Set with the task of writing a true story of heroism, I came up with three names. Queen Elizabeth II, Surfing Legend Eddie Aikau, and the Native American guide Sacajawea. Each person has a fascinating story to tell. My idea was to write about the Queen on the day of her Coronation, to show what she experienced on her first day of being a monarch. I'd love to write about her, but I would find it difficult to write about her feelings about succeeding her father after his death. It might offend some people, as it is a sensitive subject.
Sacajawea was a strong woman as well, but hardly gained recognition until a much later era in history. This alone makes for a great story, and I could write in either her perspective, or that of her son, Baptiste. This would enable me to research and subsequently write about what it must have been like to have her as a parent during her travels. It would be good to write about her achievements for a feminist crowd, but it may be difficult to write about her because she was not considered important enough back then. It could be hard to make an account if nobody paid much attention to her.
The first name that came to me was actually Eddie Aikau. Most people outside the surfing world won't recognise this name. In Hawaii, a famous saying is "Eddie would go", which applies to how this iconic surfer- known for riding 30 foot swells- became famous when in 1978, when on a sinking boat in heavy waves, he attempted to save his friends. He proposed swimming the 12 miles to Lana'i island, to get help. While the ship's crew were later saved by the coastguard, Eddie was never seen again. Today he is honoured as the namesake for a surfing competition in Hawaii.
Each of the subjects have interesting stories to tell, but one is treading on thin ice with each of them due to political correctness and fairness towards the subject. I find that it will prove a challenge with whomever I choose to write about.
