Dear Poirot,

For thousands of years, storytelling has been a
respected medium for sharing everything from the
commonplace happenings of daily life to the more
profound meanings of the universe.

Some stories, especially folk tales, which have long
been the staple diet of storytellers, abound in
universal truths and values. Evil is punished: good is
rewarded; hard work provides the basis for a meaningful
life. Our traditional tales reveal the deeds of heroes
and heroines - linking past and present, providing a
perspective on time, and highlighting our common
humanity. Above all in most traditional stories there is
hope - an optimism which cannot help but have a
positive impact.

I remember the Odyssey of Ulysses, the Arthurian legends,
the ballads of Robin Hood, even Ned Kelly struck a chord.
There were many that I loved.

I guess evry culture produces its heroes: Attila from
Hungary; Cuchulain and Finn from Ireland: Ogier the Dane;
Roland and St Joan from France; Sigurd from the Norse and
Icelandic sagas who becomes Siegfried in German stories.
Antar of Arabia; Rustem of Iran; Rama the Indian hero, and
Scarface of the Blackfoot Indians - to select only a few.

In ancient days tales of heroes were often sung by minstrels
and gathered by poets in the form of an epic. The Iliad and
Odyssey of Homer are merely two good examples. The first
recorded epic appears to be the legend of Gilgamesh
sung to the harp by Sumerians and recorded in clay some
three thousand years before Christ. It probes the mysteries
of life and whatever is beyond it.

Much like Star Trek tried to do in its series.
And the many other sci-fiction tales that followed.

Life is indeed interesting.
Thanks for this thread.

To me, the most impressive hero is an ordinary person who, finding themselves in an extraordinary situation, is able to perform outstandingly courageous acts for a cause or ideal that they believe in.

Nancy Wake springs immediately to mind.

Dear Pericles,

Another is - Sir Ernest Edward "Weary" Dunlop.

I had the privilege of meeting him a few years
ago. He showed coloured slides of drawings done
by an artist who recorded what life was like
in the prisoner camps. I was unable to sit
through the entire showing. It was too emotional.

Well for me its people such as David Attenborough and Jane Goodall.
They have an understanding of the natural world and our role in
it, which a whole lot of people don't have.

I admire both of them.

Dear Yabby,

Did you see 60 Minutes last Sunday on
Damian Aspinall's reunion with an
adult male gorilla named Kwibi?

Awesome.

There is another name that should be mentioned
in our lists of heroes:

Dr Catherine Hamlin.

Dr Hamlin has dedicated over 50 years to treating
obstetric fistula patients thereby restoring
health, hope, and dignity of thousands of
Africa's poorest women.