The Heroes Who Shaped My Dreams

As children, there were people whom we looked up to. At other times they were actual people whom we encountered in our surroundings such as our parents, teachers, or community leaders. At other periods, they were imaginary figures in the movies, cartoons, or even books we read.

The role models and heroes provided us with an image of what we desired to be in future. They gave us the reason to have bigger dreams and to believe that our lives were not in vain. I also had my role models during my tender years and they made a significant contribution to the way I thought and aspired in life.

My first heroes were my parents as I was a Nigerian guy. I would marvel at the amount of effort my father made to support the family and how my mother never gave up regardless of the situation. They were not wealthy, yet how they were able to attend to us, I viewed them as real life heroes.

I would frequently fantasize that I would be as strong and responsible as my father, caring and supportive as my mother. Their silent sacrifices demonstrated to me that it is possible to be a hero not only in terms of fame and power but also in terms of love and duty...

I liked some celebrities outside the house as well. Being a kid, I was a fan of football; that is why I could fantasize myself with players such as Jay-Jay Okocha. I wanted to play like him, dribble like him and have people cheering me the same way they cheered him.

To me, to be on the football field was an opportunity to be a hero, not only to me but also to the entire nation. I even had a dream of playing in the Nigerian jersey and scoring goals that would bring the nation pride. Although I did not make a football star, such dreams made me believe that I could do whatever I had to do and to go hard at it.

I likewise liked some of the fictional characters when I was a young girl. I also watched cartoons and superhero films as many children do. At times I used to pretend to be superman or spider man in the air rescuing others. These characters helped me to think that I was able to make a big difference no matter how small I was. The notion of defending individuals, struggling to ensure justice and standing on what is right remained in my mind even when I became older.

My perception of role models and heroes as I grew up changed. I understood that every hero does not necessarily have to wear a cape or to be famous. Ordinary people who live and breathe with great courage and honesty are some of these real heroes. As an illustration, I once had a teacher who never discouraged me even in instances where I did some wrong things.

She had confidence in my potential and kept reminding me of the fact that I can do a lot when I stick to the point. In retrospect, I can say she was one of my real heroes since she has brought me confidence and hope at the time when I had lost faith in myself.

Had I an opportunity to be another, I believe I should have preferred to be what I was, with the attributes of the persons I admired. I would desire to have the power of my dad, the gentleness of my mum, the talent of a football player and the bravery of a superhero. In my view, role models do not aim at substituting who we are, but they enable us to have the glimpse of what we can achieve in life. They provide something to look forward to, and they make us remember that we can become better people.

Conclusively, role models and heroes are significant in our childhood, and with our adult life as well. They create our dreams, make us continue our movement, and provide us with the images of courage, strength, and hope.

By growing up, I fantasized myself to be like other people not only real but fictional, yet ultimately, I realized that the most I can be is myself with the knowledge I have acquired and experienced by my admirable people. Heroes do not necessarily have to be distant as in every case, we can find heroes who are either near us and have a simple yet effective way of influencing our life.

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