The Superhero In Us All

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“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

This was originally published on 6/1/2022. Heads up – you may have already read this.

My kids have been watching a lot of Superman at my house. I’m talking about the 1978 movie with Christopher Reeve, Magot Kidder and Gene Hackman. I love it because it brings me back to when I was nine-years-old and saw it the first time. Back when they did all the credits at the beginning – remember that?

Gene Hackman plays the bad guy Lex Luthor. And as insensitive as he is to the loss of human life and calculating in his plans to get what he wants, he seems perfectly rational in his selfish pursuit of wealth and notoriety as the greatest criminal mind of the time. He even seems quite erudite as he reads newspapers, has a library full of books and even responds using the German “Jawohl” to respond with an enthusiastic yes to a statement.

This is the model of a bad guy that I grew up with. Someone with nefarious intentions but logical methods. Life has taught me that there is another type of bad guy – one who seems to reacts out of pain and hatred in a way that seems so pointless. And when I use the term “bad guy,” I intend it in a universal way that is not gender specific. Faye Dunaway plays a good female “bad guy” in the Supergirl movie from 1984.

Given my career and lifestyle, I will probably never meet a Lex Luthor. But the other type of bad guy is someone who lives in and among our communities. Someone who has interactions with others that influences whether or not they feel seen, heard or loved. Someone who, maybe from a very young age, can benefit from others taking a step to make them feel included or respected.

The poet Mark Nepo has a beautiful description of our world as a great wheel. We share a common center, our lives create all the different spokes and the integrity of the wheel overall depends on the health of those spokes. When we open ourselves up to whatever inspires each of us to beauty, transcendence and inclusion, we have the opportunity to shine the light for others because we are all connected.

Thinking back to how to ground myself in this work, I think of this quote from Elie Wiesel:

But where was I to start? The world is so vast, I shall start with the country I know best, my own. But my country is so very large. I had better start with my town. But my town too, is large. I had best start with my street. No: my home. No: my family. Never mind, I shall start with myself.

Elie Wiesel

The little things we do – a pause to let someone cut in traffic, or a smile passing someone on the street or a silent prayer of blessing for someone who is struggling, these are kindnesses that start in our hearts and touch all those around. The smallest nod to acknowledge that the person in front of us exists has impact.

Be nice to the 38 year old in your Freshman lecture and be nice to people at the gym. Those people are putting themselves in extreme anxiety-inducing situations in attempt to try to better themselves. Just a smile or a quick conversation can mean so much.

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We might need Superman to fight the Lex Luthors of the world. But we all have a chance to touch others who may or may not become bad guys based on the path they walk among us. And we all have a chance to touch others who may or may not become great guys based on the peace and support passed to them. It starts small: be kind to yourself and be kind to others.

What are the small acts that have inspired or passed peace to you?

I’ve published a related piece on Wise & Shine: What Is It You Plan To Do With Your One Wild and Precious Post?

(featured photo from Pexels)

30 thoughts on “The Superhero In Us All”

  1. Pingback: What Is It You Plan To Do With Your One Wild and Precious Post? - Wise & Shine

  2. I love this post – and the Superman photo! – as it is a good reminder that small acts of daily kindness add up to a larger whole, especially when we all do our parts. They make an impact on others in ways we might never imagine.

    And I loved the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. They did make me believe flying was possible!

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  6. I believe it isn’t hard to not only thank someone for holding a door for you, but also wish them to have a good day…a good “one.” I’ve been the giver and receiver of that extra message, and I think it personalizes a bit what otherwise is often a formal communication.

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  9. Lex Luther by Gene Hackman seems like the same character he played in The Firm with Tom Cruise. Also, you bring up driving. The most polite drivers are in Washington state. Living my adulthood in California I miss that. In CA and AZ if you put on your blinker to change lanes, you immediately get a bunch of cars racing to block you. In WA, I’d get a wave and a slowdown to let me in!

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  13. Truly it seems that what we give out is also what comes to us! I’m someone who will let anyone who wants to merge into my lane in, and in return, others seem to just let me in when I need it! I have known people who will drive aggressively, cut people off and never, ever let anyone ahead of them. I had one such person complaining to me how everyone around him drives aggressively and always cuts him off, and he was asking for my agreement. When I said no, my experiences were very different, he seemed incredulous. Will he change? I doubt it, for when I told him what my experiences are, he scoffed at my letting people in, for he sees it as a sign of weakness.

    That showed me that we can all live in the world at the same time, yet have vastly different experiences, even when we’re stuck in the same traffic jam!

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  14. I wonder how many of those moments pass us by without truly registering. How much better would our day be if we’d pause to cherish those small kindnesses and wrap them up safe in our heart? 💞

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