Heroes

Hero- a person who performs extraordinary deeds for the benefit of others.(Wikipedia)
Since I was a child I have always known the technical definition of a hero as being a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. I always was inspired by stories of knights, supermen and courageous men and women who did wonderful things and changed the world around them and thought of them as heroes. Then as i got a little older it changed to professional athletes and athletes that were from my school that were older. But recently when thinking about this and thinking that since I was older I might be a little kids hero and not ever realize it. So i decided to think about what a hero was to me. I came up with this, A hero is someone who does what he is afraid to do. A hero has a mind of such a balance that no disturbances can shake his will, but follows the music of his heart. Self-trust is what makes a person a hero, for if he does not trust in his capabilities he will not achieve what he proposes to himself. A hero is someone who will stand up and make a difference, not expecting any rewards.
I remember in 2001 right after 9/11 the firefighters and police that stepped up on that day and risked their lives were seen as heroes. The nation was inspired by these people who started September 11th just like any other day and when they were called to step up for this country they did and went to bed that night heroes. A few months later there was a little dribbers team that instead of being the Heat, Lakers, Spurs, or Knicks like the teams usually were, they decided to be NYPD, and NYFD in honor of their heroes and every ones heroes. But now that the years have pasted the only time it seems like I here the term "hero" it is talking about men and women who have died in war or doing something noble but i don't think that that is completely right.
To some degree a lot of us are a hero to someone. Whether it is a brother or sister or even a kid at school that we played basketball with, we may have a huge impact on someone and be their hero. So on thinking about this it got me thinking about how i live my life. Everyday am I living my life the way that I would want someone to see me living it? I have tried to be a positive influence to people around me and brighten their day and live life the way that I would want someone that I care about to live it. So as I end this I want to leave you with a quote that I came up with that I posted on my Facebook. "They say never judge a book by its cover, but isn't the cover trying to sell u the book? Sometimes what someone sees of you in your worst moments could be the type of person they see you as."-Cale Bloskas... So how we live our lives everyday or just one day could be the way that someone sees us and sometimes that is not the way we want to be seen.

June 11th

June 11, 2005: I was in Monte Vista, CO. I was on a youth group mission trip with my church and we had done this for several years. As everyone showed up to the church early in the morning we were informed to meet in the auditorium, not aware for what was about to hit us. Once everyone was there my dad, who was a sponsor on the trip, told us about the death of Jacob. It seemed like hours that we all just sat there crying, holding each other, and praying. It was one of the hardest days of my life, knowing that the person who truly taught me how to live life not matter what happens had taught me how to leave this world living life to the fullest. That was the first of only a few nights that I have actually cried myself to sleep.

I didn't know Jacob that well when he first got here but quickly heard stories and witnessed his amazing attitude quickly. One time he kept giving one of the teachers the wrong phone number so that she couldn't call his parents to tell them about him acting up in class. He was always making people laugh and even in the darkest times he was making everyone around him smile. The love that everyone in Anton had for him is unlike anything I have ever seen. When he was at school in a wheelchair I saw some of his friends pushing him around and making sure that he was as comfortable as possible. Jacob never was serious when you asked him questions and I only saw him serious and look scared once when I was sitting with my sister at a basketball and he was telling me about a trip to Houston. But after being diagnosed with cancer he still had the amazing joking attitude and maybe even had a more positive look on life. There are to many stories to tell about Jacob but one story that makes me smile was about one time when he was in the hospital. There was a nurse trying to put his IV in his arm and kept missing, instead of getting mad or something he simply asked the nurse if she should be doing this and that maybe she needed to be flipping burgers.

Jacob was an inspiration to everyone he encounter and changed every ones lives. He is the reason that I try to enjoy every moment of everyday and try to live life to the fullest. He overcame odds and did his best to prove all the doctors wrong. When the doctors told him he would never walk he told them he would walk the stage at graduation and he worked for that goal. Not only did Jacob walk the stage he walked down the rows of seat, up the stairs to the stage, across the stage, down the stairs and back out the door all on his own power. He not only met his goal but he proved the doctors wrong and proved that with God all things are possible. He knew that he could either hate life and be upset about what was going on in his life or he could do what he did and live life to the fullest and make sure that he takes advantage of everyday!

Even people who didn't know Jacob personally were touched by him. I remember our church giving him a "prayer pager" so that every time someone prayed for him they could leave their number and Jacob could know that people cared and were praying for him. It started as just the people locally praying for him and as his story spread there were people all over the nation praying for him. He and his family would even look up all the different area codes in amazement of what God can do and the good in people spread.

Jacob Williams is my hero and inspiration in life. He not only taught me how to live life to the fullest but to die with no regrets. I know that he is looking down on every single person that he influenced and seeing the impact that he had on my life and everyone elses. Everyone that knew him was lucky to have known him and I know that he has had the biggest impact on me that anyone ever has and has taught me a lesson on how to live life.

A few years ago i wrote a song about Jacob titled "Never Goodbye" it can be found on my Myspace page at www.myspace.com/calebloskas . There are two songs on there a funny one title the Oreo Song and then the song about Jacob titled Never Goodbye. The quality sucks on the song and my singing is horrible since I recorded this 2 years ago. So don't listen to the singing to closely. I know that my prayers are going out to the Williams family and everyone who was touched by his life as we remember and celebrate his life 5 years later. We love and miss you Jacob and out lives will never be the same!