What was a childhood hero?

When we are kids we say our hero's are Policemen, or Firemen, or Soldiers. Maybe it was the Six-Million Dollar man (showing my age now, aren't I ;) ). As we get older we choose professional athletes, or musicians/actors. But I think the true test of who/what our heroes are is who have the greatest impact on our lives. Who helped mold our lives. Last night I think I came to realize one of my heroes growing up was a character few would ever suspect... Walter "Radar" O'Reilly!

I (think I) know what you all are thinking... why him? Well, I am not sure really. I was having trouble sleeping and there was a M*A*S*H marathon going on on TV. The last two episodes I watched were the ones when Radar got sent home.

In part I he is on his way home from leave in Tokyo (I think), and the unit is struggling with their generators. He meets a woman who is on her way home. They have a "moment", and Radar eventually gets back to the 4077th. Of course Klinger has made a complete mess. Radar finds our he's going home, etc. etc. etc.

But as I made some chamomile tea (1st time I had ever done that - I would like to say here and now... that stuff works!) I was thinking. I really liked that character. I liked his innocence. I liked his honesty. I liked his work ethic. As I look at my life I really think that character had the biggest impact on who I wanted to be personally. I am not saying I went out and had a pet rabbit, or have an overwhelming desire to move to Ottumwa Iowa or anything. But I look at my personality now, and reflect on my reactions and opinions while watching the show from years ago, Gary Burghoff (aka Walter "Radar" O'Reilly) had a very big impact on my life. He's no Peter (disciple), or Lance Armstrong. But he had a way about him - even though he was a fictitious person only being portrayed by an actor. Without knowing about the novel, or the two attempts at a series after M*A*S*H, I want to believe that he went home and looked up that nurse, and the two of them lived happily ever after.
Verse for today:
Philippians 3 : 12-16, ESV
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.