📝 The Flawed Heroes Among Us
By Richard Owusu
We live in a world that creates idols out of ordinary people. We admire beauty, success, charisma, or talent, and we instantly elevate people to hero status. But when those same people show weakness, we forget their humanity and drag them down in shame.
This piece shares fictional yet painfully relatable confessions from student leaders, pastors, teachers, and others—each admired for a time, only to be ridiculed when they couldn’t live up to unrealistic expectations.
Let these stories remind us that no one is perfect—not even those we place on pedestals.
🎓 The Student Leader Who Was Never an Academic Star
This confession comes from a student who feels betrayed by expectations he never promised to meet.
I was the SRC president. However, I never promised during my campaign that I would graduate with First Class or even Second Class Upper honours. Still, people made an academic icon out of me—only to crucify me later when I didn’t meet their imagined standards.
I didn’t fail them. I simply failed their assumptions.
😎 The “Fresh Boy” Who Became a Joke
This is from a handsome young man who lost his values trying to please others.
That name… that name that replaced my real name.
“Fresh boy.”
Yes, I was good-looking, and yes, women liked me. My friends saw it as a golden opportunity and pushed me to take advantage. I gave in to peer pressure and started womanising.
But like a cruel twist, those same friends who cheered me on later despised me. “Fresh boy,” they used to call me. Now? “Playboy.” That’s the name they mock me with.
All I did was follow their advice.
👠 The Beauty Queen Who Didn’t See the End Coming
This is the confession of a woman who placed her worth entirely in beauty—until time taught her otherwise.
My name is Aurelia. I won a beauty pageant in school, and overnight, I became a campus sensation. Guys chased me. Rich men pursued me. I felt powerful, and I used that power to manipulate hearts like toys.
Everyone told me how beautiful I was, and I believed that was enough. But I didn’t realise that beauty fades. As time passed, I lost my spark, and desperation set in.
I rushed into marriage without thinking, just to feel wanted again. Today, I’m married with two kids—and struggling to hold it all together.
If only I hadn’t been blinded by praise, I might have seen the good men I ignored. Maybe life would be different now.
📚 The Tutor Who Lost His Integrity
A sobering confession from a tutor battling the temptations that come with power and position.
I can’t mention my name, but I’m a lecturer. I love my job, and I do it with all my heart. My students like me—but truth be told, I’ve failed them.
I’ve favoured the company of female students over males. I’ve used mentorship as a means to obtain emotional and physical attention. I lied to myself that I was just mentoring them, but in truth, I was using them to satisfy my selfish desires and escapism.
Deep down, I know this could all backfire one day. The same girls I turn to for comfort might be the ones who ruin my reputation. And honestly? I wouldn’t blame them.
⛪ The Pastor Who Forgot His Roots
This is the confession of a pastor who was lifted by God—and brought back down by pride.
I remember when I had only one pair of trousers to wear to church. I used to walk for miles and couldn’t even afford an offering. But God found me, raised me, and gave me a voice.
Then I changed.
I began to despise the small offerings others brought. I forgot that I was once that poor man. I grew proud. The signs, the wonders, the praise from people—it made me feel invincible.
Until one mistake.
One reckless decision, and everything came crashing down. It was scandalous. Humiliating. But it reminded me: without God, I am nothing. I only thought I was somebody.
💭 Final Words from the Writer
My concern in this piece is simple:
How quickly we make heroes out of people—only to crucify them for being flawed.
My name is Richard Owusu. I’m a writer, and I’m not perfect. If there is anything admirable about me, it was given to me by God. I desire to please Him in all my ways—not to become anybody’s superhero.
