Who or What Is A Hero?

Yesterday I discussed the archetypal Hero - the one I tend to think about as the knight in somewhat shining armor, running into the dangerous situation sword at the ready. But realistically, most heroes aren't quite that blatant or, if I may be blunt, stupid. There's something about running with a sword into a gunfight that screams "stupid" to me. Yet, when thinking about those we label as heroes, isn't that almost a defining characteristic?

Somewhere under all of that metal was a person who made a
choice to place himself into dangerous situations wearing not
much more than cooking pots and pans. 

Think about heroes for a moment. What comes to mind? It's generally more on the 'fireman running into a burning building to rescue the child clutching her kitten' end, isn't it? It's usually not the 'raising the kids alone after his spouse dies' variety, even though the second example is just as much a hero as the first, and could even be the same person on different days. So as I struggle with who should be my hero for my writing challenge, I throw this out to all of you.

Who is YOUR hero? What is your concept of a hero? Is it one sex or the other (or one of the large variety between the two polarities)? Is your hero an animal instead of a person? It the hero recognized as one only because the situation made the hero, rather than the possession of an innate sense of right and wrong? How about the hero having just been in the right place at the right time?

You may never know the person next to you is a hero unless you
are in a situation that calls for heroic action. Most heroes are quiet,
rather unassuming people who blend into a crowd. 

I'm grappling with these questions as I try to pin down who should be my hero and what situation he/she/it should be placed in to demonstrate that heroism. I have discovered, yet again, that it is much easier to discard a possible character than to settle on one. My discard pile is growing larger as characters are picked out of their story line and placed into my possible one(s). My possibles pile is growing smaller and smaller. I hope I settle on a choice quickly, the clock is ticking.

Have an excellent Thursday and play nicely. We'll be colder and wetter for a few days *sigh*. Not as much fun as the precipice of summer, but reality is poking its head in - Memorial Day is fast approaching, but we could still see snow until then (highly unlikely, but still a calendrical possibility).