Today (October 21) is National Heroes Day. One of the most admirable traditions we have is the annual ceremony held at King’s House to honour a very long list of contemporary Heroes.
Many are people like you and me. They come from all walks of life,
From riverside to mountain
From cane field to the sea,
The audience includes persons from the diaspora, ambassadors and expatriates.
Our hearts salute Jamaica,
Triumphant, proud and free
It’s fascinating to see how the awardees approach the Governor General. Some strut or glide in to greet him. Others are escorted in a wheelchair or lean on the arm of a soldier. And, believe it or not, few will have a representative to collect on his or her behalf.
These are persons who have
faithfully… served [Jamaica] with our talents and, …
In honour of thy name,
Work[ed] steadfastly and wisely
And never bring thee shame.
This is the morning of much pageantry and regalia. Everybody tu'n up inna dem pretty dan-dan! Family, friends and colleagues cheer each one. Seeing the Jamaica Military Band live and hearing the entertainers exude excellence is tremendous! Truly, everyone here represents the BEST of Jamaica.
This year the ceremony wasn’t held at King’s House, but the prestige was the same. My favourite moment was meeting one of my sports heroes- Hansle Parchment. He is a tall, handsome, elegant, gracious, dynamic, determined, articulate, debonair gentleman. He is a110m hurdles specialist; a World Silver medalist; and an Olympic Gold and Bronze medalist.
To me, his names foretell his unique legacy. He is more than a sportsman. His life is evidence that God is gracious and, as Parchment, he is writing a noble tale. You watch and see!
You should see me a grin from ear to ear as I admired my impeccably dressed blue suit hero receive his award from the Governor General. The way I was beaming would make you think I am a part of his coaching staff. Tro!
Aaaiii sah! Me no like run down people, you know, but today was an exception. After the event, you should see me trying to be lady-like in the hub-bub while I steered my husband so that I could take a pic.
The thing is- this event is a fantabuloshous capsule of the years of hard work this man has put in. It only summarises his life in a few minutes and a blue suit. You get what I mean?
Do you remember how he nearly missed the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics? That was the same Olympics that was impacted by the pandemic. That was the same Olympics where he created history by winning gold! [cue: screaming moment]
Do you remember what happened to him at the most recent Paris Olympics? [cue: crying moment] Perhaps you should re-watch how he handled the grave disappointment.
Seeing him in the blue suit with his medal of honour makes the image of him "Jumping over zinc fences and bearing the weight of old tyres as he ran up and down the hill of Cashew Lane in Port Morant, St Thomas" seem surreal.
On the other hand, this reminded me of a mega moment I had with a baby giraffe. Yes, it relates quite well to Hansle.
Stick a pin – and, let me ask you something that only you can answer: Suppose you were to be one of the awardees instead of a spectator, what would bring you the greatest pride and joy?
Please note that I am not asking you to look at the long list of categories and insert yourself. Oh no! I am not even asking you to say what people admire about you. Nope. I am asking you- What would you like to be recognized for? What does your heart desire most right now?
It could be as grand as being the most innovative and successful team member at work.
It could be as simple as habitually leaving your house 15 minutes earlier so that you can beat the traffic and maximize your day’s potential.
It could be as impressive as completing a course of study or learning a new skill.
It could be as mundane as decluttering a room or your email.
Really, it could be one of those simple but powerful actions that promotes well-being.
Better yet, let me tweak the question: What would you feel most proud about being honored for? Maybe, it’s one of the New Year’s Resolutions you listed?
My Friend, as soon as one, or at most two things, come to your mind, continue reading.
You see, Heroes Day is not just for a few persons out there. It's for you and me too. Unfortunately, many of us choose to exit the line because we missed a most valuable lesson that the giraffe revealed to me. Ready to hear it?
Well, a couple months ago I watched a very short video produced by the Wilds. It showed a cute new-born with its bungling, bumbling movements learning to stand. It drew my attention to a human phenomenon.
Somehow, I was fascinated by the fact that the video was both annoying and enjoyable at the same time. I wondered why I watched it repeatedly.
I later realised that this high quality production with its catchy tune quickly reels us in to experience the wonder. There was a definite dopamine rush by the end of the 2 minutes. It makes us cheer on the gangly calf and later, celebrate its triumph. It introduces us to its Mom and, later, the community.
Still, it was irritating. Why? I wondered. My answer came after rewatching, dissecting, and viewing other videos on the subject.
Along the way, I discovered that my soul was annoyed because this delightful video lulled us into thinking that this moment was short, painless and effortless. This charming experience belied the hour of trial, the magnitude of effort, and the depth of urgency a mother giraffe in the wild would have for her calf.
Sounds weird but it’s true.
Oddly enough, it also reminded me of me.
After all, making progress isn’t really as cute as the spectators, or even the photographs make it seem. Think about it.
Have you noticed that some of us no longer take on new skills or challenges for fear of failure, or of the imposter syndrome, or because we are anxious or something so? Somehow, procrastination develops instead of that one thing you know your future self would thank you for.
In fact, I recognized that I was more likely to take on challenges that boosted other persons because: it’s easier to be a cheerleader; because their deadline is “more real”; and, if it all failed, then it wouldn’t all be on me. Add to that, investing in someone else’s project gives more dopamine along the way than the energy needed to be resilient, nuh true?
Over time, we mask it with noble qualities like sharing and caring.
Or, by prodding our children to learn and get good grades for us.
Or, we nag, rather than inspire.
Or, we become dictators instead of collaborators.
Hhhmmm, “the hardest person to lead is ourselves”, says John Maxwell. Would you agree?
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Hard words, aye?
Watching young giraffe learn to stand and take staccato steps resembled a clumsy ballerina. No one wants to look like that.
Moreover, it doesn’t take 2 minutes. It takes 45-60 minutes!
Yet, this hour is crucial to survival. Predators are lurking.
Standing is fundamental to learning how to walk and, later, run.
Learning to stand in an hour is key to standing for milk, bowing for water and stretching for branches.
This one hour of the clumsy, gangly, wobbly, pause and go again is not a performance. It is not an event. It is about living!
Perhaps, like me, you have developed insecurities or limiting beliefs rather than self-confidence. Or, you may know someone who is just comfortable being in discomfort rather than courageously moving toward empowerment.
Just imagine what would happen if the giraffe refuses to try again. What if Hansle had given up when he got lost in Tokyo?
Am I making sense?
Regrettably, too many of us fail to become champions or graduates in matters that are most meaningful to us. In large part, this is due to the fact that we underestimate how much it takes to stand on our feet.
Tell the truth- when was the last time you were inspired to do something amazing? Was it something to do with your health or your finance or with your relationship? Do you remember downloading an app or signing up for a course or support group? Oooo yes! We begin boldly. Then, somehow, it fizzles when we begin to bumble, tumble and bungle along. O lawdy-lawdy-o!
According to Myron Golden, we begin to lose confidence in ourselves when we don’t continue. Every time this happens we unconsciously develop a lack of trust because we can’t “confide in” our abilities.
His talk helped me to see that unfulfilled personal goals cause us to keep record of our failures rather than our wins. In doing so we are harder on ourselves. We become our worst critics. We tend to add disabling features to our identity.
Mmmm, penny for your thoughts- could this be the reason few of us find it so hard to even accept compliments?
Well, my friend, do you see how Heroes like Hansle Parchment and the baby giraffe can relate to you and me? We too have the potential to celebrate personal successes on Heroes’ Day.
Learning to stand requires us to commit to a process of tumbles and bumbles. (I still don’t like that) It also requires us to invest in our future selves today. To sum it all up, be encouraged! Be inspired to pursue meaningful goals.
As you prepare to stand on your own feet (again):
Remember that its likely to take more than you estimate. That's normal.
Remember that personal growth is neither glamourous nor easy. Its not an event. It’s a process that is unique to you. For that reason, you will need to try and try and try again.
Remember that the cheers, the blue suit and the award are the culmination of all you invested in your well-being.
Remember that the benefits are worth more than the effort taken.
Envision yourself on Heroes Day. Let's move toward the line of contemporary heroes. I wonder if you will be wearing super hero blue too. Lol!
In my next blog I will share a few lessons baby giraffes taught me about learning how to stand. Will you subscribe and journey with me?
Stan' good, me Fren! Stan' real good!
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