At six feet tall, or “a tall drink of water,” my dad isn’t what one thinks of as a hero. But he has worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get where he is today, making him a real hero. He grew up in a family with seven kids, so his parents were very tight with their money. He lived in Detroit where his neighbors “typically weren’t college educated.” There have been several limiting factors that he has had to overcome.
One test which proves my dad possesses heroic traits is how he worked through college. College was very competitive in his field of study, giving him little personal time. As he explained it, “I spent four years in the library.” He had several ways of getting past his financial obstacles for college. He took out student loans, worked for a scholarship, and worked around his tight budget. This struggle for him displays how he is hard-working, a heroic trait.
My dad also wanted a family, but raising kids takes sacrifices. Caring for his kids really limited travel and professional freedom. Also, the loss of money for supporting a family has extended the time before his retirement. Because of his trouble paying for college, he is determined to financially support his kids through college. This shows his compassion in what he gave up for his kids.
Another trait is how my dad shows dedication to my family through his hard work at his previous company. My dad is an electrical engineer and designs circuits for military, commercial, and consumer goods. But his old company competes internationally, providing a challenging and stressful work environment. This overworking from overlapping projects had caused a severe loss of personal time, showing his selflessness to earn money for his family.
My dad may not stride into danger head on like Odysseus, but he displays several of the other less violent traits of Odysseus. Being hard-working, compassionate, and selfless surely qualifies one as a hero. Even though he wishes he would have “taken more risks in (his) job choices,” he has definitely accomplished a lot. Although not quite epic, he deserves the title of a hero.