"Time has a doomsday book, on whose pages he is continually recording illustrious names. But as often as a new name is written there, an old one disappears. Only a few stand in illuminated characters never to be effaced." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Are there some heroes who will be remembered forever? Or are all heroes doomed to be forgotten one day?

John Keats, in his poem 'Endymion', spoke of the "mighty dead" and their legacies as "An endless fountain of immortal drink, pouring unto us from heaven's brink." We learn for a lifetime. It is a lifetime of learning from people. Departed people or contemporary people, charming people or disdainful people, crazy people or practical people, famous people or infamous people, all give us something to learn. People teach and people learn. People give and people take. Some people die before they can live and some people live live after they die. From these very people we take our pick, we choose our hero -- our idol.

We humans dwell upon thoughts. We think all the time. Invariably our thoughts reflect everything we feel and everything we believe in. We are, right from the moment we first opened our eyes, taught to believe certain things. We are put on a path. That path is lined with houses wherein live the beliefs of many people who came before us. In time we gain the habit of gathering anything we can from all we encounter. For example, I am probably writing this essay in a style used by some of the authors whose works I read earlier in the day. Now, it is precisely in this manner that we come across something that strikes us like a sudden whiff of ammonia. This thing leaves an indelible impression on our minds and move to learn about the person whose work it was that struck us. Eventually, we begin to change our beliefs and in our minds he is a hero.

Traditional folklore passes on the names of such greats. Two centuries hence, the internet and all its information will be a part of ancient folklore. But people don't give an iota of effort to read about heroes who failed to inspire a generation some time down the line. What I mean is that I know Plato, Socrates and Aristotle and I also know that they were not the only philosophers in ancient Greece, but I don't care about any others. Unsung heroes once remain erased from memories forever. However, all heroes are unlikely to be wiped out.

Good-doers and notorious characters at the global level are likely to stay on. But at a more condensed, more personal level? My mother is my hero. She will be her grandchildren's hero. Her grandchildren will tell their children of her but will be unable to imprint upon their mind the beauty of her existence. Her great-great grandchildren will have no clue that sh once lived. She wasn't an unsung hero in her time, but she didn't linger long with her earthling successors.

Impacting achievements, notoriety, sacrifice, etc. at the global level, as formerly mentioned, are likely to survive eternally. Osama Bin Laden for his notoriety, Nelson Mandela for his achievements or Mother Teresa for her sacrifices will never be forgotten. Their inspirations and legacies will be driving force that powers actions and beliefs forever.

As the timeline advances, a few heroes will become many. More people and more beliefs will rule the world. The process is evergreen. Some heroes will never die just as many could never live on. Legacies will be made and new legacies will be made. These heroes will make sure that the world moves ahead. After all, they have given push to the heavy wheels of time.