Unsung Heroes Dominate Awards Yet Again

The moment you’ve waited for all year long. My annual awards handed out to people who were inspirational, performed unselfish acts of kindness, or who just plain stood out in a positive manner. I call this my “Stroupe Thumbs Up Awards For People Who Deserve It.” You may notice I have changed the name of it every year, and each time it seems to be named something lamer than the year before. Nonetheless, there are plenty of candidates who stood out in 2008 so I’ll get right to it: LIFESAVERS- A group of concerned citizens/Good Samaritans came to the aid of an unconscious lady at Wal-Mart in Shelby who would have certainly died had they not been there and acted quickly. She was a stranger to these heroes but their concern for humanity outweighed any hesitation or discomfort they might have experienced. Nice going, folks. OBSTACLE HURDLER- You’ve probably never heard of Samia Yusef Omar of Somalia. She finished last in her track event at the 2008 Summer Olympics. But just to make it to the Olympics was her accomplishment. During her training in the streets of her village, she was threatened, harassed, and nearly killed by a bomb. She often had to run in a disguise and her nutritional intake consisted of flat bread, wheat porridge and tap water each day. Give the young lady a medal. LEGIONS OF HEROES- The local players performed great, the local coaches often outsmarted the competition, and the local community exhibited awesome support for the American Legion Regionals and World Series in 2008. A tip of the cap to everyone on the committee, especially its leaders- Eddie Holbrook and Jim Horne. STARS AMONG US- Speaking of the Legion games, I was able to catch most of them. There were some unbelievable renditions of the National Anthem, but few among us will ever forget youngsters Jordan Beaver and Emily Wilson’s performances. HONORABLE MENTIONS- A number of folks deserve mention here. The GWU college students who I was privileged to lead on a mission trip in October and the middle school and high school kids I hooked up with on a similar trip this summer. Also, the guy driving the truck behind me when my son’s truck bedliner came loose and catapulted itself onto the highway- because he saved himself from injury and me from having to increase my insurance payments when he swerved to avoid the flying object. And finally, somebody who instructed the waitress to pick up my check and paid for me and my kid’s meal one night at a local restaurant. Thanks, whoever you are. Grand prize winner for this year: (Drum roll, please) BRIDGES OVER TROUBLED WATERS- So what do you do when you find out you have cancer and your treatments will cause you to lose hair and make you feel sick? I don’t know but Springmore Elementary School teacher Jenny Bridges has sported a bandana and a huge smile every day since her ordeal began. It really makes anything I would have to complain about dull in comparison. What a tremendous real life lesson for those kids. And also for the rest of us. So there you have it. Thumbs up to all of you who have tried to brighten up another’s life in 2008. As always, I’ll be watching in 2009.