Sometimes, heroism goes unnoticed. The important thing is that at the time, the hero springs into action, even if there is no reward or recognition. Being a hero at the right time is what’s really important...

Say, for example, you are home with your convalescing wife - recovering from surgery, weak, groggy and generally disoriented.

Suddenly, your heightened senses detect some sort of noise above the racket of the television. Something seems off, but you stand down - no real threat appears imminent.

Then, as your muscles have slowly begun to uncoil and return to normal, a louder “crack” is heard, along with a flash of light, and your finely-tuned nostrils pick up on an ever-so-faint acrid smell - there’s a fire in the hole!!

Calmly surveying the situation, the hero calmly advises his spouse to calmly call 911, downplaying the concern that an electrical fire is already likely coursing through the interior walls of the home. When she appears too distraught to comprehend the three simple numbers for emergency response, he takes it upon himself to place the call - ignoring the concerning scent of destruction by an unseen blaze.

The ambulance is the first responder - trained EMS members calmly walking towards the home. Perhaps a little too calm, but the hero forgives their seeming indifference - they are clearly trained to remain calm in difficult situations.

By the time the two fire trucks roll up, the EMS crew is already walking back towards their vehicle, still in complete control of their emotions. You can barely see evidence of the worry they must be feeling, but now their comrades are on the scene, and they must stand down, trade off their own heroic services with their fellow rescuers.

A well-protected fireman produces a tool, whereby he is able to search right through walls (Holy Superman, Batman!!), and I prepare for the worst - this building is minutes from being reduced to a pile of ash...

“It’s a burn-out light - call off the back-up units...”

Well, yeah, it may have just been a burnt out light, but it sure had the smell of disaster lingering on it!!

After a further inspection of our fuse box, and confirmation that the heat of the now-extinguished light bulb was dropping by the second, we were all able to breath a sigh of relief. Mrs. That Dan Guy, clearly swooning over a valiant rescue effort, even if it had all been in vain...pretended not to know me as the fire department left.

It’s not so much that there may have been a slight over-reaction. It’s more just the knowing that one is ready to spring into action, when heroism is being called on...

Chow for now!!