Hidden Heroes

back·stage

/ˈbækˈsteɪdʒ/ [bak-steyj]

–adverb

1. behind the proscenium in a theater, especially in the wings or dressing rooms.

2. toward the rear of the stage; upstage.

3. out of view of the public; in private; behind the scenes: Many of the deals were made backstage at the convention.

–adjective

4. located or occurring backstage.

5. of or pertaining to activities unknown to the public.

6. of or pertaining to the private lives of people in the entertainment industry: backstage gossip.

–noun

7. Theater . a backstage area.

There are always those who work behind the scenes. An anonymous hero – much like those read in comic books or seen in movies; lifesavers with an unknown identity. However, not every hero chooses to be Clark Kent by day and Superman otherwise. And much like fictional superheroes, we are unknowingly in the presence of them on a daily basis.

It could be a coach, a director, a teacher; the sky’s the limit. They are those who spend hours day after day ensuring that others succeed. And sometimes after their hard work has paid off, they change from tights to street clothes in a telephone booth and head on home.

up·stage

/ˈʌpˈsteɪdʒ/ [uhp-steyj] adverb, adjective, verb, -staged, -stag·ing, noun

–adverb

1. on or toward the back of the stage.

–adjective

2. of, pertaining to, or located at the back of the stage.

3. haughtily aloof; supercilious.

–verb (used with object)

4. to overshadow (another performer) by moving upstage and forcing the performer to turn away from the audience.

5. to outdo professionally, socially, etc.

6. to behave snobbishly toward.

–noun

7. the rear half of the stage.

8. any stage position to the rear of another.

There are times when the heroes are upstaged by those they assist. When the actor takes a bow and acknowledges the orchestra and technician while the stage manager packs up their station backstage. When a struggling student suddenly gets their act together and finishes the school year with As and Bs, meanwhile the teacher misses some lunch periods or puts in extra hours on their own time to answer questions and review. They are the hidden heroes.

I’m part of a leadership class this semester, and our community project is to help run basketball OFSAA at our school March 7^th and 8^th. We’ve all worked hard – asking business after business for sponsorships, collecting donations and advertising the event. We’ve arranged parking for participants, bought groceries for the coach’s room and concessions. We’ve put signs around the school directing the public to the gym, we’ve transformed the gymnasium into a professional OFSAA atmosphere and have collected volunteers. We’ve also supported our own team by selling tickets to students for Beal’s first game, help a pep rally and made posters and banners displayed around the school and athletic department. I’m sure I’m missing many other points, but it’s still evident that our class has done a lot. And it will all contribute to the athletes having a positive experience, however I’m sure not everyone there will be aware of how many hours we’ve actually out into this project.

ac·knowl·edg·ment

/ækˈnɒl ɪdʒ mənt/ [ak-nol-ij-muh nt]

–noun

1. an act of acknowledging.

2. recognition of the existence or truth of something: the acknowledgment of a sovereign power.

3. an expression of appreciation.

4. a thing done or given in appreciation or gratitude.

5. Law .

a. a declaration before an official that one has executed a particular legal document.

b. an official certificate of a formal acknowledging.

c. public recognition by a man of an illegitimate child as   his own.

          Here’s to those heroes who work backstage, who are sometimes upstaged, and who we owe a great amount to. These individuals deserve recognition for the effort that they put into helping others. I felt it was time to applaud the hidden heroes!