Recently someone mentioned to me that "it seems like the only thing on TV nowadays are superhero shows." After hearing this, I proceeded to look over all of the TV shows on my Netflix queue: the only non-superhero show on there was How I Met Your Mother. Other than that, my list of shows is riddled with The Flash, Arrow, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Supergirl.
I am fan - a SUPER fan, if you will.
And, yes, I also read comics when I can afford them. My father is really into superheroes and comics, so I blame him for making me this way. He and I can hold 3 hour long conversations debating the metal of Thor's hammer or whether Supergirl could beat Superman in a fight. We talk about what sort of abilities would be the most powerful: super strength or super speed. We argue over the differences between Captain America and Superman as leaders of their respective super teams. Sometimes, we even pick apart the individual X-men characters and analyze their relationships with one another. Just your basic father-daughter banter.
But, our conversations don't usually exist in this realm of super-nerdiness. We always take them further by applying them to our own lives. Especially when we talk about what kind of superpowers we would most want. Discussing which abilities we want, includes discussing which abilities are best suited for us. Because you can't just hand out powers, you have to make sure they fit the person you give them to.
So, yes, I'll admit I'm still waiting to get my superpowers. And, yes, my father is too. While we know that this may never happen, we can still act like we have them. Meaning, you don't need special abilities or gadgets or incredible reflexes to still act like a hero. My dad reminds me of that every conversation.
In every superhero show or in every superhero comic, there is a point in which the hero loses his/her powers or his/her ability to fight for justice. I believe that it is only then that they can truly shine as heroes. By being forced to save the world with their own humanity, they show that everyone has the chance to be a hero. Everyone has it in them to be kind to others and to love others and to serve others, with or without powers. So, I'm a hero without powers, but I'm a hero nonetheless.
When the time comes for me to test this, I hope that I can live up to the challenge. I'll do little things on the way like, be a role model for my little sister or tutor students at a library or save a cat from a tree (if I ever run into that sort of situation. It would be pretty random though). I'll foster my ability to write and work on being a good human. That's what being a hero looks like, that's what I'm going to be.
