An Eye-Opener

I opened the vocal page as I do any other day and suddenly, this challenge popped up to write about your hometown heroes. Well, here is the thing I never idolized anyone as a child. I never played sports so I did not have a coach to look up to, sure I did swim lessons but not one of those teachers I actually remember. They were women other than maybe one of them? I do not know how that is significant but that is all I can remember. I don't know their names. Sure, I have looked up to my older siblings like any other last born child does. I look up to both my parents, but again that is a little bit boring because most people do. So, I am going to write about a celebrity whom I knew very little about until reading his book "Greenlights". I am talking about Matthew McConaughey, I did not think much about his earlier acting career, but I was compelled to buy his book. I was just on instagram and scrolling through random things until I came across a video that stopped me in my tracks. It was his acceptance of the oscar speech. He says in this speech the thank-yous, but what really caught me was he said "there are three things I look forward to each day, one is something to look up to, another is something to look forward to and lastly is someone to chase" that right there is what made me think "huh...that's compelling" I continued watching he continues to say "thank you to my hero who I chase...me in ten years is my hero" that is what stuck with me and compelled me to get out of my comfy couch and get into my car and drive to the nearest bookstore and buy his book "greenlights". I started reading it on one of my shifts at work and from time to time I would put it down and think about what he wrote. "My hero will always be ten years away" and that's what I believe. Everyday I am trying to be a better person to reach the goal of my hero, but every year I am still going to have ten years until I meet my hero. My hero is future me.

I started to read the book and learned about McConaughey‘s life story from his siblings to his big break in the movies. From doing romantic comedies he eventually fell into a flow of getting offers left and right and decided to take a break from acting and travel and to meet random strangers and learn from them. He took time to learn about what he wanted and I believe that everyone has to go through a tough time to get to a good time. Then he started to turn down the romantic comedies and got nothing for months. He then proceeded to do serious roles and eventually won an Oscar, yet he is still chasing his hero. That’s what perseverance is, is knowing that an Oscar is not enough and still striving for more. We should all take example after him and continue chasing our dreams and our future selves. We can thank the people in our lives, we can thank our families and friends, thank our experiences but never stop. McConaughey‘s book is called “Greenlights” not “Redlights”. Anything that is good that happens to us is a green light and we need to acknowledge that. So, all in all my hometown hero is myself in ten years thanks to the inspiration of Matthew McConaughey‘s book titled “Greenlights”.