There’s a song called Celluloid Heroes by the Kinks, one of the most influential rock groups of the 1960s and early 70s. They wrote so many great songs.
But this one is particularly apt for our time, I think.
Films used to be made of a material called celluloid, and the song talks about the people on the ‘silver screen’ whom we literally look up at when we go to see a film.
Sometimes we also look up to them—and to others who happen to be well known and appear not only in films but on television and now, all over the internet.
They do appear to be larger than life, due to the size they project on the screen. And they also usually—or always in my case–have a lot more money than we do, have nicer homes and clothes, and seem to lead happier lives.
But is that true? Yes, to the part about money. But why are they considered heroes? Why do so many of us look up to them?
On Hollywood Boulevard many actors, past and present, are given stars which are embedded into the sidewalk. And the lyrics to the song says that we recognize some of the names on the stars, and some we’ve hardly even heard of.
Fifty or one hundred years from now, even the most famous stars may have been forgotten.
I teach college writing, and my students don’t know people I mention in class, probably like the musical group The Kinks, who were so famous when I was their age.
But aside from well-known figures, there are the real heroes, everyday heroes—people who made and those who continue to make great sacrifices for others, some we’ve heard of, and some we haven’t.
Then there is another kind of hero: neighbors, strangers you pass on the street, teachers, doctors, firemen, mothers, fathers, even pets. Those who get up and do what they need to do, often struggling with poverty, illness, depression.
They are mostly invisible—invisible heroes. Yet they are not truly invisible. Every life they touch sees and hears and feels the good that they do.
Success is highly prized in our culture. But what kind of success is the most important to achieve?
Who are your heroes? Who are the people you look up to and try to emulate?
Christopher Reeve was a celluloid hero—he even played “Superman.” And when he had an accident and became paralyzed, he became another kind of hero. He started a foundation for those with spinal cord injuries, and served as a role model for the severely disabled.
Stay strong, carry on using your strengths and talents. Do what you love and follow your own creative spirit.
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Christopher Reeve
Here’s a video of the song Celluloid Heroes, if you are interested in hearing it: