So, I was triggered the other day scrolling through the Facebookz. In order to get to the gun, I need to get a little political first because, unfortunately, it’s one specific kind of person that posts things like this (which is how this FB post led to my thoughts on heroes). We all know these people. Some of you may unknowingly or even knowingly be this kind of person. It’s those I’m-not-racist-but-I-love-trump-and-everything-republican people. The ones that continue to praise the president and will argue any negative thing someone says about him. The ones that were butthurt about the Nike thing with Kaepernick. The #alllivesmatter people that think it’s racist that black people are saying black lives matter. They’re like the slightly past the middle of the road between mostly-conservative-but-respect-other-opinions to Neo-Nazis.

So, I saw this image shared.

I’m not even going to get into my thoughts on this FB share. That’s not what I want this post to be about. But, unfortunately, the people that think and say these things are also the same people that will turn someone calling like a celebrity a hero (especially if they don’t like that celebrity) into ‘this person hates the troops’. The people that post things like this whenever someone praises someone that they don’t agree with.

Yes, our troops really are heroes, and my level of respect for our military personnel and veterans is through the roof. True American heroes…. you know, for our country. But, here’s the thing. No one has the right to tell someone who is or isn’t, and can or can’t be their personal hero.

Look up the definition for the word hero. Every definition that popped up through Google essentially said this: A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities (Oxford dictionary). It doesn’t say that heroes are ONLY people who face death for others, with no thought of personal gain or glory. Are they heroes?? ABSO-frikkin-LUTELY! Can a persons favorite singer be a hero? SURE CAN! Can a pet be a hero? YOU BET! Can a YouTuber be a hero? YUP! Seriously, ANYBODY can be a hero if they affect a person in a life-changingly positive way.

I know that I lot of people posting things like that are just using it as a tactic to battle liberals, but this isn’t helping the mental health stigma AT ALL.

There are many of us that have on the edge of the cliff and heard a song, had a convo with someone, saw someone battle through the same walls as you, or whatever and it inspired us not to jump. I’m not just talking about suicide, but also simply just losing control of your mind.

Here is a just a small chunk of a fairly long list of people that I consider my own heroes

• The band, The Spill Canvas (specifically Nick Thomas and his voice and lyrics)
• Author, Brené Brown
• My best friend, Chan
• Author, Jen Sincero
• The band, A Day to Remember
• My first therapist, Jen
• My boss’ dog, Cubby

They have all been war-heroes in my internal battle against my own brain.

So, let’s not tell people who can’t be heroes. You don’t know what other people are going through in their life and what/who has kept them from falling into the deep end. I’ve had people tell me that something I said or did kept them from hurting or killing themselves. Saving someones mind can also mean saving their life.