Unconventional Heroes

You see dreams of knights in glinting silver, invincible armor atop majestic white steeds leaving behind trails of hoof prints and guiding magic; of dark-scaled, fierce fire-breathing dragons guarding a scorched tower with beautiful maiden in a flowing dress with golden hair cascading down her graceful back; of the princess in the knight's arms, smiling and shining and loving.

You watch visions of brightly-dressed outcasts with extraordinary abilities; of crusaders with their capes billowing as they soar the skies wearing clothes that never tear as they defeat evil and defend what's good; of cheering crowds, safe and unharmed as a crashing building burns in the background.

You glance at marble statues of men and women of years past in smart suits and thousand-mile stares on pedestals; lists of accomplishments and moves of bravery in history books and the plaques that accompany those statues; at nations and causes giving honor to single people with devoted and noble hearts.

You look at those around you, living and working and trying, normal souls moving in normal circumstances. Normal heroes, heroes in every way, shape or form. Princes in fairy tales and superheroes in comic books and national heroes in legacies and your best friend, your teacher, your mom, that boy next door, the stranger across the street, those who never failed to watch and listen, all there, all heroes.

But you never thought they'd come in the way they did, did you?

Sweaty, dirty, foul-mouthed men that didn't give a damn what anyone thought; crazed lunatics bearing drumsticks and guitars and mics running around a stage giving their all for the roaring thousands in front of them, picking up what's left behind afterwards to do it again some other time, some other place; funny, random, outrageous guys who make jokes at cameras and music and lyrics that could make and break.

Heroes that could save in the most impossible of ways, heroes that saved you, from yourself.

Princes in fairy tales and superheroes in comic books and national heroes in legacies and your best friend, your teacher, your mom, that boy next door, the stranger across the street, those who never failed to watch and listen, those men on stage, used and fucked up but alive, holding your heart in their hands, all there, all heroes.

Heroes can be anything you want them to be.