Heroes

This morning, my husband sent me this picture from his phone to mine. Will Smith, the actor, visited the school where my husband teaches. Apparently, some of the students knew who he was and were pretty excited. The other teachers certainly did, and I guess some of the female teachers were all atwitter over having the celebrity at their school.

Now, I've never seen a Will Smith movie, so forgive my "Bah, humbug!" attitude. But, as the kids and I sat in our family room reading this morning, I couldn't help but be underwhelmed at the significance of the surprise visit to the public school. Now, granted, Smith, in town to promote a new movie, didn't have to visit the school. He didn't have to give them $2,000. But the fact that we, as a society, go so ga-ga over entertainers really bugs me.

I sat there, reading about ancient Greece, and thought about who I'd like our children to see. The veterans who were at the Veteran's Day program last week came to mind. How about someone who can build a house from the ground up? What about having a missionary stop by for a visit? A rancher. A farmer. A pastor. A fireman. An abortion clinic protester. A believer who worships clandestinely in a country where Christianity is forbidden. These are some of the heroes I want my children to learn from and look up to.