Heroes

Yeah, that's me.
I am one of them.
My keeper calls me "my little Hero".
She also calls my big, brother Bogart "my Hero"
But my other keeper believes Sumo is a Hero
and so is Pica for her 30 puppies . . .

But what is a 'hero' really?
And more importantly,
what does "bagong bayani" (new hero) mean?

In a place fraught with imagined and created chaos
every achievements are heralded as heroic.
In recent months, I witnessed several events
which was the cause of great rejoicing:
A boxer winning a non-titled competition
(this same boxer later won in a titled bout
and much later entered politics but lost!),
a group of mountaineers reaching Mt. Everest,
somebody winning a beauty pageant,
somebody returning lost items,
and a lot proclaiming their heroic deeds
whether these were true or not . . .

In my wild, domestic world of survival
a boxer is not a hero, he is the hunter
awaiting and facing the enemy . . .
We do not climb unnecessarily high
and overly expensive mountains
not unless our survival is dependent on it!
We do not hold competitions based on looks
(and don't believe those silly ones
parading in costumes and pampered
by their vain, pathetic keepers),
nor do we feel heroic if we locate bombs,
or (aghast!) deliver our keeper's slippers.
Our duty is always above board.
No need to fuss about it . . . .

Keeper agrees with me.
She finds the houndsinheaven brave
for making sure that no intruders
would ever dare step inside heaven
without permission . . .
Er, ok, forget about the time
we barked ourselves hoarse
even when the visitor has permission
and still can not enter heaven . . .

But heroes and heroic deeds demand
the highest aspiration in my OC books.
For keeper, the much touted OFWs,
or the overseas filipino workers
are not the new heroes.
Keeper considers them the victims
of a country who can not provide
them a better opportunity to stay. . .

For keeper, the heroes are those who have
the opportunity to get higher pay abroad
but CHOOSE to stay to serve their country
and keep their families intact.

Heroes are not those gallivanting psychics on TV
whose mission is to save the world.
But real heroes are great psychics
who can see and foresee danger and pain
and choose to do something about it
without the need to be called special . . .

Well, I need not be called special.
I just am.