Focus on Texas: Courage

Moments of courage can be captured in numerous ways, including straight-on bravery, inspiring reminders or lighthearted deeds of daring

By Ashley Clary-Carpenter November 2013

Wise EC’s Annette Stephens says grandson Stuart Loran began climbing a tree by a creek bed and became scared, but Oscar encouraged him to go on.

Heather Mullet, CoServ Electric, came across this piece of paper deteriorating in the soil in her backyard. She had just moved to Little Elm and knew no one, and her future was uncertain. ‘Someone was trying to tell me something and that everything was going to be OK,’ she writes.

In this 2005 photo, then-19-year-old Marine Richard Risner, son of Kerrie Kerns Risner, Sam Houston EC, prepares to lead a team of special operations forces on a covert mission. Before an injury and medical retirement, this hero served three combat tours in Iraq.

Being silly takes courage, says Cristal Torres, Magic Valley EC, of her mother Maria E. Chávez. ‘She doesn’t care to be silly in the presence of her loved ones, and that is what I love about her. She takes the risks of having an amazing memory for life,’ Cristal writes of this photo of Maria and a family friend.

‘Gunter Fire and Rescue was practicing fire extinguisher training. I had taken several pictures [and] while going through the pictures later, I saw this one, which turned out to be one of my favorites,’ writes Jonathan Logan, Grayson-Collin EC. ‘The firefighter is unknown, which I enjoy because it represents every one of the firefighters there that night.’

HILCO EC’s Elizabeth Vinecourt’s daughter, Whitney Johnson, summoned the courage to overcome her fear of spiders, snakes and mostly height to climb this hay bale.

Woodpecker vs. blue jay. Who will win the fight over the breadcrumb? Thanks to Carla Burns, Bowie-Cass EC, for sending it in.

Sandra Balderrama, Bluebonnet EC, sent in this collage of her husband, Arturo Balderrama, who became a paratrooper at 18.

Coleman County EC’s Vicki Blackerby was pet-sitting Rodney, who had a face-off with an orphaned kitten.

Hailey Battenfield, here with her horse Kopy Kat, became brave with horses at a young age and can make them sit and lie. Grandmother Julie Battenfield, a member of Tex-La EC, sent this in.

Then 4-year-old Ryker Lane Fisher waited in line three hours to climb 40 feet up this tree to ring the bell at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center’s annual Tree Talk Winter Walk. ‘I was so proud of him for being so courageous,’ says mom Shelly Fisher, Pedernales EC.

Debbie Jameson, Coleman County EC, sent in this photo of her son, Jeremy Jameson, taken at Fort Hood as he awaits deployment to Iraq. ‘He is the bravest person I know,’ she says.

One-year-old Pepper Dukes has no fear when it comes to feeding horses and cows on her daddy’s ranch. Sent by grandmother Shirley Dukes, Comanche EC.

Diagnosed with epilepsy and other health problems, then 4-year-old Addison Tvrdik smiles through all the tests and hospital stays. ‘She continues to amaze me with her courage,’ says mom Carly McPherson, Rusk County EC. November is also Epilepsy Awareness Month.

Mushu, the fearless pug, scorns the Halloween spider, says Toni Palmer, Guadalupe Valley EC.

What is courage? That word often might make us think about members of the military, especially in November when we celebrate Veterans Day. We also might think of first responders and the courage they demonstrate. But the photos you sent us depicted other examples of courage, including the courage to be goofy.