"What is the definition of a hero...?" 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York
( A suburb of Buffalo, N.Y.)

 and has worked in the ophthalmology
 field of medicine for over 30 years

What is the definition of a hero?

Joel, Steve and Judy
outside Norman's rare
guitars in L.A.

A hero is someone that you look up to; someone who performs courageous acts with bravery. I happen to have such a person in our family, my son. 

My husband and I were blessed with two sons, one of which found it more difficult to learn in a conventional way. He was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole through his school years, especially through high school. He was a hands-on learner in a conventional school that taught by the book. Although high school was difficult for him, he made it through and we tried to stress and encourage his many gifts of which one was playing the guitar. 

Judith with son Joel the
'Luthier' and her hero

His natural talent reared its head at age 10 when he picked up his dad's guitar and showed talent and innovation that we were astonished to see. Anything our sons excelled at we encouraged and made it possible for them to continue their talents.

Over the years my son began to teach himself how to record music, and how to play by ear. He also became interested in taking a guitar apart and learned how to re-assemble and refurbish instruments.
As he began to become very proficient he proposed to us that he needed to spread his wings and move out to Los Angeles where he could be close to the music industry and use his gifts to survive.

 After finding a room in a house to rent there , he left Buffalo with only what he could carry in the car. My husband and he drove from Buffalo to Los Angeles and arrived at a less than desirable home to live in.

We felt more than sick to leave him there but had faith that he had to try and survive in this strange place where he knew no one. We had to give him time to settle in and since he was a believer that “if
you put your desires out to the Universe', he would make it.

His first few years were a struggle until he happened to meet someone who owned a vintage guitar store in a suburb of L.A.- as luck would have it they were looking for a 'luthier,' someone who
refurbishes instruments, and his destiny was ahead of him. He proved to that store owner that he had the chops to do the job and the rest is poetic history.

Joel, Judy, Audrey, Jacob and Steve

He now after only 6 years is WELL known in the industry, and repairs and works on very important and valuable guitars of some the wealthy and famous. The store that he works in is small and has few
employees and have become like a family over the years. Turns out his boss is a very similar type of personality and that was how he got started in the business. He, as his boss did so many years ago, rises at the crack of dawn and searches the west coast for valuable instruments that are in need of refurbishing.

He has found his niche in life and never has to work a day in his life, he loves what he does and now travels all over the U.S. , with his boss to find unearthed treasures.

He has had plenty of times when he could have thrown in the towel but persevered and would not give up. It was his destiny to end up on the west coast and we could not be any prouder of him.

Not many young people would have taken the chance that he did; forging into the unknown to seek his
future profession.

He remains my hero and we will be forever proud of him, and no matter where life's road takes him we know he will turn up on the top side because he will forever have the fire to succeed.

Judy, Judy, Judy!  ;-)

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