Today, I stumbled upon an article in The Jakarta Post from the year 2005. I was surprised when I spotted my name written in the article—at the time, I was still 22 😀 I didn’t even remember how it got there in the first place. I think it was a short interview for the commemoration of National Heroes Day, and the journalist asked around, trying to find out who people considered to be modern-day heroes. Below is my answer:

Generally speaking, I believe a hero is simply someone who is willing to help others without asking for recognition. I also believe there are real-life heroes among us, but that we are often too busy to recognize them.

I once saw a street musician help a middle-aged woman who fell from a moving minivan. A vendor helped a friend of mine who fainted inside a train, and even found a car to take her home.

And a friend told me of her cousin who wanted to commit suicide, but changed her mind after hearing the song Heaven on the radio.

These people offered help not because they wanted recognition — how could the DJ know the song would help my friend’s cousin — but simply because they were at the right place at the right time.

So I think a hero is someone who never considers himself a hero, and perhaps does not even realize they have done a heroic deed. Most of the time, a hero is simply a stranger who gives you a genuine smile and brightens your day.

Who’s your modern-day hero? 😉