A stylized, artistic depiction of a firefighter's silhouette holding a hose, set against a backdrop of a wildfire with billowing smoke and flames. The scene is framed within a red, starry sky with a road leading toward the horizon, designated as Route 66, with a card labeled '2 Hero' overlaying the scene.

2       HERO    

KEY CONCEPTS:  selflessness, aid, sacrifice, altruism, danger, bravery, loss, heroism, knight in shining armor, rescuer, possibly the querent.

MESSAGE:  Anyone can pay lip service to the Golden Rule, but who actually practices it?  Alas, the ego pervades life on the road.  Rare travelers stop to help...but how many go the extra mile to assist a stranger?  If it’s convenient, maybe, but traveling ten miles out of the way?  You’re on your own, stranger. 

A scant few offer the ultimate gift:  altruistic sacrifice.  Firefighters embody the Hero archetype: a rare breed resolved to help everyone attain freedom from suffering.  Hero leaps into your reading to demonstrate the value of compassion.  It encourages you to develop resilience through conquering fears.  Whether fighting battles for self or others, Hero provides a catalyst to overcome adversity, surmounting obstacles, hardship and doubt to fulfill their destiny.  Anyone endangered by fire knows the overwhelming flood of relief felt when spying a firefighter’s arrival.  These bold first responders defy human logic, pursuing mortal peril to protect entire communities.  On the ladder, smoke-eaters don’t distinguish between strangers nor friends, rich nor poor.  It’s not their goal to assess comparative worth, but to offer compassionate service to anyone they locate amongst the flames.  A firefighter lays down his own life so you can keep yours.  In that moment of soul recognition, Hero recognizes our ultimate unity…and realizes deeper truth.

RELATED SITES:  TULSA FIRE STATION 66, “THE KEEPERS OF THE MOTHER ROAD”  TULSA, OK; HEROES MUSEUM, JOPLIN, MO.