans or icons.

Real heroes are standing behind cash registers, starting cold trucks, getting kids out of bed. They’re the everyday humans who happen to be standing there when something bad happens, and when there is a sudden need for skill, courage, or intelligence. They’re the regular people in irregular circumstances who find themselves considering others first and standing up to do whatever needs to be done.

Real heroes are created by fate—faced with a challenge that they must rise to overcome, and those who do so become our heroes, our stories, our legends.

It’s not complicated to be a hero. It’s not easy, but it isn’t complicated either. All that’s required is that you do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. Even when it’s hard. Even when it’s scary.

Heroes are important because they give us an example of what to do when we find ourselves faced with circumstances that require us to become something more. They’re important because we never know when we will be the one faced with the difficult choice, the sudden test, the critical task. Each of us will find ourselves in a position to be a hero in our lives from time to time. Each of us will have to choose whether or not to step up.

The only question is what choice you’re going to make.

Enjoy the stories, everyone. I think I’m going to go have a sandwich.

—Jim Butcher