A Heroic Moment
It started with a phone call.
It was a Thursday night. Ann and I had just settled in when Amber, our daughter, called. Their basement was flooding. Justin, her husband, had been called away as a first responder, and she needed help—immediately. “No big deal,” I thought. I packed a bag, grabbed some clothes, and drove up the mountain to their home. I figured I’d help vacuum the water, maybe stay the night.
I had no idea we were stepping into a storm that would soon be named Helene.
By 2 a.m., the power was gone. The vacuum was useless. The water kept rising. Inches of rain kept falling—hour after hour, day after day. We were to learn later that our area received from 13 to over 30 inches of rain. Cell towers went down next, due primarily to the power outages and disruption of the fiber optic lines, and with them, our ability to communicate with anyone. We were cut off. It was just Amber and me, two Eco-Guardians in crisis mode, with two small children—Logan, 3½, and Piper, 1½—and no idea what was coming next.
For five days, we hunkered down. No power. No news. Just each other, and the steady rhythm of responsibility: diapers, food, water, buckets, blankets, calming fears. Was Ann okay? We had no way to know… until Justin managed to reach her days later, confirming she was safe.
That week, I learned something about heroism.
Not the cinematic kind. Not the lone savior kind.
The real kind. Collaborative. Courageous. Committed to care.
What does it mean to be a hero when the world we know is unraveling?
When was the last time you felt the pull to rise—not as a savior, but as a steward?
The true superpower of our time isn’t domination. It’s cooperation and collaboration. But what does this look like?
Consider the International Space Station. It took 15 nations—many of them former adversaries—over a decade to build something none could have accomplished alone. Astronaut Ron Garan calls this the Orbital Perspective —the worldview that emerges when you look back at Earth from space and realize we’re all in it together.
And I believe this is the same as the On Purpose Perspective that has inspired the One Cause movement: seeing Earth not as a battlefield, but as a beloved home. A shared miracle…one that we’ve been mistreating and taking for granted, but also one that has amazing healing powers when given the chance.
The Hero, the Genius, the Visionary: They All Live in You
Brian Johnson says, “You are the hero we’ve been waiting for.”
And I’d add: the genius? That’s you, too. The visionary? Also you.
You don’t need superpowers. Just purpose.
Joseph Campbell gave us the Hero’s Journey. But our dragons today aren’t fire-breathing monsters. They’re internal illusions:
The myth that we’re separate from nature.
The addiction to more is always better.
The belief that we can innovate our way out of responsibility.
The call to adventure today is to live aligned with the Four Great Truths.
This is more than action. It’s a full-system shift—what Ken Wilber would call a four-quadrant transformation:
Upper Left: How we see ourselves.
Lower Left: How we relate to others.
Upper Right: What we create and build.
Lower Right: How we organize communities and systems.
Here’s a brief overview of the quadrants.
To be a hero now means embracing a worldview that regenerates life, rather than depletes it.
Living the Truths: Real-World Eco-Guardians
Here are four real-world heroes whose work embodies the Four Great Truths:
Interconnectedness → Robin Wall Kimmerer
Botanist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer weaves science with Indigenous wisdom. She reminds us that plants are not just resources—they are relatives. Her work is a living invitation to reciprocity and reverence.
Sufficiency → Wangari Maathai
Founder of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement, Maathai empowered thousands of women to plant over 50 million trees. Her work was rooted in the belief that there is enough—enough land, enough water, enough life—if we share and care for it.
Reciprocity → Joanna Macy
Through The Work That Reconnects, Macy offers practices for transforming ecological grief into grounded, regenerative action. She helps people see their pain for the world not as weakness—but as love in disguise. ( I realize that Joanna has recently passed away. I’m also sure her work lives on in many of us.)
Stewardship → Boyan Slat and Youth Eco-Leaders
At just 16, Slat launched The Ocean Cleanup. Today, his efforts inspire a generation. Around the world, youth-led permaculture teams, regenerative garden crews, and Earth Listening Circles are reclaiming stewardship as sacred.
Want to spotlight your own local hero?
Click the “Join the Chat” button and share your story. I’ll start with mine: my wife, Ann, who founded the Hendersonville Repair Cafes—teaching people to fix what’s broken instead of tossing it out.
You Are Already on the Path
Here’s the truth: if you’re reading this, you’re already walking your path.
I’m walking mine, too.
My time in the garden, tending to squash and sweet potatoes? That’s part of it. (More coming on my Loving Homestead experiment soon.)
Hosting Earth Listening Circles and listening deeply to the pain—and promise—of our time? That’s part of it, too.
Want to go deeper? Try journaling with one of these prompts:
What breaks your heart most about the world right now?
When have you felt most connected to nature?
What’s one small act of restoration you’ve already done?
What’s a dream you have that could help life on Earth thrive?
Who in your life is already living as a modern-day hero?
What’s one way you can embody one of the Four Great Truths this week?
Mini-Mission: Your Heroic Step
Choose one act this week. Make it small. Make it soulful. Make it yours. Here are a few suggestions:
Tend to a part of nature near you—even if it’s a tired houseplant or a patch of sidewalk.
Share one journaling prompt with someone you care about.
Post about the Great Truth that’s most alive for you. (Click Here to review the 4 Great Truths.)
Begin a “hero’s notebook” for wild, regenerative ideas.
Then tell someone. Pass it on. Share it here by clicking the Comment button. That’s how movements begin.
Because the future doesn’t belong to superheroes.
It belongs to visionaries in muddy boots, to fierce-hearted families, to old and bold grand-dudes, and to eco-guardians rising in every corner of this turning world.
This is your invitation.
To stop waiting. To start creating. To be the cause.
The age of separation is ending. The age of stewardship has begun.
Shall we begin?
