Heroes – This is my friend Scott. I’ve been acquainted with Scott for many years now but never really got to know him. I had that opportunity a couple of days ago when I dropped by for a visit. Scott’s recovering from a series of surgeries he’s undergone of late. That much I knew going in. What I didn’t know was that this latest round was conducted to attempt a correction from previous iterations that have been ongoing most of his adult life.
It was almost surreal to sit there and listen as Scott ticked off his medical history, one operation after the other, in such matter-of-fact manner. It was painful to listen and imagine the unbidden misery that has invaded large chunks of his existence on this earth. In the end I was struck by two thoughts: First, how had I managed to know this man for so long and not know what he was going through. I hadn’t seen him in a while – the last time was when he had come to visit me in the hospital when I was recovering from surgery. But over the years he’s been quite visible. And the second was the feeling not of pity but of admiration that emerged as I sat there and listened. It takes a lot of courage to live the life that Scott has endured.
There are lots of folk like Scott in this world; people for whom daily existence is a battle. They are each and every one heroes and truly unsung. I can only hope that if I am ever faced with the challenges they probably think of as more or less normal that I will be able to muster a similar degree of courage. The truth is I don’t really want to find out.
Via Flickr:
Heroes
RichardBeGone 