I have always been a fan of comic book superheroes. Growing up, I had an especially strong affinity for Batman, thanks largely to the 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the “Dynamic Duo.” It was not uncommon at all to see me running around the neighborhood with a towel tied around my neck for a cape (you know, of course, every superhero HAS to have a cape). Whenever a crimefighting job was too big for just one superhero and he needed a trusty side-kick, Snoopy, the Wonder-dog, would help out. Of course, Snoopy, the Wonder-dog had to have a cape of his own (much to the extreme embarrassment of my older sister) as well.
As I have grown older, I have come to realize that not all heroes have to wear a cape. These real life heroes often wear a badge sewn onto their shirts, or sometimes they simply have their name sewn onto their shirt. They are those people who dedicate themselves to serving their community to the best of their ability, even in the face of a terrible storm.
I’m sure that up until this week, many have not heard the name “Idalia” very often. I know that I don’t know many people by that name. However, after this week, that name will likely have left its indelible mark in each of our minds for many years to come. As I am typing this, Idalia is bearing down on our area, with my birth home of Perry, Fla., expecting to take the brunt of her impact. I had the opportunity to sit in on a conference call with the National Weather Service from Tallahassee, along with many state, county and city workers. As I looked across the room at these folks who will have one common goal over the next several days, that being the safety and welfare of Madison County, I quickly realized that these people are truly “real life heroes.” We are fortunate in our community to have real life heroes such as Leigh Basford, who heads up our Emergency Management Office. She will spend many sleepless nights this week as the storm comes through and she helps deal with the aftermath, whatever that may be. We have others who may not seem like real life heroes, but they are. Real life heroes like Lonnie Thigpen and his crew with the county road department. They will be some of the first ones out once the storm leaves, clearing the roads and helping life to get back to normal as quickly as possible. There will be an army of heroes taking the form of electrical line workers who will come in from near and far to help restore the electrical power that so many depend upon. There is Sheriff David Harper and his team of real life heroes who will heed the call to help keep Madison County safe, even safe from “arch villains” who may want to take advantage of any situation to do others harm.
I now live here in Madison County. Madison County is now my home. I am proud of each and every one of those “real life heroes” who populated that room in the Emergency Management Office, even if none of them were wearing a cape. Please remember to stay safe, here on the “sunny side.”