Many come to mind from my experiences in life.

But my hero is an old Lakota Indian woman I met while I was soul searching on a roadtrip that brought me to the Wounded Knee National Memorial in South Dakota.

She walked up to my while I was in their visitor center. She said these words to me "You look troubled, like a coyote pup lost without hope. Take this and play it when life troubles you. It will help you find your way back to your path in life when you are lost."

She handed me a small drum with Lakota artwork on it. I dunno whether it was the words she spoke, or the kindness she showed to a complete stranger, but she saved my life that day.

That was over 20 years ago. I still have that drum and it sits atop my bookshelf prominently to remind me about that day every now and then when life gets a bit rough.

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