Middle Aged Man

As A child I loved comic books. The Hulk, Doctor Strange and Thor were my favorites. Conan too. Most of these superheroes had one or two distinct powers. In adulthood my wife and I would imagine if our friends were superheroes what their superpower would be. It got me thinking about myself. If I were a superhero, what would be my superpower? What would be my name?

I would be called “Middle Aged Man.” Joining a group like the Avengers we would all be doing superhero things. The Hulk would become angry and smash something. Dr Strange would be casting spells. I would be sitting on the couch. I am sure that my spandex costume would not look as good on me as the others. It might be a bit embarrassing with my pot belly. Nevertheless, I would be one of the most powerful and most important superheroes. 

My super power would be a resilient optimism and the ability to not give up. I would frame things in a way that made me believe we were winning. From the couch I would occasionally yell out, “I think everything is going to be alright!, or We got this!” Even when losing hope, I would soon find a way to reignite a sense of well being. Sometimes winning is not losing so fast. There would be some way of changing perspective. I would listen to my team closely.  By truly listening, we would ignite the spirit of genius, innovation that might come from any one at any time.

At the end of the fall there are leaves that finally drop after having made it through all the other seasons. When it is time to quit there is no doubt, no question about it. We fall out of this life and into whatever comes next. Until then let’s frame the subject well. Let’s come from the inside out, expressing values that would make us proud if this were the last moment of our lives. You do not have to wear a costume. If you do this you will be a superhero!