The Joy of Seeking Your Super Hero
A few weeks ago I watched as some major league ball players mixed in with some Little League players at the Little League World Series. A reporter interviewed the young players and the kids offered up a name or two indicating that these ball players were their favorites or their hero. That sparked some ancient memories for me. When was the last time I had a hero? I’m not sure that I don’t have some right now...I’ll get to that in a flash.
If it’s difficult to clearly claim a “hero” now, I most certainly have no problem recalling my childhood favorites.
I stood there in the hallway of a tiny. Rented house in West Burlington, Iowa. I had on my black jeans and a shirt that had small black and white checks. I stared down the hall and counted silently back from 5 to 1. Reaching High Noon my right hand flew up from my side,grabbed the ivory grip and with a flash of gleaming chrome, I pulled the trigger and another would-be scoundrel hit the pretend dust on Main Street.
You see, just like my hero Roy Rodgers, (he had a shirt like that and while mostly he ended up fist fighting, he left plenty of bad guys pushing up daisies and then rode off with Dale Evans singing a triumphant “happy Trails until we meet again.”
Roy was my hero for sure and I suspected he always would be—well at least for a couple years and then.......then like a siren in the night I heard the sound that spellled out goes a little like this... Bubba, bubba, bubba, bubba, bubba, bubba,bubba, bubba, bubba, bubba, bubba,bubba, bubba, BATMAN!—and a new super hero was born. Well a lot of actors have played that role over the 80 years—yes holy major flame on a cake (as this weekend marks the caped crusader’s 80th birthday). Of course my favorite will always be Adam West from the TV series.
Why Batman? After all, there was a bunch of options? Clearly Batman himself didn’t have any super powers unless you counted all those cool gadgets and vehicles and of course he kept them all in his private cave. Didn’t everyone have a private cave in the late 60’s? Superman could run faster than a speeding bullet and was more powerful than a locomotive. However in reflection, Batman was the man because he would bravely run into trouble and of course get himself caught ina mess by some evil criminal. The show would end with my hero in dire straits but the announcer would give that promise that Batman would still be around for at least one more day because we had to “tune in tomorrow—same Bat time, Same Bat channel.” So it happened over and over. Batman and Robin would think their way out of the jam and vanquish the devious villains. Batman had a cool red phone and thissecret compartment with a fire pole or a “bat ole” if you will. He could slide down it and be dressed in his secret identity garb by the time he reached the cave. I wished I had one of those poles, but I’d probably jump onto it with my PJs. On and wind up at the bottom dressed in a Catholic schools prescribed outfit and there would be no car that could shoot flames out the back waiting—though the 56 Crown Vic with a load of chrome had plenty of pep.
Anyway I imagine I’ve always liked Batman because he was good at solving riddles and uncovering clues. Now, Sister Gregory my high school Math teacher could have come up with a story problem or two that he would have had to feed into the bat computer to solve, but your average foe didn’t stand a chance against the wits of my main man. Also he had this utility belt. This had everything on it romsleeping gas to shark repellant.All I had was a plain black belt, not counting the cap gun belt and holster that was somewhere in the toy box because Batman didn’t engage in idle gun play.
To sum it up Batman was kind of like a regular person except. A bit or a lot, cooler. That’s what I wanted to. Be.
Over time I have pretty much given up on becoming a rich single millionaire with.a kick-ass car, yet I still hold on to being able to figure out things that are puzzling. I still work for peace , justice,and the American Way”—I know that’s Superman. I do work for justice and fairness like my masked friend. I’m not afraid to work with others although I don’t have a butler or except my younger brother a “boy wonder” to hang with.
So what’s all this add up to? It is important to have. Kindred spirits and if they come in the form of a hero it’s okay. There are plenty of people in the world who live their values. And share them with you. These are “hero material” and seeking them out and connecting will often bring about peace and joy. Hero’s also avoid some troubles, but not all of them...and keep right on trying until their journey (or the half hour) is at an end. We all can get help and persist and that is an element in. Finding the peaceful spots where you can rest and plan how you are going to use your gifts. Mostly, we worship super hero’s because they have some unusual physical or mental skill. well...so does each one of us and exploring our lives we will find those skills. If we pay attention we will grow those skills, and most important we will use themm.
So when it’s all said and done, go out and find a hero and then look within and find one too. Becoming. Your own hero or being a temporary mild mannered hero for someone, will indeed help you create some peace and joy.....
That’s all for now—but “tune in tomorrow same Bat Time....”
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