He was reared in the Depression, endured the early death of his father, was raised in poverty by a single mother, and went on to become a doctor and a professor of radiology. By the time he was 23, he was an M.D., having been pushed to go to school year round by the pressures of World War II. He and my mother raised and educated five children, and provided support and encouragement to countless numbers of people from a range of ethnicities, religions, and cultures.

He has always believed that his work as a professor of medicine was a mission, not a ticket to financial success. He honors academics above commerce, intelligence above money, and money only if it's a means to good and not a goal unto itself. He can discuss a plethora of topics in a multitude of disciplines, but is at a loss with respect to pop culture or trendy thinking. He follows sports and will be forever loyal to the Cal Bears-his alma mater-even though, year after year, they tend to let him down on the basketball court and the football field. He's got a sense humor and a sense of humility. Most importantly, there isn't a crossword puzzle on the face of the globe that he can't complete in less than an hour.

I've got other heroes as well. I've got a friend who thinks honesty is more important than power, that loyalty is more important than material possessions, and that unending curiosity should be a way of life. I've got another friend who thinks artifice and self-aggrandizement are the trappings of a fool, that poverty enriches, and suffering empowers. I'm lucky to have yet another friend who believes that unconditional friendship is the only true kind, and that giving is way far better than getting.

Of course, all of these folks are young. They haven't been embittered by life, ruined by defeat and humiliation, and overwhelmed by self-pity, habitual sarcasm, and endless consumer appetites.

Why is it that some people are heroes to be emulated and others just mortals to be endured? Wish I knew the answer to that question, but it begs a separate question. Is all that we are striving to do here in Silicon Valley important? Does it add to our quality of life and to the quality of life for our neighbors, friends, and fellow citizens of the earth? Are we living our lives as heroes?

Meanwhile, ask yourself: Do you have any heroes? Even one? If not, perhaps you should stop working so hard, take a break, and think about it. Are there people around you who are inspiring, both intellectually and morally? People who make you strive to be more than you thought you could be?

Nobody should live in a vacuum. Everybody needs a few good heroes. Life is too short to live without them or their inspiration.