Unsung Heroes – Shannon in Kansas City

There are many heroes among us.  People that say that children have no one to look up to in this age are probably teaching their children the wrong values.  The heroes that I speak of are not the type of people that will be written about in history books, put on magazine covers or placed on a float in a parade but they are heroic nonetheless.  You won’t recognize them as the a hero when you look at them because they may not look like what we’ve been taught to admire.  You may stand in line in front of a hero at the grocery store or sit next to one on a bus.  They are the unsung heroes of the world and they are the people that make a real difference and make the global economy run.

I have been blessed to meet many unsung heroes.  I have met many people that persevere at taxing jobs that don’t pay what workers deserve.  These people may be working their way through school or working a second or third job to make ends meet.  These heroes continue the struggle because they take pride in providing for themselves and their families through hard work and with honesty and integrity.

Perseverance is usually only lauded when talking about a notably successful person that became successful after many failures.  But an average life takes perseverance too.  We all face so many struggles in modern life.  Families life and finances have become very precarious at this time in American history.  It takes perseverance and strength to survive this life and keep your relationships and financial responsibilities in good standing.

In America it has been proven that we are all working much harder for less.  College graduates and experienced workers toil away at jobs that are far below their skill level in order to earn an honest living.  It would be easy to give up on the future but so many of us soldier on and continue to make sacrifices for our dreams.

It takes perseverance to make a friendship work, to have a successful marriage, to raise children, to finish education or to punch a time clock every day.  Persisting through difficult times and keeping your mind fixed on a goal when you are frustrated and ready to give up is heroic even if the accomplishment is not one that will make you a trending topic on Twitter.

I wrote this piece to tip my hat to all the every day unsung heroes of the world.  Hats off to all the bus drivers, factory workers, restaurant servers, janitors, retail workers, receptionists, stay at home moms and dads and day care workers etc.  You (we) do difficult work that we should be proud of.  We work hard and don’t need to ask anyone for anything because we are not afraid of hard work.  Hard work pays off in more ways than one.  Pat yourself on the back if you are an unsung hero.  Keep up your good work.  Hard times are only temporary.  If you know an unsung hero give them a hug and let them know they are appreciated.