Heroes Of The Week!

Sorryless73 Comments

AntMan

This week’s Heroes episode is going in an entirely different direction. And before you say, what else is new Marco? Please lemme ‘splain.

Gone are the zeroes. Redacted . . just like Tom Kat’s sex life, Trump’s love letters to his Ukraine baes and Kid Rock’s business savvy. And lemme tell you, finding only good stories ain’t so easy. So if this doesn’t work out? Blame Frank for suggesting that I use my powers for good.

Marco Rubio Says “No Drill Baby!”- Former Trump sparring partner Marco Rubio put a hold on the Senate confirmation of Katharine MacGregor as deputy secretary of the Interior. She’s Trump’s pick to head up a vast expansion of drilling in most offshore waters in the U.S.. Rubio has made it clear he’s going to fight this, and let’s hope he stays true to his word.

Oh Christmas Tree!- Trees for Troops will donate more than 16,000 Christmas trees to military bases at home and abroad this holiday season. The team that runs this program is small- with eight volunteers and one paid staffer- but it has a huge heart; not to mention hundreds of wonderful helpers who make sure the farm grown trees make it to their destinations. Since its inception in 2005, Trees for Troops has delivered more than 225,000 Christmas trees to military families. That is some mighty pine work!

Roll Models- Five year old Zeke Campbell wants to be a police officer when he grows up, and a police department in Michigan is doing a peach job of sponsoring the dream. Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski says the guys love this kid, and they’re proving it all the time. They got Zeke his own police uniform and then they set him up with his own mini-police cruiser- complete with radio and MP3 player. It’s called sewing the seeds of love, and these peeps got the memo.

Go Bears!- And here’s a story with some local flavor for yours truly. The Hershey Bears hockey team scored a pretty big goal recently, after which their game against Hartford was delayed for forty minutes. That was on account of the 45,650 teddy bears that were deposited onto the ice in celebration. The Teddy Bear Toss is a big tradition in the 711, as the teddy bears are donated among forty central Pennsylvania charities. And one season ticket holder pledged to donate a dollar per stuffed animal to the Children’s Miracle Network. Oh . . and they set a world record too. The cuddliest world record ever.

This last entry might seem as if it got lost inside the wrong post, but it’s a story that hit me right between my music loving chops. And if you tell me Emily Zamourka isn’t a hero because she didn’t rescue a kitten from a tree or save the New York Jets from yet another forgettable season . . Imma have to agree with you on those counts. But I’ll stop you from going any further. Because the Moldavian born American singer made strangers believe to such a degree that they opened their hearts and their homes and their lives for this woman.

Zamourka came to this country twenty eight years ago with the American dream in her back pocket. But things never worked out the way she’d dreamed them up; failing health and medical bills and a stolen violin that prevented her from playing the music that made ends meet left her homeless. In October, a Metro cop in LA took a one minute video of her singing Puccini’s O mio babbino caro . . . and people noticed. With kindness and with love and with donations and with invites to showcase her talents. Because she sings the living daylights out of Puccini, sewing the air with a mystically gifted sound borne of the heavens.

Kerouac believed it was a sure as shit certainty that our institutions would screw us over in the end, but the music would never fail us. And I must have watched this one minute video a half dozen times, just so I could sit in wonder over how that voice can move me to tears, every single time.

Jack knew his stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

73 thoughts on “Heroes Of The Week!”

    • Rebecca,

      It wasn’t my idea, but it is a good one indeed. And yes, that’s our local NHL affiliate club for the Washington Capitols. They broke their own record that was set just last year. Good stuff.

      Gracias RW!

      Like

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  2. Well done, sir. I think we all need stories like this, to give us hope that humanity is not really what it is as presented in the media and on social media. It’s time to reclaim our souls and you are doing your small part. I appreciate it.

    Liked by 2 people

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  3. B,

    I, for one, shall not complain about the missing zeroes. We need to focus on the good stuff out there and stop giving air time to the crazies. Besides, you have six, I mean five, other days in the week to get your snark on 😉

    I sure hope Rubio is able to stay true to his word.

    That is mighty pine work, indeed. I imagine having Christmas trees means so much more to the troops than us regular folk. So often they are far away from their families at Christmas so this is a lovely thing to do.

    A Zeke and a Dale in the same paragraph? Okay, they are not a dog and a chick, but still 😉 So, this kid, just has a dream? He’s not one who is ill and it’s like a Make a Wish thing? This is going to sound weird but I really dig this even more. Because Zeke actually does have a chance to grow up to be one.

    That is a lot of Teddy Bears! And wow to that season ticket holder – I’m guessing he has the means coz that’s a lotta dollas, too! Fantabulous and way to go!

    I have goosebumps. Emily Zamourka has such a beautiful voice – why did he only film one minute of it!! And this is one of my favourite Puccini arias, to boot. I hope this gives her a chance to build a nice life outside of her shopping cart.

    Kerouac definitely new his stuff.

    A wonderful, beautiful, fabulous post, B!

    Q

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Q,

      I have to admit, doing only good stories threw me off. I had to toss one out after writing it!

      Me too. Rubio needs to come through. Especially after officials in Key West basically admitted that isn’t going to be possible to stem the rising tides. We have too many issues already without inviting more.

      It was a really cool thing. It’s a great program that is run by a handful of people. The outreach is tremendous though.

      Yes! They’ve taken the kid under their wings and you have to applaud that. And I didn’t even realize the Dale and Zeke part, buahahaha!

      The Bears beat their own record, set just last year. Well, I should say the fans beat their own record. 45 thousand teddy bears, my God. And yes, props to the person matching it with dollar bills. Great vibe all around.

      I guess maybe the cop has an antique phone like me and it doesn’t allow him to record for very long? I don’t know really. What a voice this woman has! And yes, I hope so too. But you know, most times these stories do not have happy endings. There are those with addictions and/or mental health issues, and the spotlight usually doesn’t fit them very well.

      Jack understood.

      Gracias mucho!

      B

      Liked by 1 person

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  5. wonderful video… beautiful voice 💕
    why do you think she is still in us? I mean, you are writing that she came many years ago to catch that dream, and then nothing happened – so why to stay there… ‘pragmatic me’ would get back home lol

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. OMG – Rubio has actually grown a pair! Love the Hershey Bears story – 45 minutes is a long time & 45K is a lot of bears. Cheers to the fans in attendance!!!! The singer is a great story … and for next week, I hope you saw the story of the kid inviting his entire kindergarten class to his final adoption hearing. … and I’ll gladly take the blame for this post.

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Loved this edition of heros! You know how much I love hockey and the hockey community in general but did you know the Hershey Bears used to be the Av’s farm system stepping stone? So it can’t be much of a surprised that I still have an extra soft spot for those Bears. They made me ever so proud at this latest accomplishment by the hockey community. Whether it’s putting smiles on the faces of kids or helping fight cancer, hockey knows how to be great sports citizens. As for Ms. Zamourka’s voice, she just gave me goosebumps!

    Liked by 2 people

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    • That’s right! You are correct, I had forgotten that.

      The Teddy Bear tradition in Hershey is really so cool. I’ve been to the Giant Center and it’s a great venue for hockey, but I cannot imagine 45 thousand Teddy Bears flooding the ice, LOL.

      That voice, it’s just magical.

      Liked by 1 person

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  8. You got me on a coupla things…the Teddy Bears, named for TR, who would have loved that. He would have been right there since philanthropy pumped his heart. Tradition is a comforting element to life. Soothing and reassuring. Yes, we love this Mr. Imma.

    The violin girl. You know, I was thinking about homelessness when I came home just now. Every corner, all the train stops. And you can see some are mentally ill. It’s cold. People are immune to it seeing it every day. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff…the violinist from the scammer.

    It’s Xmas time but who cares. The general consensus. And the Xmas trees for our troops. OUR TROOPS. I just can’t imagine being in the military fighting under this sick dictatorship we’ve elected to be part of.

    OOPS!

    I want Bob Hope to come back from the dead with the Andrew Sisters and Marilyn Monroe to visit these boys so far from home.

    I’m rambling. I’m sick so, excuse the inane prattle. But I liked today’s list. 🙂

    sigh

    Liked by 1 person

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    • The hockey team moved into a glitzy new arena around the block from the historic Hershey Arena where Wilt Chamberlain had his 100 point game as a member of the 76ers. But 45 thousand teddies pushes even the new crib’s limits so if they keep this tradition going . . . they might need a bigger boat.

      Err on the side of what’s good in you. Every little bit counts if we all do every little bit.

      She hit me square in the jaw with her opera. I instantly thought to Morgan Freeman talking about those Italian ladies singing opera in Shawshank. And how for a moment, every man in the joint was free.

      These kids impress me so much. No draft, so many of them don’t HAVE to enlist. But they do. And yes, I pray for them when you have a commander whose whims rule the day.

      They knew how to rally the troops, they sure did.

      I ramble, you prattle, we’ll get along just fine.

      Thank you SB 🙂

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      • I really look forward to Heros. See, I stay away from the news since it upsets me so, so your recap makes up for that. I did pen a piece on Mike Bloomberg entering the race that could change things for Donald John, who’s really so out of hand. And congress. God, just do the right thing. Madam Pelosi really needs a refresher course in being Speaker of the House. A little Henry Clay would do wonders for Nance. It’s embarrassing how everyone is behaving. Prattle and Ramble. We could take it on the road.

        Liked by 1 person

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    • Eilene, That voice just gets me. Every time. And she plays the violin too! Meanly.

      Right? I love that story about how the department just took this kid under their wings. The best kind of outreach.

      Go Bears!

      Thanks Eilene!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. These are always my favorites. I love the glass half full.

    Oh Christmas Tree! – So important. It’s hard to be away from home and loved ones.

    Roll Models – Wasn’t that the best!

    Go Bears! – That was phenomenal. The ice was covered with cuddly cuteness and my heart grew to twice its size.

    Emily Zamouka – one word, WOW! or two, Holy Sh*!

    Filling uplifted! Thank you!!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I love the glass half full as well . . but I think we’re talking about different things, LOL.

      It’s such a small group of peeps, but mango! Do they pack a Christmas punch, doing right by the men and women who keeps us safe.

      So many cops do this kind of good, on the daily. They need their props too.

      SO great. The Bears rocked the house, with a ton- literally- of help from their fans.

      Both. Definitely both.

      Boo-Yah! Glad to provide. 🙂

      Thank U Ella!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  12. Hey amigo – just getting caught up here…
    the Zamourka story is amazing and heartbreaking too –
    and…
    I was shocked back in the day when Rubio was out of the running for president – and to see him mentioned reminds me is still around –
    and I saw a snippet on the news about the bears at the game – that is pretty cool

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Prior,

      It’s such a complicated situation with mental illness. Society conceptualizes “happy endings” as one size fits all when nothing could be further from the truth.

      Rubio was supposed to be one of the favorites in 2016 until the Trump train got chugging. I’m glad he stood up to the nomination because off shore drilling is a huge issue. Especially in states like Florida.

      It’s a really cool tradition, but seriously . . I don’t know how much higher the teddy bear count can go after this one!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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