When Sue Heck, Trophy Central’s muse, first entered college, she became overwhelmed with all of life’s social injustices — from racism to gender biases to environmental hazards to fair wages to Barbie’s proportions being such that no real woman could ever have those measurements without falling over.
This is typical college behavior. Suddenly you’re out in the world on your own, being inundated with message after message, cause after cause, and you realize for the first time that you have your own voice. So you sign that petition, join that rally and write the most vehement essay for your writing class about how each person has the power to change the world.
Sure you’re in this bubble, an idealized version of real-life where anything and everything seems possible, where you can feel like you have perpetual good karma for signing your name on five different liberal causes in one day, but idyllic bubbles aren’t a bad place to live.
Unless, like Sue, you go from feeling like you’re helping everyone with your college-empowered indignation and end up feeling powerless over how many inequities and injustices there are in the world.
Awarding Altruism
Some people decide to give up at this point. Like Frankie Heck (Sue’s mom on ABC’s The Middle) says: “Look, I used to be your age. I understand righteous indignation, but eventually you get to be my age, and you realize you can’t fix everything. And sometimes you just got to kick back, relax, and enjoy a movie with too many white people in it.”
Trophy Central has no doubt that Sue Heck will never give up her pursuit to make the world a better place. And we believe that one day she will stop being overwhelmed with too many causes and too much unfairness in the world. Sue will find her own cause to stand up for without letting all the world’s stresses get to her.
How could we not believe in Sue, the optimistic go-getter who inspired Trophy Central’s Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” award?
Sue Heck makes the world a better place simply by being in it, just like our latest “Show Us Your Sue” trophy winner, a woman who feeds hungry middle school and college students with bagels and other wholesome goodies. She is known as Bagel Mom, and won our Random Acts of Trophy-ness award for “Outstanding Achievement in Altruism.”
Feeding the Hungry and Saving Lives
Bagel Mom has turned into somewhat of a legend, particularly at UCLA and Paul Revere Middle School.
A mom to four kids of her own, Bagel Mom has become a surrogate mom to so many, delivering a plethora of bagels, bread and other healthy goodies from places like Bristol Farms, New York Bagels, Whole Foods and Sprouts to hungry students. And if she has any bagels or other food items to spare, she donates them to homeless shelters.
Bagel Mom says, “You don’t have to be Oprah to save lives,” and we at Trophy Central could not agree more.
Bagel Mom’s commitment to feeding students (with food that is still fresh but would otherwise get thrown away) is the epitome of trophy-worthy.
Trophy Central would like to thank former “Show Us Your Sue” winners Jill Cofsky and Gomee Girl for nominating Bagel Mom for our Random Acts of Trophy-ness award.
Now it’s YOUR turn to Show Us Your Sue! Please nominate a trophy-worthy person in your life who makes the world a better place simply by being a part of it. Someone like Sue Heck, whose “I can and I will” philosophy outshines the jocks and the cheerleaders who win awards for their athleticism and popularity. We are looking to award the underdogs, the dreamers and the everyday heroes who inspire.
You can nominate someone for our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” award in the comments section below or on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #ShowUsYourSue.
Don’t forget to tell us why you think your nominee deserves a trophy!
