The Bahamas celebrated National Heroes Day for the third time yesterday, as recovery and relief efforts continued in the aftermath of a storm that will not be forgotten in a hurry by Bahamians. This public holiday could not have come at a better time, providing us with an opportunity to reflect on the events of the last two weeks and giving us some time to reach out to our loved ones, family and friends.

The recognition of our national heroes and designation of the second Monday of October every year as National Heroes Day was provided for in legislation passed in 2007. This legislation also established a national honors system that is peculiar to us as a people. It is noteworthy to state that this framework was formally brought into existence in 2013, following much advocacy by a number of Bahamians. This piece takes a philosophical look at the concept of heroism in The Bahamas.

The typical heroes of The Bahamas
Discussions about the heroes of our nation will often evoke memories of the freedom fighters and pioneers of the Quiet Revolution in The Bahamas. The names of giants such as Sir Lynden O. Pindling, Sir Milo Butler, Dame Doris Johnson, A.D. Hanna, Sir Arthur Foulkes, Mary Ingraham and Sir Randol Fawkes, just to mention a few, come to mind readily. A quick look at this list will show that a majority of persons we identify as national heroes have been parliamentarians or politicians.

There is no doubt that these aforementioned individuals have earned the right to have their names entrenched in the history books of our country. They and their contemporaries made tremendous sacrifices while standing in the face of adversity to bring much-needed change to our Bahamaland. National Heroes Day is one of the many days of the year that we ought to pay homage to these great men and women. Outside of politics, there are religious, cultural, business and civic leaders who have also distinguished themselves well enough to be recognized by a grateful nation.

The portrayal of a hero
English filmmaker Stephen Frears directed a movie entitled "Hero" in the early 1990s. This comedy-drama was released in 1992 and starred Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy Garcia, Joan Cusack and Chevy Chase among others. The plot of the movie centered on an imperfect man who did something exceptional and heroic but did not look the part, neither did his background fit the profile of one. On the other hand, there was a Vietnam veteran who was deemed by many including the imperfect hero, as the epitome of heroism.

The Vietnam veteran wrongfully receives the reward and fame for an act of bravery he did not perform, while the true hero remains unknown. The imposter was able to do so because he had been told about the act of bravery by the true hero at a time he was homeless and had been helped by the latter. The tragedy of the story is that the unsung hero continued to struggle with no chance of redemption or acceptance by society. The movie ends with a deal being struck between the two individuals and the imperfect unknown hero seizing another opportunity to be great.

The popular African adage that highlights the untold stories of the other hero in the exploits of a great hunter is instructive in the Bahamian context. It draws our attention to the inclination of humans to focus only on the tales that are told, while at the same time it challenges us to ensure that important aspects of our history are also recorded.

The Bahamas may never hear of this writer's maternal grandmother, Hilda Francina Cooper, who was not one of the leaders of the Suffrage Movement but was an ordinary citizen who worked hard with others to make universal suffrage a reality in our country by knocking on doors soliciting the signatures of ordinary Bahamians. Nevertheless, to many in our family, she is recognized as hero for more reasons than one.

Likewise, we can all think of others who have made a difference in our lives and communities over the years; these are ordinary people that did and continue to do extraordinary things.

The revelation of unknown Bahamian heroes
Hurricane Joaquin wrought significant havoc and pain on our people as it passed by our family of islands. As this monster storm left much destruction on our shores, it also brought to the forefront the heroes we have been waiting for - the Bahamian people. While the government will have to play a major role in the days, months and years ahead to bring about restoration to the impacted islands, civilian and corporate persons have shown that we are the solution to our problems.

In stepping up to the plate to aid our brothers and sisters, we manifested our charity and commitment to one another. It was heart-warming to see the outpouring of love as we gave our time, money and other resources in the hurricane relief effort.

Political affiliation, social status, creed, gender and color vanished as Bahamians came together for a common loftier goal. We could see the true heroes staring back at us in the mirror every day in what this writer sees as the new paradigm in our nation.

Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff captured the spirit of a hero in the hit song Hero. An excerpt from that song reads:

"There's a hero if you look inside your heart,
You don't have to be afraid of what you are.
There's an answer, if you reach into your soul,
And the sorrow that you know will melt away."

The chorus of the song concludes that "you'll finally see the truth - that a hero lies in you". This is a truth that we have demonstrated and lived in recent times; indeed a truth that we will need to remember in the days ahead. We need to recognize that we only need search deep within ourselves to find the courage, strength and solutions to the myriad challenges we face in 21st century Bahamas.

The celebration of heroes
We will always honor our founding fathers and mothers because we stand tall today because their shoulders provide us with the elevation. However, National Heroes Day 2015 belongs to the faceless Bahamian heroes, many of whose names we do not know and may never know. This writer's honorees for this year's celebration are the Bahamian people - a people united in love and service.

In the face of disaster and turmoil, the Bahamian people emerged to show the indomitable spirit that has made us a great nation. This is refreshing in a country that has become arguably selfish and has been divided in so many ways and in which we seemed to have forgotten that we are Bahamians first, before anything else.

Our response to Hurricane Joaquin proves that President Obama was right when he said: "we are the change that we have been waiting for". Now that we have made this important discovery, it is important for us to maintain this spirit of togetherness in building our nation and making The Bahamas the best it can be. After all, we are showing that focus and unity of purpose can help us achieve great things in our Commonwealth. We have done it before, and we can do it again. Happy National Heroes Day!

o Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law. Comments on this article can be directed to a.s.komolafe510@gmail.com.

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