Before I begin the hefty part of this speech, I would like to thank the organizers of the 2025 Quiet Heroes Gala for asking me to take this stage again. When I asked Delorise Atkinson, my aunt, how she wanted me to participate this year, she informed me that she had me on the program for a speech. Immediately, I asked, “Do you mean the keynote speech?” And she replied, “Well, baby, what other speech could I mean?” So, here I am – standing before you, consistently dapper, always proud, and initially reluctant. Thank you, Aunt Lois.
But, in all fairness to my aunt, I realized, as I sat down to prepare these words, that there is a rich lesson about service in this moment. You see, our call to serve – the moment when we are needed to help others – will rarely come when it is convenient for us. Let me be clear: it is not about us. It never was, and it never will be. We are, in fact, just the hands carrying out the purpose of a higher authority. Matthew 5:16 (my favorite Bible verse) makes it plain. The scripture reads: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Those words provide perfect instruction for every one of us – work for the benefit of others, even when you’d rather not, and make sure that God gets the credit.
All the honorees of tonight’s Quiet Heroes award have understood that their helping hands shaped lives and impacted communities. These Heroes are what make Pike County and the surrounding area strong, and they are examples of the best among us… Would all the Heroes, past and present, please stand? And would everyone give them a much-deserved round of applause?
Our Heroes share a few common traits that the rest of us would be well-served to keep in mind as we try to live by their example. The first, of course, is their humility. Even though they work during a time when others crave things like social-media approval, our Heroes don’t sing their own praises, and they rarely accept credit. Hence, the term quiet heroes. They do operate with an understanding that the work they are doing is for a purpose higher than their own adoration.
Another trait they possess is empathy. Our world seems to grow colder and colder each day; we pass our fellow man without much regard for him, much less the circumstances affecting his life. And we see what this cold-heartedness has wrought — cynicism, distrust, anger, division. Empathy for our fellows, though, is the first step for getting us back to a place where we can understand and appreciate one another, where we can start to care again, and where we can work together towards our even greater purpose.
And that brings us to the third trait found in our Heroes – an understanding of purpose. The renowned artist Pablo Picasso once said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” By pouring their own talents into the lives of others and into the communities of this area, our Heroes have shown us that selfless contributions can have meaningful impacts and can change lives. All that is needed is the will to make it so.
That brings us to our Heroes’ last trait – a strong work ethic. After all, the helping hands of our Heroes can’t be helpful if those hands aren’t working. And they do so tirelessly.
In sum – humility, empathy, an understanding of purpose, and a desire to get things done make our Heroes the world-class leaders that they are. And while being helpful to our fellow man and our communities may not seem like an extraordinary feat, we should still recognize the men and women who put aside their own lives to make a difference in others. That’s pretty remarkable in today’s world, and that’s what makes them Heroes.
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your time. May God bless and keep you all.
