My title may appear, at first, to be an oxymoron but I assure you it will make sense in a minute.
Poppy had a column all ready to go this month… a light missive about the dichotomy of going to and coming home from summer vacation. But in the days following July 13, it fell on my heart to talk about my prayer that I, and many more of us, might be like Corey Comperatore.
We all consider ourselves the hero of our own story. That’s not shade — it’s simply human nature to see ourselves in the best light, trusting in our instincts and our resolve. Following any catastrophe, whether in nature or by human hands, we find ourselves thinking or talking about how we might have Jason Bourne’d the situation. As a mother, I often proudly but almost offhandedly say, “Yeah, I would take a bullet on fire for my son.” And in my mind, I would. But in the moment of crisis, would I really have the instincts the former fire chief demonstrated when he literally took a bullet meant for the former president to save his own wife and child?
As a Trump supporter, Corey woke up that day just excited to see his candidate in person. Like many others, he had undoubtedly been hassled and labeled as part of the conservative collective: extremist, threat to democracy, etc. However, in a brief, transformative moment that afternoon, Corey was not defined by such labels.
Reacting instantly, he protected his daughter and wife by covering them with his body before most people realized what they were hearing. This act of bravery revealed that if he was an extremist in any sense, it was in his capacity for selfless love. My friends, that is “agapé.”
It is a form of love that is also unconditional and benevolent — loving others as one would love oneself, without expecting anything in return. Corey showed the world that even in politics, love should come first. It seems that in our nation’s relentless pursuit of power, we have been led into valuing individuals based on their politics or the literal hats they wear. Corey showed us this is a lie.
So, in the aftermath, I’m going to do my best to be more like Corey, and while darkness continues to spread on the Internet, I am going to seek light.
I’m not going to join “ye generation of vipers” — as a friend of mine once called his adversaries — and rush to my keyboard to come up with an amusing way to show my disappointment that a public figure beloved by many is still alive. I’m also not going to ignore the fact that to Allyson Comperatore, whose father is gone from a bullet that didn’t miss, it’s all darkness.
Instead, I’m going to look around, and be like Officer Celeste Ayala, who didn’t think twice before breastfeeding a malnourished infant brought to the Buenos Aires hospital where she is a security guard. While hospital staff were busy with other emergencies, the compassionate new mother held the dirty child to her own body and calmed him. She has since been promoted to sergeant by no less than the vice president of the nation’s legislature.
I’m going to be like Ravi Adelekan, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 6, and also inspired dozens of teachers, medical professionals, friends, and fellow patients to sing a song with him when he auditioned for “Britain’s Got Talent” just to bring attention to and raise money for the non-profit he started to support brain tumor charities.
I’m going to be like Mr. Poppy, who has always given his time and his wisdom to help people in need in his job and in his life. He has always famously undercharged people for his help and demonstrated a desire to balance kindness with justice. Today he is learning to navigate the world of retirement in ways that enable him to continue his good work while also slowing down a little. I feel the same way about our current president, a fellow human who has earned the peace of retirement after sacrificing his wellness for his job.
Simply put, I am going to try to love people expecting nothing in return, regardless of their politics, because I think that’s what Corey would do.