Today is your day guys as I dedicate this blog to my everyday heroes, men I know and don't know who have touched my life in positive ways...you know who you are:
1) To the two gentlemen who stopped, briefly, to pick me up, one guy on each arm, when I slipped and fell at the bottom of the wet subway stairs on a rainy day.
2) To the man who stopped in the parking lot of Peck's grocery store in Narrowsburg. The second I put my hands under the hood of my car, he was there, asking me what was wrong and if I needed help. Then he proceeded to show me where to put in the wiper fluid, unscrewed the cap to the little tank and left before I even made eye contact!
3) To all the men on the streets of New York who have stopped to pick up whatever I dropped before I even bent my knees. Klutz that I am, that number is huge.
4) To my friend in the community who came down to the lake because I told him I was going there to swim by myself and he felt it was unsafe.
5) To all the men on airplanes who, when seeing me with a large carry-on bag, stood up and put it in the overhead rack for me without even being asked. And also, to those who took it down for me when we landed.
6) To the thousands upon thousands of men who have held doors open for me, allowing me to pass through first.
7) To the two young men on line in the grocery store who offered their frequent buyer cards to me so I could get the discounts, too.
8) To the man who took the dead mouse out of my mousetrap and disposed of it for me. Yucky!
9) To all the young men in high school and college who politely took "no" for an answer and either still continued to date me or became my friend.
10) To all the men who got up to give me a seat on the bus or subway when I was pregnant.
11) To my male writer friends in NRW who encourage me every day and still flirt with me.
12) To the men I met on countless vacations who danced with me, bought me a drink at the bar and didn't hit on me.
13) To the man who came to the emergency room with me on a first date, waited forever and held my hand while I got a tetanus shot.
14) To my writing partner, Ben, who encourages me every day, never tells me my ideas are dumb or gives me a hard time about my typos or lack of punctuation…and listens, patiently, to me rant about life.
15) To the man who took two hours out of his day to show me how to do my website for the price of a bagel.
16) To the two men who took my pictures and designed book covers for me just because they are my friends.
17) To the man who walked me home after dark when I ducked into a bar because someone was following me...and took "no" for an answer with charm and grace.
18) To the man who drove me through a blinding snowstorm and back so I could bring a stray cat with an infected paw to the vet.
19) To Doug, our guest, who surprised me with a Tiramisu cake just because I had admired it in the bakery window.
20) To the man who jumped into a Facebook group to defend me when several people attacked my opinion.
21) To all the men who let me go first...from the checkout counter at the grocery store to the bread counter at Zabar's... simply because I'm a woman.
22) To the unknown young man who gave me a lift 60 blocks up Madison Avenue to Mt. Sinai Hospital when the subway wasn't running and my father was in surgery.
23) To the men in IRM who are never stingy with hugs or encouragement.
24) To DH who sometimes fixes things before I ask.
To all you everyday heroes, thank you. Thank you for all you've done and continue to do quietly without fanfare...and for the shy smile you give me when I acknowledge your help. Love you all!
Who are the everyday heroes in your life?
To find out about my books, visit my website. http://www.jeanjoachimbooks.com
A wonderful list, Jean, and a great reminder about the small deeds that can mean so much. I think sometimes when days speed by us so fast and are filled with responsibilities, and large matters, we forget how small & simple can mean far more.
ReplyDeleteMy everyday hero is my baby brother, Jimmy. He is mentally challenged. The medical authorities say he has a mental age of 5 or 6. Yet he is gracious, and kind. He helps others, he worries about me and my Mother and his friends. He is generous & shares even those things he truly covets. And a hug from him is the best thing I know.
What a great post, Jean! My everyday hero is my uncle. He's been like a father to me and my sisters while being a great father and husband to his wife and kids. He's my hero because he's faced a lot of adversity and hardships in his life but never lost his compassion, composure, generosity, or smile.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list! Thanks for the reminder that heroes are all around us.
ReplyDeleteMy top hero is my husband for a ton of reasons, but mostly because he plays "tea party" with our little girl every night before bed.
And as for the unknown heroes, pretty much any man who helped me when I was pregnant or holding the baby. I don't think they will ever know how much their helping hand meant.