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self-conscious smile for the crowd and helped Randy-Dan to his feet, keeping one eye on the room. When the laughter and clamor quieted, C.L. resumed the drawing. He reached into the decorated box, opened a folded bit of paper, and looked with fake surprise at Randy-Dan. C.L. swept one arm magnanimously towards RD and announced our cheese head as the winner. He deftly slipped the folded bit of paper back in the box.

Though Randy-Dan's cheese head was not quite complete (there was a small bare spot on the back of his head) it was close enough to claim his prizes. He became four hundred bucks richer and a legend all in an instant.

Afterwords, when I gave him his winnings, we closed the hero debate.

"Hey Jim, I've got it heroes are accidental."

A good point. Certainly in this case the hero arose from a chance and fleeting convergence of a man, a moment and an act.

"Yeah, accidental," I agreed, "...except for guys like C.L., he's no accidental hero.

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon now, you don't think that your name was really on that winning slip?"

"Yeah, you're right, he was probably just making up for shoving me into the fountain."

I shook my head. "You're too generous, it was more like him turning a mistake into a victory that's the stuff real heroes are made of."

"Maybe, but at least he has a sense of humor."

"How so?"

Randy Dan cracked his face with a big broad grin. "The door prize it was that fountain, and three gallons of cheese."

Learn more about this author, Jim Mcinvale.
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