I grew up in a time where heroes were important and the people chosen as heroes stood for something good. They were not given awards they did not deserve but were an example to follow when living life. We do not see that much anymore. I can only think of a few people I call heroes anymore. We need those strong people to look up to, to emulate and to learn from.
Recently I came across a story of an unsung hero that was not really recognized until much after the act he is known for. His name is Sir Nicholas Winton and he is credited for saving 669 children during the Holocaust. He is just one of the heroes that helped save children from the Holocaust.
According to Wikipedia:
“Sir Nicholas George Winton, MBE (born Nicholas Wertheim; 19 May 1909) is a British humanitarian who organized the rescue of 669 mostly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovadia on the eve of the Second World War, in an operation later known as the Czech Kindertransport. Winton found homes for the children and arranged for their safe passage to Britain.”
From LifeBuzz
“After the war, his efforts remained unknown. But in 1988, Winton’s wife Grete found the scrapbook from 1939 with the complete list of children’s names and photos.” And they were able to track down many of the children that Sir Nicholas helped save.”
video by bleuscorpio
This video brought tears to my eyes because he appears to be such a humble man and never flaunted what he did to help these children. The look on his face when he realizes that they are there with him is so touching.
I started researching and found this video telling how Sir Nicholas Winton went about creating a program to save these children. All it took was one man willing to stand up and do something and to get others involved.
video by WaldoPepper62
I hear people say they can do nothings but we can. We might not can do what Sir Nicholas Winton did but we can do something to change our corner of the world if nothing else. Evil triumphs because people do nothing…even good people.
image from www.dcclothesline.com
We need heroes today and more importantly, we need men and women who are willing to stand up for what is right and are willing to act upon that belief. We need more heroes like Sir Nicholas Winton who saw the problem and set about trying to find a solution and in the end saved 669 children. But, wait, that is not the end of what he saved. He saved the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those 669 children. Like the ripples in a pond his good work carries on as others are picking up the torch to help those in need.
Remember the days where it was easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys in the movies? The good guys always wore white hats and the bad guys wore black hats. It is not so easy today to tell the difference as so much change has happened. We can not go by appearances or by words. We can only go by results. I used to say if a person’s words did not match their eyes then my alarms went off and they still do. Unfortunately, some have learned the cunning needed to make their eyes seem compassionate and loving while there is malice in their hearts.
The documentary trailer about Sir Nicholas Winton. I can not wait to see it.
video by trigonproduction
A quote by a young lady on the video was filled with such wisdom for such a young age that it struck me and played over and over in my head. She also went on to say she wanted to be as much like Sir Nicholas Winton as possible. That is what being a hero is. It is being a role model that others want to emulate. And we are all role models whether we want to be or not so why not be a good role model.
“Now and then there is still evil in the world. It is up to us to not let this happen again.”
I have always said that complacency makes us complicit. If we sit idly by and do nothing when we see corruption, evil and wrongdoing, then we are just as guilty as those doing it. Sir. Nicholas Winton was definitely NOT complacent. He put his own life in jeopardy to save as many children as he could and then he lived his life as if he had done nothing. Talk about unsung heroes. We might can not fix all the wrongs in the world by ourselves but we can right some of the wrongs in that pile. We can not be swept away by high emotions at that moment and allow evil to take over the freedoms we have worked so hard for. We also can not sit idly by and allow such things as the holocaust to happen again. We can not pretend that nothing is happening.
We all can be heroes in our own way. I see many doing it by working to help those in catastrophes but we can also help right wrongs such as those bullied or abused. We can help with those who are suffering due to economic impact. The list goes on and on and most importantly we can stand up and fight for what is right. That is what makes a hero…someone who stands up even if they stand alone.
“Be prepared always to help other people if there is an opportunity to do so” Sir Nicholas Winton
Work The Dream 
So many shrug and say, “there’s nothing I can do about it. That’s so far away.”
But if we all try to do things in our own neighborhood – our own little space, then the world will be a better place. The need is right here and now – all anyone has to do is look and decide to help.
Good post.
Thanks and I agree. We might not can save the world but we can help by helping one person at a time.