NOT MY HERO !

Looking for the right hero? Even in ancient Egypt, they needed heroes. So do we.


Overheard in a toy department:

Father: "There's a hero."

Young son, pointing: "Not that one. This one."

Father, in a hurry: "That one's on sale. 99 cents. Take it."

Son: "But Dad, he's not the best hero."

Father: "What? A hero is a hero. Take him."

Son: "I don't want him. He doesn't look like a hero."

Father: "Of course he does. Look at what he's wearing. Badges, armbands, tights, cape, a mask. Hero garb."

Son, folding his arms: "No good."

Father: "What's the difference? They've all got some amazing power."

Son: "But dad, he's not the right hero. This one knows things."

A moment of silence. Then the father decided to fork over the additional $4.98 for the right hero. "Okay, get the one you want."

"Thanks Dad."

I was silently cheering that dad for being so understanding. And I cheered the boy for knowing who he wanted - and why.

You know how writers eavesdrop in restaurants? For me, it's never happened in a toy department, but once I heard the boy's insistence on the right hero, to the point of turning down a toy, I couldn't walk away. I understood the father's side, just get amy damned thing. But I was impressed with the young boy, who had his hero-principles and stood by them, at the risk of losing.

In EMBRACEABLE YOU, Siena is a wild child, on course to self-destruct. What she needs is a friend to set her straight, a lover to haul her away over his shoulder. But Zach realizes she must learn her own lessons, even if she destroys them both. He was once a wild child, not willing to listen to anyone, learning his own lessons the hard way. The best he can give her is love and support. And that makes him the right hero... for her.

Do you have hero-principles? Is there something you stand for because it's the right thing to do. Who is the right hero for your heroine? For  you?

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