Written By: Michael Sandoval
The Heroes That Matter
The ones that matter the most may not have super powers
Do you remember when we were children and caught our first glimpse of what it felt like to look up to a hero? It was an incredible feeling knowing that there were even “story-book” characters that could easily provide us with some of our first forms of “mentor ship”. Cartoons seemed to have been a simple way for us as kids to relate and segregate right from wrong in some way shape or form (Villains vs. Superheroes)….
We all had different fictional “heroes” we looked up to depending on which part of the world or generation we came from… G.I. Joe, Batman, Superman, Power Rangers, Planeteers etc…
I personally could never get enough of the four “Turtles” named after Italian Renaissance Painters … They were the underdog “Heroes in a Half shell”; they were “The Ninja Turtles”. They provided New York City with unselfish protection against rouge individuals and continuously battled while attempting to remain hidden from society. I admired them for their valiant efforts and humble approach. They were always giving their services and never expected anything in return. Although I could probable go on for days discussing my love for cartoons, I would like to turn the focus onto the Heroes that matter most!
The Fathers of the world!!!
They are the men that play backstage roles in many ways at times; men that have to know a little bit about anything and everything. They have to be compassionate, strong, motivated, patient, self-driven, encouraging and among so many more things that I could mention, most importantly Role Models.
My Father was that and more. I wrote this entry after speaking to him over a “Skype” call during the evening and his joyful laughter, clever phrases and loving soul took me back to when I was a young boy. I don’t think that I ever knew it when I was a child, could never admit during my teenage years and became too busy when adulthood arrived to realize that my father has always been my best friend! He bought me my first bike and taught me how to ride, he showed me how to play catch, he read me bed time stories every evening (although he would normally fall asleep before I did), and most importantly he showed me how to be a good man!
I thought back to my birthdays and how his approach was completely different than any other.
He would spend weeks creating carnival games, homemade piñatas, personalized prizes and as the “Ringmaster” he dressed in full costume to ensure that the ambiance stayed true to the vision. The tradition was always carried onto other “holidays” such as Halloween. The entire house would be consumed with decorations, dressed manikins and spooky music. Every year became bigger and bigger.
The Hidden Temple
Although always a headache for my mother (hahaha) the overfilled garage (“The Hidden Temple”) was my father’s secret sanctuary. In our eyes as children it contained hidden treasures that could only be discovered through expedition and exploration! Much like him, I could spend hours in there finding gadgets and trinkets from the “unknown”. Still today, decades later I find myself amazed on how interesting, intriguing and incredibly fun it is to find that one thing that you never knew existed at the bottom of a pile in “The Hidden Temple”.
My father’s name is Salvador…..The literal translation for his name in Spanish is “Savior”….
My father has been my savior, my grace, my motivation. He has been there for me in times of need and has taught me lessons when they were needed be learned. My father has never been a man of many words. At an early age we learned to embrace the verbiage, listen and comprehend when he did speak.
He has always been a cautious man that wanted to have a continuous “preventative maintenance plan” in our everyday lives. He lived his life to protect us from the villains of the world just as the Heroes that we knew in the movies.
He was, is and will always be my father!
To all of the fathers of the world; I admire and respect you tremendously!
This Father’s Day, I would like to thank you dad! For everything! The literature above does not come close to describing who you are as a man and who you have been to me as a father! I am blessed to be your son!
Thank you for being….