What Do Heroes Wear

To my son Tommy,

Some heroes wear capes or masks.  Some heroes wear police officer blue or fireman red and yellow.  Our hero last night wore a very subtle outfit with an Orioles logo on it.

Now in Major League Baseball the heroes are usually thought of as the guys who can smash the ball out of the park, or the guy who can throw some major heat, or the guy who runs like a flash around the bases.  We celebrate longevity and the iron horses of baseball.  We look for their accolades on and off the field and truth be told there are plenty of heroes in baseball.  But our hero last night didn't wear a sports outfit.  No this hero was cleverly disguised as a mild mannered usher working the tunnel labeled section 382-384 on the night of May 17th.

Your cousin Gabe got upset about the height of our seats last night.  I don't really blame him because I have a small fear of heights as well but I have years to practice getting through it (and enough runs skiing down black diamond slopes to know how).  Still the initial feeling when walking down to our seats made my stomach do a flip or two.  Gabe and your Aunt Deb cowboyed up and tried, but it soon became clear that staying there was not going to be an option.  They decided to leave and asked if we could fit Emma and Uncle Rob in the car to get them home so they didn't have to leave now too.

In swoops our hero.  He takes the time and makes the efforts and re-locates your Aunt Deb and Gabe down to the lower section.  Safe and secure on the ground level, Deb and Gabe could enjoy the game. This usher didn't owe us anything, nor did he know that Gabe is autistic, nor did he even have to take the time and effort to ask why they were leaving.  But he took the time and made the extra effort and helped.  That is what true heroes do.  They give of themselves for the benefits of others.  You don't have to stop a speeding train from crashing while catching a criminal as you fly around the city in your cape and superhero outfit.  You just have to do the right thing and make the effort and give the time and try to help and you too will be a true hero to someone.  It dawned on me this morning that I didn't get that superhero's name and I chuckled to myself as the familiar quote from the Lone Ranger show came to my head, "Who was that masked man?"

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo