
Oscar Pistorius – Fallen hero?
When you read the heading of this story you might think I am going to discuss Oscar’s trial, what I think the verdict will be or if I think he’s guilty or not. I do not wan to raise your hopes high, so I am telling you now already, I am not going to.
So, sorry that I disappoint you, I don’t even watch the trial, it makes me feel uneasy.
Anyway with that aside, sometime early last year I was sitting with my mom when the news broke that Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
My mother was so disappointed and hurt that she started crying. She explained to me that she is not crying because of her, but for all the small boys that are in the same situation that he is in (amputees), and look up to him.
She then told me a story she read about a boy who got his legs amputated when he was a toddler, but his life changed when he saw Oscar racing at the Paralympics. From that day on, this boy decided he will not let the fact that he has no legs stop him from achieving his dreams or doing what he loves.
He started training and won medals for his school and his determination to follow his dreams has not stopped.
So my question is what effect does Oscar killing Reeva have on this boy and any other boy who thought of him as a hero? I don’t have the answer to that question, but I guess it will depend on the individual. And besides, not only small boys who are amputees thought of Oscar as a hero, he was also a hero to many people with or without disabilities.
So what do the parents of that little boy say to him when he starts taking down the posters of Oscar that he has hung on his wall in his room? “Eish” I like putting myself in a corner and asking questions I can’t answer. But one thing is for certain, that boy should never lose his determination and drive to succeed. Plus he or any other person must remember humans are not perfect, we hear that almost every day.
So why do we get shocked if we find out that someone who is seemingly prefect goes and does something stupid? We should get it into our skulls, “No One is Perfect,” some people just hide it better.
So just start being your own hero. I am not saying do not look up to people, there are people who are good examples of how to live life, but just learn from them. You may have similar situations but at the end of the day you are a totally different person.
Because at the end of the day it is your own determination and drive that will make you achieve your goals.
It is obvious that people do admire someone who has made the best of the horrible cards that life has given him/her, but you must work out how you are going to handle your own horrible card by yourself.
So be your own hero and admire the struggles through which you have risen and conquered your circumstances to get to where you are today.