My Choice for a Hero,(class assignment not yet proof read)
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 12:30 am
Steven Boyd
Humanities
March 2, 2005
An Easy Choice
What is a Hero?
A hero is a person who endures through pain and suffering and comes out of it helping others. A hero is someone who improves life regardless of the pain, accepts sacrifice and paves the way for those coming up behind them. A hero makes the turmoil of everyday existing a little easier.
Who is Richard Pryor?
His real name is Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III. He was born December 1, 1940 in Peoria Illinois. He wasn’t a fireman, never earned a degree and his only military experience was two years, 1958-1960, spent with the Army. Even then Pryor was dishonorably discharged, ironically, for fighting. He grew up in brothels run by his grandmother and at eight years old he was molested by a neighbor. Richard Pryor never ran into a burning building or a frozen river to save somebody. Due to his drug abuse Pryor needed saving more than most. In 1977 he suffered from a heart attack most likely brought on by abuse of cocaine. Three years later in an attempt to take his own life Pryor doused himself in cognac and in a drug induced stupor lit himself on fire.
Why is Richard Pryor a hero?
With the life he led some people would be hard pressed to put Richard Pryor on their list of candidates for HERO. But it is what Pryor did with his troubles, bringing them out on stage to make us laugh, that made him my first choice for hero. To those who would doubt me and want to chastise Pryor for his lifestyle I have this challenge: Go on stage in front of hundreds of people with nothing but a microphone. Now reach inside and pull out the deepest darkest demons, these must be demons and not secrets because Pryor never stopped at just secrets he exposed his demons. Now here is the kicker when the demons are out there for the world to see you must make the world laugh. Richard did it and no one has done it since.
Humanities
March 2, 2005
An Easy Choice
What is a Hero?
A hero is a person who endures through pain and suffering and comes out of it helping others. A hero is someone who improves life regardless of the pain, accepts sacrifice and paves the way for those coming up behind them. A hero makes the turmoil of everyday existing a little easier.
Who is Richard Pryor?
His real name is Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III. He was born December 1, 1940 in Peoria Illinois. He wasn’t a fireman, never earned a degree and his only military experience was two years, 1958-1960, spent with the Army. Even then Pryor was dishonorably discharged, ironically, for fighting. He grew up in brothels run by his grandmother and at eight years old he was molested by a neighbor. Richard Pryor never ran into a burning building or a frozen river to save somebody. Due to his drug abuse Pryor needed saving more than most. In 1977 he suffered from a heart attack most likely brought on by abuse of cocaine. Three years later in an attempt to take his own life Pryor doused himself in cognac and in a drug induced stupor lit himself on fire.
Why is Richard Pryor a hero?
With the life he led some people would be hard pressed to put Richard Pryor on their list of candidates for HERO. But it is what Pryor did with his troubles, bringing them out on stage to make us laugh, that made him my first choice for hero. To those who would doubt me and want to chastise Pryor for his lifestyle I have this challenge: Go on stage in front of hundreds of people with nothing but a microphone. Now reach inside and pull out the deepest darkest demons, these must be demons and not secrets because Pryor never stopped at just secrets he exposed his demons. Now here is the kicker when the demons are out there for the world to see you must make the world laugh. Richard did it and no one has done it since.
