Choosing heroes
I agree with educators that learning and discovering are a continuous process throughout a human's life.
Recently I discovered that friends of mine had chosen their heroes in sports, music, politics, arts, leisure and living as well as many other worldly issues.
In music for instance, Michael Jackson has been quoted by a number of my close friends. Unfortunately, I have less interest in music though I do not hate it.
How can I choose my heroes? I decided to give this issue a lot of thought after which I will definitely come up with a better choice of heroes.
In the meantime, I decided to make Kanu Nwanko my soccer hero for leading my motherland to a splendid victory in the Atlanta Olympics. Despite all the hostilities of others toward our national team, we emerged victorious.
In boxing, I always mention Muhammad Ali, who is great not for anything but for accepting to fight George Foreman in Africa. The bout took place in Zaire in October, 1974. He is an African- American who has full respect for his ancestors' continent. Could not responsible black Africans make him their boxing hero?
As far as American politics is concerned, Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president is automatically another political hero of mine. I chose him because he was, and is still, the only American president that ever made both official and unofficial visits to black Africa. I further respect his international center's services to black Africa.
In African politics, the great freedom fighter Nelson Mandela has for a long time been my favorite simply because he has been able to liberate millions of black men and women from the hell of apartheid extremists in the former South Africa.
But, in the case of Mr. Mandela, I have both positive and negative remembrance of him. Negatively, I remember his call for the destructive international sanctions against my motherland in 1995.
I respect singers for intellectual reasons as one can learn from their statements. This is why the late Jamaican singer Bob Marley was an important hero and I remember his famous song titled Africa, unite.
In the Senayan area, especially near the stadium site, there is Jl. Asia-Afrika which I occasionally pass because its sweet name is very honorable. Regrettably, I do not know who initiated this name otherwise he would have been my Indonesian hero.
BUHARI ABDU
Jakarta