A tribute to my dad, the hero

I wrote the following about my father, Phil Block, back in Hawthorne Junior High School 18 years ago. Stumbling on the handwritten essay while cleaning, it dawned on me I never shared it with him. I do so now. It's titled, My Dad, A Hero."

In a single step, a single second, it could be the difference between life and death. A horror could have taken place if my dad had not prevented it. Would you have done the same? It seems so simple when you think about it, but this happens to seldom few. One motion, at the right time and the right place, can create a hero. Was he recognized for his action? Did he become famous? Not a chance. But my dad is a hero.

One day he was walking home. Casually, he waited at a red light in the crowded city of Chicago. An elderly man next to him seemed to be in a hurry. Even though the light had not turned green, he decided to try and go. My dad held out his arm and stopped the senior. Where he would have stepped, not a moment later, a bus drove directly over the spot. He would have been hit by a bus if not for my father.

"You saved my life!" the old man exclaimed. All my father said was, "You're welcome" and continued on with his day. He didn't ask for money or for a favor for his good deed. I've never seen the old man, and I don't know his name. One thing I do know is that it changed his life. You begin to value what you could have lost.

At that time I wasn't born yet, but that event changed me, too. My father is my inspiration. He helped people without asking for things in return. He is a role model in patience, awareness and selflessness.

You can make a difference, even in a simple moment - a step, pedal of a car, or an arm movement.

Ariel Block

Vernon Hills