The Union's recent "Both Sides Now" Opinion section on Heroes was great! It seemed the "sides" actually had more in common than not. Maybe this was because both sides basically said that a "hero" is someone we respect because, through their compassion and intelligence, they've made a special difference in our lives.

Two local people of Hero status immediately come to mind. Otto Haueisen has been churning out highly pragmatic, intelligent, and compassion-filled pieces for our local paper for some time (a favorite is "Diversity in belief, just as in nature, is beneficial"). Herb Dimock's recent "10 more commandments" piece in The Union hangs on the wall in my office. I refer to it frequently for inspiration and guidance and I get goosebumps every time I read it. These two men are perfect examples of local heros; the sort of people whose wisdom and insight we can all benefit from! They don't just complain about what's wrong and look for who to blame. They don't play word games with partisan-politics messages. Instead, they focus on the problem only to the extent of definition, and then they focus on solutions. It's not only refreshing, but it'll actually get us where we need to be, and much sooner than later!

To sustain any sort of quality of life on this planet, I suggest we focus our listening energies towards these kinds of people. Then, after careful thought and deliberation, we can put into action their wisdom. After all, the problems of the world all boil down to the problems of individuals; if individuals change, the course of the world will change. In other words, the "Them" that many choose to blame for our problems is just a collection of "You & I's." Through daily implementation of the wisdom such heroes have given us, we each play a key role in the evolution of human conciousness required (not optional!) for a sustainable quality of life on Earth.