Lou Ferrigno - Incredible Hulk, Incredible Hero

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When it comes to life and the wild ride that it sometimes takes us on, it becomes incredibly easy to just put up our walls and go on about our day, focusing only on our own plight and our own problems and that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, if we don't deal with the issues in front of us, they'll never get resolved and that can and often does lead to some kind of trouble for us down the road.

But it is just as important from time to time to look up from whatever it is we are focused upon and remember that there are other people out there, who are less fortunate than we are. They have a greater struggle ahead of them, one that will take them far longer to overcome than some of the stuff we have to deal with on a daily basis, and being reminded of this fact is a good thing because it definitely humbles you and leaves you wondering if you do enough sometimes for others and for me...that reminder came my way in unexpected fashion...courtesy of actor Lou Ferrigno. 

Because yesterday, in the midst of the hustle and the bustle of preparing for Denver Comic Con, I swung by Children's Hospital out here in the Mile High City to cover a type of  event I've never covered before, a meet and greet with Lou at the hospital, where he gladly took the time to say hello to parents and children alike, sign a few autographs and snap off a few pictures, and while that seems pretty by the numbers and no different than any other celebrity event...let me tell you, what Lou did, went above and beyond a simple handshake and hello. 

Lou brought nothing but sheer joy to everyone that came to see him. Some of the kids that came down to say hello were clearly not at their best, and the parents that stood beside them showed signs of fatigue from watching over their children well into the night and with a simple grin and an extended hand from Lou, all those worries slipped away. All that mattered was that they were meeting a comic book television legend. The Incredible Hulk was spending time with them, taking a picture with them and flat out making them feel better, and the joy that I saw on the faces of these kids and their parents is something I will never forget. Nor will I forget the young man who clearly learned about Lou's role from someone in his family and he made it known as loudly as possible, that he was meeting the Hulk and it was simply amazing.  

This is that kind of moment that truly gave me pause, and when I learned over the course of the hour of this event, that Lou spent his morning also feeding the homeless and planned to visit a patient at the hospital who was unable to make it down for the event, I walked out of that hospital, thinking to myself...I should be doing more for others, I should be doing far more good deeds, just like Lou, and that ladies and gentlemen is what true heroes do. They inspire us and they motivate us, to be more and do more, all by way of their own actions which they certainly don't see as anything above and beyond. Either way, I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see a real hero in action by watching Lou take the time to spread joy and cheer to those that needed it and my thanks go out to him, for reminding myself, and hopefully everyone in attendance, that we can and should do more for our fellow man, and that kindness and goodwill...takes but a moment of our time. 

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