The fall of my hero

Growing up as a comic book junkie (or as much of a junkie as a boy living in Easter Africa could be), I habitually fantasized about the idea of heroes. Not simply individuals of unprecedented abilities who would lead humanity into an age of enlightenment and peace, but individuals who would actually inspire us to aspire for greatness. Having reread what I just wrote, I admit to how borderline delusional it sounds. Still though, we all need heroes.
 These past several years have been murder on my heroes. Within this span of time I’ve discovered that individuals that I looked up and revered were in fact quite flawed and frankly criminally liable for their actions. While I won’t go into any details (primarily because it would be a moot point but also because given the celebrity status of these individuals, you probably already know them). While these damning revelations have done nothing but to piss me off to no end, I can’t help but remember a random quote....”teachers of morality, though to the pupil appear to be gods, are in fact mere men”. Of course, I’m paraphrasing and I have no idea who said that or when, but I’d like to believe that there’s a message behind that.
 When the three ring circus of a presidential campaign began in the U.S., I was amazed and baffled. The last time I saw that many weirdoes and crackpots flock towards a position of such magnitude was during the California election for their state governor back in the early 2000s. It was quite memorable, considering the nominees included a diminutive former child-actor, several politicians of questionable morals, an adult film actress and a former bodybuilder, who would eventually go on to win it.
 But what really caught my attention was the mention of Dr. Ben Carson in this year’s election. Allow me to explain. Ben Carson is someone I looked up to. Someone that I aspired to be like, somebody that I wanted to be like. Now, before you start tossing out every expletive you can possibly muster at me, let me rephrase. DOCTOR Ben Carson is my hero. Not the man that’s graced our TV screens over the past year.
 When I was a kid, I read magazine articles that would be donated to our library in my native land. Among the subscriptions, readers digest was among them. In that, I read a story written by Carson about how, as a young boy, he and his brother were such couch potatoes that their mother had forcibly taken them to their local library. It was here that he discovered a love of reading and knowledge. Some might even wager that it was here that would push him towards academics and eventually medicine (however 6 years of school and 2 media/communication degrees later, my knowledge of the media has grown to the point that I rarely, if ever trust it.....yes, the irony is delicious).
 The man would eventually become the youngest chief of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital, specializing in the field and being in the forefront of it. I could turn into a fan boy and list his accolades, but I won’t. I’ll keep it simple. He’s saved lives, he’s improved the quality of life for many, he’s pioneered various surgical techniques that have done the aforementioned and he’s received more honorary degrees than most people, culminating all of this with the presidential medal of freedom, which is the highest honor that can be given to a civilian.
 So, you can imagine my dismay to see how he’s been displayed. From his temperament and his sleep-inducing manner of speech to some of the more controversial comments made and so on. All of which culminated with his abrupt interruption of an interview outside of his church in Michigan when he suddenly remembered that he needed to retrieve his bags.
 Folks, lemme set the record straight here. I’m not a conservative. Sure, I’m not entirely liberal but I’m not a conservative either. I don’t agree with “republican” Ben Carson. I don’t agree with his conservative views nor do I agree with his choice of presidential candidates (which I won’t even dignify by mentioning here). This is simply about the fall of Ben Carson in my eyes.
 2015 has been the year where every comedian and funny man has used Dr. Carson to get a laugh. And they have used his well. The sad part is that he doesn’t seem to understand that he’s playing right into their hand. Out of everybody who set out to be the republican nominee, he had accomplished more than all of them put together. Seriously, when was the last time you heard about Marco Rubio successfully operating on a fetus while still in the womb or Ted Cruz separating conjoined twins attached at the back of the head or Lindsay Graham (yes, that’s a man for those of you who don’t know) developing a technique to improve upon the act of either of the above mentioned?
 Carson WAS the most accomplished of them all, even more accomplished than “him” and yet look at it now. If “him” was Krusty the Klown, then Carson’s been reduced to being both Sideshow Bob and Mel (pardon the Simpson’s reference). He’s the laughingstock, the joke, the person you point at when you need a good laugh.
 So, what was this article about? Frankly, it’s me mourning the loss of yet another one of my heroes. Because after all of this, I honestly don’t know what to think of him. And the sad part is, men like him have always been the reason I strove to achieve, to want to be more than I am. I can’t really articulate just how aggravating it has become to see him devolve from Dr. Ben Carson, M.D. to Ben “MY LUGGGAGE” Carson.
 But then again, what do I know? I’m no brain surgeon. And I’m no politician either. I’m just a guy who lost a hero.