My Heroes Essay

â€Å"My Heroes† was written by Elizabeth Berg, who has published many popular books since 1993. In the article, Berg told us that real heroes were ordinary people around us. Because Berg’s daughter chose her friend as a hero who saved her from drowning in a creek, Berg realized a hero wouldn’t have to be a famous person. When Mrs. Zinz, an eighth-grade English teacher, was harassed by Berg and her friend, she wasn’t angry. Mrs. Zinz didn’t lower herself and become mean. Another hero in Berg’s mind was her grandfather who was kind, warm and friendly. He liked to make his grandchild laugh. Sylvia, Berg’s mother-in-law, could enjoy her retirement life but instead, she went back to school to get a college diploma. Berg admired her because of her love of learning. Moreover, there were the people that Berg admired because of their jobs, such as mail carriers, nurses, stay-at-home mothers, and working mothers. Many people are around us every day, but you may not realize that they are heroes. However, Berg believes that if you look at them in a different way, you would know that they are heroes. After I read Berg’s essay, I think she was right. Heroes are not only the greatest people in history but also the ordinary people in our lives. They teach us small lessons and touch us in a quiet way. My heroes are people who inspire confidence in me since I was a child, who are brave enough to fight for things which are unfair and unconscionable, and who help and protect the weak groups in our community. My mother is one of my heroes, who always tells me I must be a self-confident person. Worrying about unknown things, fearing failures, and having a negative attitude were part of my character when I was a child. One day, my mother took me to the ice-skating center. She wanted me to build up my confidence during the process of learning ice-skating. When we were ready to skate, she said, â€Å"I won’t hold your hand. You should learn it by yourself. † At that moment, I thought my mother was a devil. I buttressed the handrail and moved slowly. I looked like a baby who was learning to walk. After I got used to it, I took off my hand from the handrail. Within a minute, I slid on the ice, lost my balance, and fell down. I asked for help by informing my mother with eye contact. â€Å"Get up! I know you can do it,† she encouraged me with supportive words. Finally, I got up but fell down again a few minutes later. I cried and yelled madly, â€Å"I don’t want to skate anymore. It’s so painful. I want to leave! † â€Å"Don’t give up, my sweetheart. Take out your confidence. After you learn it by yourself, you will realize all the pain that you overcome is worth it. † My mother said it tenderly. I saw a devil that became an angel. These words have been engraved in my heart deeply. I should not have doubted and looked down on my ability. After countless failures, I could fly on the ice. The happiness of success was the best feeling that I have ever had. My mother let me understand learning from failure was a way to build up confidence. My aunt, Jodie Li, who is a normal housewife in China, is also a hero of mine. I admire her because she is brave enough to fight for any unfair and unconscionable acts. When Jodie was on the bus, she saw a man who was taking advantage of a teenage girl who was too afraid to yell. Jodie stopped and grabbed the pervert, pulled the girls to hide behind her, and called the police. She did not think too much. At that time, she just wanted the pervert to get caught. If I were her, I wouldn’t have had enough courage to rescue the girl. In addition, Jodie fought with a company because they charged her extra money on her bill. The company didn’t notify Jodie that they had charged her many unknown fees. Jodie was furious. She kept investigating the reason. Finally, the company made a compromise and apologized to her. Besides that, Jodie found out that someone cheated while she was taking the paper driving test. She thought it was really unfair because she studied hard on the test. She told the examiner immediately. Sometimes, we would overlook something since it’s not related to us. However, Jodie couldn’t pretend that didn’t happen. Her attitude affected me. I cannot stay quiet when some unfair and unconscionable things happen to me. I have to fight for myself. Beyond that, there are people who are my heroes because they help and protect the weak groups in our community. Social workers work with people who are homeless, sick or have family problems and try their best to help people overcome problems and make people lives better. Police officers who have responsibility of protecting the residents risk their lives to arrest criminals. Ambulance staff who stand-by, rushes to the scene of the ccident, and rescues many people. Volunteers with animals who defend the animals selflessly look after the stray dogs or cats as pets. Heroes are everywhere. It depends on how you look at them. Have you ever thought about who were your heroes around you? Berg figured out her heroes, and so did I. My heroes are people who give confidence to me since I was a child, who are courageous enough to fight against unfair and unconscionable actions, and who help and shield the weak groups in our community. These people inspired me in a different way, in a different city, and in a different moment.