Be a Super Hero
By Jim Fannin
Yes…Superman, the Man of Steel, lived in my hometown of Ashland, Kentucky. Pretty cool, huh? Actor George Reeves, aka Superman, played the superhero in 104 episodes on the hit television series, The Adventures of Superman from 1952–1958.
Remember the show? I was glued to the TV in my pajamas for most of those episodes. Here’s the transcript of the opening of the show:
“Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! (“Look! Up in the sky!” “It’s a bird!” “It’s a plane!” “It’s Superman!”)… Yes, it’s Superman … strange visitor from another planet, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men! Superman … who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way!”
Didn’t you love watching Superman jump out the window of the Daily Planet building? He was always off to save Lois and Jimmy from some crime predicament?
What about you? Do you have a superhero lurking inside? Who could you save today? What would your character look like once your civilian clothes were cast aside? What powers would you use to fight crime and injustice? What good deeds would be left behind once you left the scene?
Today, you are a superhero! You have uncanny powers of self-discipline, concentration, optimism, relaxation and enjoyment. Anyone lacking these intangibles obviously needs your help. You can get into the Zone with the speed of a bullet. You can reverse a “bad day” with the blink of an eye. Your capability to be cool in the face of adversity is legendary. You can defuse a volatile situation with your power of silence or a well-placed word.
Spread discipline to the unruly. Increase focus for the wandering mind. Reverse the negative ways of the pessimist. Calm the heart and mind of the worrier. Revive the soul of the sad.
Go onto the Earth and do “good” for mankind. Rake the leaves of a bedridden, elderly neighbor’s lawn. Cheer up an entire children’s wing at a local hospital with your toys and super smile. Lend a hand to the needy. Mentor a junior co-worker. Motivate the uninspired. Volunteer at a grassroots charity. Be the voice of reason in a sea of emotion. Share your expertise to a local civic organization like the Optimist, Rotary or Kiwanis clubs. Be the beacon of hope for the downtrodden. Uplift a stranger with an unsolicited smile. Introduce courage to the meek. Give your powers a test.
What will you be called? Zone Man? Captain Focus? The Optimizer? Expectoid? Believer Man? Captain Confident? The Passionator? Make-it-happen Captain? The Human Palm Tree? Cheetah Woman? Goal-Girl?
Be a superhero today!
“Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s YOU!”