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Superheroes Contra Everyday Heroes

 


What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “hero”? Superheroes with superpowers and cool capes, busy saving New York? I like superhero movies a lot, too, but this story will be different. My hero is a bit closer to home, she comes from a small town, many might not even think she is a hero but she is definitely a hero for me.

As a child, when people asked me who I looked up to, who I took as a role model, I immediately listed people in my close surrounding, parents, grandparents or my siblings. A few years went by and when I was asked today: “Who is your hero and why?” she came to my mind immediately, and her story, which explains why I consider her a hero.

Judit has been one of my best friends for long years. We got to know each other in high school but we were not very close at first. It is our homeroom teacher I have to thank for our friendship because she told us to sit at the same school desk. We all know how pranks can bring young people together – it was no different with us either. We hated math and chemistry classes with joint forces, looking forward to the bell that  announced the end of those 45 minutes nightmares. Slowly, we got to know each other better and better, she told me about her family, her home and of course about the guy who she had been talking to for some time.

One day, Judit did not come to school. I tried to contact her but I got no answer. I got worried. We lived relatively close to each other so I jumped on my bike and cycled to her place. She came out crying so I got scared. What is wrong? It turned out that her mother is very ill, she suddenly dropped at her workplace, she was taken to the hospital and she was diagnosed with cancer. I felt terrible. I could not really understand what it could be like to experience this. The family went through a lot of difficulties.

Judit had three younger siblings, two boys and a girl. She was the one who supported the family during this period, she never collapsed, she helped her father as much as she could. She never complained, she took on extra work after school to ease her father’s burden. Moreover, she walked her brothers and sister to and from school and kindergarten. And she did all this gracefully, I never saw her unhappy. Despite her great loss she is the most cheerful person I know. Unfortunately, she did not continue her studies after high school but she found a job at a nice little shop, she got her driving licence and she did not give up on going to college. She feels that she has to be there for her siblings, she has to take care of their education first. I am very proud of her. I hope you will once find this little text which is just about YOU.

This entry was written at the Roma Heroes workshop of the Independent Theatre Hungary.

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