A Real Hero in Alabama

I may not be an Alabaman by birth, but I don't think I am far from being one all the same. Yes! I said so, sue me if you like. I lived in the USA State of Alabama for 30 months, and in many ways, I feel like an authority of sort on many things Alabaman - like how the plate numbers were derived; their culture (macaroni and cheese, the ice teas and the grits).

Add to that the reputation of Alabamans as some of the most friendly and hospitable people in the United State of America and you may start to truly understand my love of and fascination with Alabama, my "sweet home." Who knows, perhaps in a future post I might just share tales of some of the very nice persons I met while in Ala (as the state is fondly called) as well as tales of those who literally handed me a pair of scissors to cut them off my life.

However, I chose to write about Alabama today not because of any of the above mentioned reasons. Amidst the news, some days ago, about the tornado that wrecked many homes in the southern shores of the US, especially in states like Georgia, Florida and Alabama, something truly touching and even more tears-inducing happened. In the aftermath of the disaster, a 21- year old student-athlete swimmer John Servati, died in a basement in his Tuscaloosa, Alabama home, Monday night. He and a girlfriend had reportedly sought shelter from the tornado when the wall which had been weakened by heavy rain came collapsing on him.

Anna Rae Gwarjan, @annaraeoflight, a fellow University of Alabama swimmer tweeted:

" John Servati died  a hero. Held up a concrete wall long enough for his girlfriend to get out from under it before it collapsed again on him."

Reading about Servati really got me thinking deeply about the creed of loving your neighbour. I tell you what, it takes only someone with a truly immense personality and unparalleled sense of sacrifice to be able to do something like John Servati did.

                                                                         The late Servati and girlfriend

It is the start of a new month and inasmuch as I hate to bring you guys bad news, I just want to remind us that there is a hero in everyone. Why don't you channel your inner strengths, those struggles, those fears and those 'I cant's' towards becoming a hero to someone today, regardless of your social strata, background or even skin color.


Credit:http://huffingtonpost.com, twitter, John Servati, Tuscaloosa, Ala.,