San Diego Icons

As we finished our first project on American Icons, it got me thinking about other people that inspire me, and different things people do that I am inspired by. While I was reading through different articles about remembering September 11th, I stumbled across an article about a guy in San Diego, who took the day off of work today and the last four years on this day, to wave the American Flag on a bridge overlooking the freeway. By the time I finished reading the article, I subconsciously thought to myself, " Wow, This guy is inspiring!" Here is this ordinary, everyday man who is a hero of the day.

This reminded me of a discussion we had in class today, about how icons can be famous, or they can be as personable as your parents. To be inspiring they don't have to be featured on all of the magazines or newspapers, or all over the news. They can have certain aspects of them and of what they do that we can learn from and relate to. As it turns out this guy is from my neighborhood, and I saw him waving the flag on my way to school this morning.

I think it is important to look at who is inspiring and what they do that is inspiring. Maybe they have one thing, like this man from the article, who does one thing to make him an icon for me, and besides that, I don't know anything about him. This helps me conclude that we can have more than one inspiration in life, and the more inspirations we have, the more we are educated through different opinions, different views and different lifestyles.

Article;
One man's reminder on 9/11 , By Laura Embry, Published on September 11, 2008, San Diego Union Tribune.