This seems like as good a time as any to look a little farther into this superhero thing. There seems to be a great deal of controversy as to whether superheros are born superheros or are they made in to superheros. (Ok, so maybe there’s really not a controversy but it makes for some excitement.) Superman — born. Spiderman — made. Batman — umm, actually I’m not sure (those crazy pointed ears!).
I hear stories very often about people who perform some great acts of heroism. Were they destined to be there, at that spot, at that given time, to perform whatever feat they performed? Was it a fluke? Did it all just happen?
I guess maybe the question is about destiny. Is it all pre-determined or do we get to have a say in it? I would think that even Christians would have to believe that possibly we have a say in it. Otherwise, why would we have been given the gift of “free will”?
I think it’s interesting to hear stories from people about times in their life when they felt broken or beat down or stuck. Hearing how people got up, how they walked away from the broken — makes for a good story. We all stumble and sometimes we even fall. But, it’s those of us that get up — you know, scrapped knees only hurt for a short time and bruises usually fade with time. Do superheros stumble?
There is an owl that lives in the woods across the street from my house. I’ve heard it hoot around 5:16 every morning for at least 10 months. I don’t know anything about owls — how long they live, how long do they nest in one place, why do they only hoot at 5:16am. I’m not sure if it’s the same owl — but I pretend it is. I have formed quite a relationship with this owl — although I’ve never seen her (I think she is a she). She wakes me up every morning. She talks to me in a calm demeanor. She is always there.
I’m not sure who else has heard my owl. My house is positioned so that I possibly could be her only friend. My kids have never heard my owl, their rooms are far away from mine. I have peered out my window on many mornings hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I try to follow her hoot so that I can pinpoint her location — I want to know what tree she is actually in. But, it’s been impossible so far. I’ve thought about going outside and following her hoot — but at 5:16 it’s sometimes dark, and sometimes cold, and sometimes lonely. I’m not sure she would be open to having a visitor to her woods.
Maybe if I had superpowers I could see her in the dark. Maybe if I had superpowers I wouldn’t be afraid to walk across the street to the darkened woods. Maybe…
So, are superheros made or are they born? Can you overcome your fears to find the powers that perhaps have been in you all along? Can you walk across the street to greet a friend that beckons you every morning? Maybe…
I believe we are made or broken by our circumstances and life events. Some rise above and are made stronger by it, while others are broken and defeated. Using this logic and my knowledge of comic book lore, I could also make the case that Superman was not born a superhero, but became one as a result of life events. But that ultimately is not what this is about.
Can you become a superhero? I guess it is up to each individual to determine that for themselves.
Excellent comment Mary. I think you’ve just given me an idea for the next superhero post!
Thanks!
Okay, so in my (very) humble opinion on this topic (and you know I’m usually an arrogant know-it-all) ~
I have no idea about born or made, or how much or little a part is played by destiny.
IRL Superheros come in different types:
There are the honest-to-God super-human feats in a crisis ~ the mother lifting a car off of her teenage son’s leg, the stranger walking by who runs into a burning building to save a child. I believe that they are ordinary people able to do extraordinary things that one time.
There are unique public superheros ~ those like Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr., who people all over the world and for the rest of time look up to because of their ideals and strength.
There are the superheros who are born with the heart of a superhero ~ firefighters, police, emt’s ~ who risk their lives every day to help other people.
There are our personal superheros ~ those people in our lives who inspire us to do better, encourage us to take a chance, who believe in us.
There are the most common, and least recognized day-to-day superheroes ~ our mothers and fathers, our grandparents, friends, Twitter Friends ~ the people who nuture us, love and accept us, support us whether they agree with our decisions or not. They always have our back. I think sometimes they are born this way, sometimes they are taught, and sometimes they evolve through their own life experiences.
Whether protecting the galaxy, the world, the human species, our own children ~ the key to me for defining a superhero is that they ALWAYS have the super power of protecting.
*shaking my pom poms* for you, Becky, each and every day! *big squishy hug* D
Ha!
Wow Dani — It’s not fair when your comments are better than the post!
Thanks for sharing!
the fact that you give a Hoot
shows the root of this connection
sit and quietly hear her
hooting in the trees
in the dark
as she hoots
follow the vibration
with your mind
open yourself up
and you will find
you have the power that you seek
to peer into the dark
thanks for sharing your lovely owl with the world
I talk to crows and they all know
the things I say but alas not me LOL
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I really love my owl!
People ask me about this all the time, b, because I’m always flying around in my j-cape. I think we’re born with all sorts of powers… and then we spend our lives learning what they are and trusting that they’re real.
I trust your opinion as the resident superhero.
Powerful post B.
I do not think I have ever met a human being who is not a super hero. I mean, maybe not to me, but I know all of us have been a super hero to at least one person. All of us. One of my favorite but corny scenes is from While you were sleeping – when Sandra Bullock’s character says to Peter Gallagher’s character (after he complains of never doing any truly heroic), she mentions him giving up his seat every day on the subway – and that she knows that is heroic to the person he gives up the seat to. Ok, so it’s a corny moment from a movie, but it makes me think what is a super hero? Leaping tall buildings? Saving the day? well yes, but metaphorically – and who is to say that each and every day we don’t leap tall metaphoric buildings or save the metaphorical day? I think we do. All of us. If not every day, at least once (but more likely quite often – even if we are unaware we are doing it). There are so many reasons/ways to be a jerk these days, to not care about others. It has become so easy to live in our own heads and to do what we want when we want, it amazes me sometimes. So my convoluted response to your cosmic question is that we are born and we are made and we are all super heroes. IMHO. Thanks Becky for the great post, you made me think ;o)
I love your metaphoric response — that is perfect! I really think you’ve nailed it.
Can’t wait to include your thoughts on the next post c!