Silent Heroes by Gina Cohen

My unsung hero is a teenager from my past. Although I know his name, he has no idea how he became my silent unsung hero.  Silent heroes are the best kind, and this is why; they change your situation, your way of thinking, all in their actions. Unsung heroes do not wait, they act swiftly and immediately. They don't think about themselves. They just silently act.

Jimmy, Karen and I are walking up steep Terrace Avenue, walking to a CYO after school activity. Karen and Jimmy are 2-years older than me and they are girlfriend and boyfriend. I am tagging along today, only able to attend because I am with them. I'm wearing a scoliosis brace. One of the most humiliating, embarrassing, uncomfortable times of my life.  Yes, I knew there were people with scoliosis worse off than me. Some needed operations. Some needed full body casts. I just need to wear this brace for a year or so. OK - so I lived but I suffered terribly from embarrassment at my body brace predicament.

Jimmy, Karen and I are walking up steep Terrace Avenue. Karen and Jimmy have their arms around each other's waist as we get to the steepest incline of Terrace Avenue.  I am walking behind them, barely making it up that darn hill with the clunky, uncomfortable body brace when Jimmy looks behind, sees me, reaches out his other arm, grabs around my shoulders, and then the 3- of us are in a row, making our way to the summit, and Jimmy is touching me!!; touching the body brace!!; helping me get through the hardest part of the hill. He's not flinching. He's just walking with his girl, and me, all of us linked together, he seems comfortable touching the brace. He did not recoil, he did not second guess, he just reached out his right arm and scooped me in, and we continued to the top of this hill. Once there, Jimmy let us both go as we continued on our way.

 

I have never forgotten what Jimmy did for me in the quietest, nicest, sweetest way; to look back and see me struggling, to then reach out and help his girlfriend's girlfriend without saying a word. Jimmy has no idea how his kindness changed me.  He has no idea that he's my unsung hero. Jimmy, if you ever read this, thank you for making me feel like a young teenage girl walking to CYO with her friends instead of a young teenage monster wearing the most awful body brace, that no one should look at, let alone touch.

 

Since that sweetest gesture, I always remember how he made me feel as I try to notice those struggling around me so that I too can offer a quiet, silent helping hand.

Thank you Jimmy for the gift of pure charity and generosity.

Gina Cohen