By Les Ferguson Jr.
Columnist
What would life be like without a hero?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had heroes. My first hero was Batman. At 63 years of age, I
have Batman stuff in my office. Who couldn’t have a hero like that?
And, of course, there have been the inevitable sports heroes. Remember “the Ballad of Archie
Who”? I was eight years old when I entered the fandom of Archie Manning.
On college and NFL football fields, Archie was the man. In neighborhood lots and front yards,
he was the quarterback hero kids like me pretended to be as we played. I may be prejudiced,
but Archie is a Mississippi treasure. He’ll always be a hero to me.
But then there was Bill. I’ll leave his last name unsaid to protect the not-so-innocent.
I was an impressionable teenager when I first met Bill. I could have been jealous of him
because he was dating one of the prettiest women at the church where I grew up. But instead of
feeling jealousy, I regarded him with admiration and even awe.
Bill worked on the Mississippi River as a boat pilot pushing barges from one port to another. He
also drove a Trans Am, which was a bad hombre of a sports car in the late 1970s.
He had the girl, the car, and the coolest job around. Even better, he spent time with me
regularly. In a humorous bit of intentional imitation, my first job after high school was working on
a boat pushing barges. I also bought and drove a Camaro – the Chevrolet version of the Trans
Am.
Years later, he became a groomsman at my wedding. He was my hero. Throughout the years,
we’ve shared many laughs about that, but one should never underestimate the power of
speaking into the life of someone younger than you.
At this stage of life, I readily recognize my greatest hero: dear old dad. I often tell him, tongue-
in-cheek, that he has surely gotten smarter. He continues to be an incredible role model as a
husband, father, and minister. I admire how he has navigated through some difficulties in life
and how he has stood by me through some of the worst trauma imaginable.
I don’t know your heroes, but I do know this: Everyone needs a hero. Better yet, everyone can
be a hero to someone.
Put on your cape – strap on your weapons. Tap into your superpower. Be a hero!
“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.”
(Proverbs‬ 19‬:20‬ NIV‬‬)