Growing up, I had a lot of heroes I looked up to. I remember a first basemen for the Cincinnati Reds named Ted Kluszewski. He was an all-star first basemen and a power hitter who cut off his jersey sleeves to make room for his massive biceps. He later became the hitting coach for Cincinnati nicknam ed the Big Klu. We often went to the Reds games when it was affordable and watched him play. I even cut off my jersey sleeves, though I wasn’t so impressive. Then, of course, there was John Wayne, the tall cowboy who many referred to as the Duke. He often portrayed a cantankerous character who stood up to those on the wrong side of the law. I can remember staying at my grandma’s and watching the Westerns play on black-and-white TV. She was a real fan of the genre, and it carried over to me. Looking up to your heroes today is not so easy. It seems to be hard to find a hero worth your time or devotion. It’s hard to strip them down to see what they are made of. How could you even tell who they really are because it’s so easy to hide behind all the money and social media. I looked up the definition of a hero. Two things stood out to me: one was it goes beyond fame, and secondly, it is simply doing the right thing. Wow, you can simply break it down to doing the right thing. Forget all you hear, forget all the BS, forget the title, forget the awards, forget what they have acquired, forget if their name is plastered on a street or a building, but don’t forget if they do the right thing. Today it seems like my heroes are dying out one by one. I really only had one hero left and now he is gone: Robert Redford. When I heard of his passing, my first thought was why him? This was a guy who Utah didn’t really deserve. However, I do think Park City did. He seemed to spend a life doing all the right things. How do you even do that? I know I even have difficulty at times. This was a guy who had all the fame and fortune, but he didn’t forget what was important and what was right. He championed independent film here in Utah and he fought for our enviornment, which you could tell though his films and dedication. Even though he challenged the powers to be in Utah, he challenged them respectfully and fought justly. He believed in a level playing field. I only wish I could say that about our political representatives who continue to use their position and power to take away our public lands and pollute our beautiful state of Utah. Please listen when the people of Utah speak. It’s funny, but it isn’t, because the only real reason tourists are attracted to Utah is its stunningly beautiful mountains, canyons, and red rock desert.  I don’t really care if I ever have another hero, whether Republican, Democrat, immigrant, independent, famous, poor, wealthy, black or white or illegal, for that matter. I don’t care if they have big biceps like Big Klu or if they stand tall like the Duke. But I do care if they follow a path similar to Redford, where they stay for the long haul and their path is defined by doing what’s right no matter the consequences. Winning isn’t all it’s cracked to be, but listening and doing what’s right is. In today’s world, anyone can gain a like, love, care or a following, but becoming a hero is not so easy. Today, right and wrong can be blurred or easily distorted, but no matter how one tries to depict it or define it or portray it, you know in your gut. When it comes to right and wrong, there is no room for compromise. God bless Robert Redford. Real heroes don’t die unless you let them. My only claim to fame was loading Redford on chairlift in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the ’70s as a lifty on a powder day. Not much to celebrate, but it made my day and hopefully his.  If you want to leave behind the legacy that Robert Redford has you need to choose the road less traveled. The road where you are not sure where it will end but you know where it will lead, if you follow the right path.  Gary “Goog” Beroset Oakley The post Definition of hero appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less