I recently found a new context for my personal beliefs
about how to interact with others. I watched the latest movie about my favorite
superhero, Superman. In the movie Man of Steel, I learned that the 'S' on
Superman's chest isn't an 'S' at all. Instead, it represents the Kryptonian
symbol for Hope. I like that. When I was younger, I would pretend to be
superman and run around outside with a red cape and blue pants with my undies
worn on the outside. Boy, was that fun, saving the world and pretending to fly. Fast forward to adulthood. If I showed up at
work looking like that, they would throw me in the Psych ward.
What I realized by watching this movie is that
there's one thing that makes Superman greater than any other hero. He was born
the way he is, and chooses to lead humanity, not through his examples as
Superman, but through his examples as Clark Kent.
This is a subtle point that needs exploring.
Superman is a god, period. He can do things no mortal can. He has love,
adoration and immense power. And what does he choose to do with it? He
chooses to be mild-mannered Clark Kent. He stumbles when others walk strong. He
wears glasses when others have perfect vision. He bumbles his words when he's
perfectly fluent. In short, he makes others feel like superheroes, rather than
showcasing his own abilities.
This is how I've tried to live my life. I strive to
make others feel smarter, more powerful, and richer than myself. Why? Because
it makes them feel good, it makes me feel good, and it's contagious. My goal is
not to be a superhero. My goal is to make everyone around me feel like
superheroes. I believe that instead of trying to be like Superman, we should
all try to be a little more like Clark Kent.
If we strive to amplify the powers of those around
us, then we win, they win, and our initiatives and organizations win. The most
rewarding experience for me is when I'm being helpful to someone. The more
people that feel better about themselves because of me, the better off we all
are.
Barry Prom, mild mannered math intervention teacher J
