Everybody finds different qualities in a hero that they admire. To me, a hero is someone I can count on being there. They have to be honest, loyal, encouraging, trustworthy, and supportive. My hero is my dad, Tim H.

My dad was born in Pontiac, Illinois but grew up in Flanagon, Illinois. He grew up on a farm with his mom, dad, and his two older brothers. He helped out with the crops and livestock but also did football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was as quick as a cheetah. He also enjoyed social events with his friends. In school he did reasonably well, he was actually told in high school by his counselor that he should not go to college because he did not think my father could make it. My dad said that when he was told this that “it gave him even more reason to work harder. It was a motivation to prove him wrong.”

My dad did attend college at the University of Illinois and had a higher grade point average in college then he did in high school. That showed me and everyone else that if you put your mind to something you can succeed and exceed what is expected. He pushes me to do well in school, sports, and everything. He is also always helping me in some shape or form to become a better person.

He is also supportive. He is always there for me. He attends all of my sport games that he can and he keeps up with my grades. He will punish me if I do poorly, and reward me if I do well. He does that because he cares. I can count on him being there for me.

My dad is also honest. He will never lie to me. He gives it to me straight up, even if it is not the answer I want to hear. By doing this he pushes me to work harder so “I can be the best of my ability”. He will tell me how poorly I did on a paper or test and he will also congratulate me something that I did well. He is not going to lie to me so I can hear what I want; he makes me a better and pushes me to do better.

Lastly, my dad is balanced. He is not one of those people who only see one side and base his decision off of that. He looks at both sides, evaluates them, and interprets which one is the best decision and which one is right. My dad does not get angry often. He is “direct” with how he talks to us sometimes but very rarely yelling or getting frustrated easily. He is an easy person to talk to.

My dad and Odysseus are alike in several ways. Odysseus never gave up even though a lot was against him. He had almost everything against him and many things to bring his spirits down, but they never did and because of that he finally got home. My dad also used his negative comment and beliefs to push him harder into doing better. Odysseus was also supportive of his family in different ways. He never gave up so he could see his wife, son, and home again. He wanted to be with them desperately. My dad is always there for me, my sisters, my mom, his co-workers, and his friends. Odysseus, however, was dishonest. He kept lying so he could get home. My dad highly values honesty and even though someone may have good intentions my father would not approve. Lastly, they both think things through. They think of possible outcomes and never make their decisions right away. They try to see everything. My dad and Odysseus are the same but in different ways.

My dad is not only all of those positive qualities; he also loves to have a fun time. When we buy ice cream, he always gets ½ the fat because as he would say “half the fat means twice as much”. He is fun to be around and many people enjoy his presence. He is a great father by helping around the house but also occasionally taking time for himself to watch football or baseball on TV. I think many people look up to him as a role model or as their hero since he is honest, trustworthy, supportive, balanced, and overall an inspiration to many. He is very experienced in several different ways and helps out a lot of people. My dad, Tim H, is my hero.