Superheroes

This is a letter to a friend.

“I am the typical underdeveloped protagonist, just about to discover his powers. I’m the innocent, young man with a couple traumatizing experiences. You are the jittery audience. You are watching my story, patiently waiting for the drama to unfold.

"Shazam. I am bit by a radioactive spider. I am exposed to XYZ-rays. I am bathed in a coat of chemical top-secret 03312. I am super!

"You watch apprehensively. Tension runs down your spine, radiating through yours shoulders, crawling down your arms, leaking into your hands. Your fingers gradually claw themselves into vice-like grips around the arm rests.

"I slowly look down at my trembling palms, immediately aware of immense power now surging through my veins. I clench my pink, steaming fists, shift my eyes towards the sky, and release an earth shattering cry. A set of brilliant wings unfold from my back, and with a single, thundering beat, carry me to the cosmos.

"You, now covered in a light blanket of salt and popcorn oil, take a generous gulp of Coca Cola. Escalating anxiety forces your stomach to the top of your body cavity. Your unblinking eyes stay fixed to the screen.

"Above a carpet of cotton clouds, I streak across the vast sky at breakneck speeds. The calm, cold air has a sharp edge and washes over me like waves of frozen needles. I’m bathed in a sea of frigid pricks as I continue to accelerate, splitting the supple, white floor beneath me. In a final surge of energy, I pull the wings in tight, blasting through the sound barrier and vaporizing every cloud in the sky.”

Superheroes used to be omnipotent figures; people who were pure good who fought pure evil, always won, and had only one weakness. People looked up to them, children tied tablecloths to their necks and ran around the kitchen with their arms spread pretending to be them. They were always greeted by throngs of people, all wanting to shake the hand of the one they’ve only read about or seen on the television, so many settling for a mere glimpse of that person, the true hero. They are untouchable. They are demigods. They can do no wrong.

If you haven’t noticed, there aren’t too many of these around anymore.

Now, there are humble origins. Troubled pasts. The hero rises from the ashes to begin anew. Instead of heroes being in heroes from the day they were born, there are people who never wanted to be heroes, and people who don’t know what to do with the fact that they are heroes. These are ordinary people, put in extraordinary situations, and asked to use the talents given to them. They feel pain, they complain, they cry, they bleed. These people, in spite of their gifts, are still only human. Yet children still zoom around the house in make believe capes. Why is that?

We hold you in such high esteem because you are as you described yourself in the first passage. Your struggles, your pain, your highs, your lows—they inspire us. Sure, there are videos of better trickers out there, but they are untouchable. We see ourselves in you. You put a face to everything we are going through, which extends far beyond the realm of simply tricking. You are more than just a hero, above all else, you are still only human. And we love you for it. You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t.

Your superpower extends beyond simply having a way with words. As with so many superpowers, it has far deeper implications than the words on the page. The reason why the site is what it is today is not because of your literary gifts, or your tricking videos. It is because your story inspires us, and continues to inspire us. You show us what can be achieved when you listen to that voice in your head telling you to go for it and not look back. You show us that though the road to greatness is hard, it is achievable for anyone. You even show us that nice guys finish first from time to time. And the best part about it all: you have done all of this without having any idea it was happening. You were a hero all along, and had no idea. I would argue that we are not the ones sneaking into your image room, you are getting a peak into ours.

There is a common plot thread in all superhero stories. At some point, the hero decides to take hang up his cape and live a simpler life. Do you know why the hero always comes back?

Take care Kevin.


-DK