In awe of these heroes

I hate to sound like a typical liberal. In fact, I hate to sound like a typical anything. But humanitarian aid workers, as a group, have my undying admiration. One can save the bureaucracy and politics of aid for another debate. This essay in The Christian Science Monitor reminded me just how amazing these folks are.

Many people lump Peace Corps volunteers, of which I was one, in that group. Though Peace Corps volunteers do good work, humanitarian aid workers are on a whole different level. Most aid workers are people who could have regular jobs in comfortable offices in western countries. They could live in air conditioned apartments, drink filtered water and have easy access to public transportation. They could spend their weekends at the cinema, sipping on lattes at their favorite coffeehouse or cheering on their preferred soccer team. Instead, they spend their time in dusty villages or overcrowded megapolises in the developing world.

Except, they don't spend their time in just any dusty villages or overcrowded megapolises, they do so in the worst ones. They live in war zones, in refugee camps, in places where death and disease are the norm and where clean drinking water is considered a luxury. And they do so voluntarily.

This is not their job, it's their life. At least while they're there. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They have no days off where they can slip out to an amusement park or to see an opera. Even when they're not on duty, they're on duty.

And for what purpose? They feed the hunger, clothe the naked, bring water to the thirsty, house the homeless. I'm sure there's certainly an element that favors adrenaline junkies, but there are certainly easier ways to get a high than negotiating for your life with drugged up boy soldiers.

They choose this lifestyle because they have a burning desire to serve their fellow man. Not to destroy things, not to enrich themselves, not to exercise power, not to shop til they drop but to help people. And not just any people, but those with the greatest need and living in the most miserable conditions.

The word 'hero' is so overused that it threatens to devalue the word itself. I don't use that word casually. I do not consider athletes or politicians to be heroes, at least not solely because of their profession. I do think that humanitarian aid workers merit the appellation.