Super Heroes

Super heros. Fodder of comic books and feature films. They intend to display the best virtues that humans are claimed to possess. Superman, who wasn't even from this planet, vowed to fight for truth, justice, and the American way. Honor, courage, strength of character, all these things were the shining example they strove to uphold. Some of mankind's earliest super heroes were the Knights of the Round Table, those mostly fictitious warriors who upheld the idea of chivalry under the wise leadership of King Arthur. But, really, we all know better, don't we? To be human decries any hope of being a super-hero, so flawed are all of us in one aspect or another. Today we are lucky to have police departments, or even combat units, that we can count on to live and perform their duties with honor and integrity. I am not saying that the majority of these men we depend on do not address their calling with the best intentions, but they are, like all of us, human, and sometimes they cross over to the wrong side of that line.

There are so many professions that are made up of individuals who fail to understand the depth of responsibility that comes with their chosen careers, or perhaps are incapable of really caring. Prosecutors are charged with dealing with those amongst us who threaten our peace, yet sometimes they get lazy and think that a body count is proof they are doing their jobs rather than putting away the animals that stalk us. based on true evidence. These people are not super-heroes, they mock the very idea. Teachers who gain tenure and sleep at their desks, or hide behind them, will not provide us with future super-heroes. Presidents who think the job is about power and wielding that power against critics make us all look bad. Reporters who spend their time chasing flash and hype, rather than seeking the truth we need to truly enjoy democracy threaten that democracy. And soldiers who think that an M-16 makes them judge, jury, and executioner might as well fight for the other side for all the good they are lending to their country.

I know why we need super-heroes. We want to think as humans, we have within us incredible powers for good, knowing deep inside we are much better at being villains. Well, I have known super-heroes, and I have found them in the most ordinary places, never to be celebrated on the pages of comics or the big screen. One is Holly, a critical care nurse. She is a devout Christian, but you wouldn't know that unless you asked her. But you would suspect it, if you knew her and watched her care for her patients, not because of the money, although I know she needs it as much as any of us do, but because that's how she performs her amazing feats, although she would never admit to that. Another is one of my new nurse managers, a rather plump and jolly lady who called me up at home just to thank me for not complaining about a certain work assignment. I felt like I was being respected, something I rarely feel these days, and that to me was heroic. Another hero I admire is Al Gore, a man maligned for his stiff character and liberal heart, who handled a questionable defeat with grace and dignity, and went on to do what he could to make us realize that the survival of the human race was at stake when all the nay-sayers were dismissing global warming as liberal hype. And certainly not the least of my super-heroes is my wife, who despite my ineptitude as a husband and provider, makes me feel like a super-hero myself, when I want to feel anything but. Now, none of these people have super powers, but they do have what it takes to be what we would prefer the definition of humanity to be. They have heart. Good hearts. And I'll take that over super-strength or the ability to leap over tall buildings any day.