Clark Kent

My greatest ambition is to be Clark Kent. Do the world some good, provide hope for the hopeless, and be able to do it unnoticed.
I've found that losing myself in the good of others is the only thing that makes me happy, truly happy. "For it is in giving that we receive."

As great as super powers are, I wouldn't want super powers. No, I'd love to be that person who knows how to use average skills in extraordinary ways. People who actually do do that, those people are the reason ideas like Superman exist, the reason why there is hope among the hopeless. But most importantly, they're humble about it. It's rather admirable, what those people do.

Today, though, I was walking through Costco and from the moment I got near the flowers I could hear a baby wailing from somewhere in the store. I've been in that position, and after a couple minutes trying everything to make the kid stop, your face turns into stone. You call yourself every name in the book because you thought that this one time it might go well. I've also been in the position where I wish I could just do something, I feel for whoever is going through that.

So, I'm walking through the store and like any mother, mine stops to look at the books, which leaves me to wander around. I now know exactly where I can get a gallon of mayonnaise, a years worth of gum, or my favorite, 500 feet of aluminum foil. I mean, seriously? The gum yes, but aside from the tin-foil hat wearers, who needs that much of aluminum foil?!

As I'm wandering I hear this wailing child get closer and closer, and I round a corner to the mother in the middle of scolding this red face watery eyed bald baby, who is no more than a year old. The mother, of course, didn't see me at all so I casually followed them down the isle making little smiley faces to this baby. About a minute later we were about to enter into the main isle, they were turning left and I was going right. As we were separating, I waived to this kid and the biggest smile spread across his face, he let out a giggle, and his hand shot up to waive back. I walked off but I glanced back and saw the mother with a very surprised look on her face, searching the faces of dozens of people who could have possibly made her day. Now, I'm not saying I did that, but it would have made mine.

I didn't hear anyone crying the rest of the time I was at Costco.

It's moments like those that I live for. It didn't cause me much work, if any, and hopefully it made someone a bit happier. I know it made me happy.

Opportunities similar to this happen all the time and we don't necessarily notice that they are, in some way, a heroic act. Things as simple as telling a person that you're thinking of them or telling them that you care, can often change a persons outlook on that day or even life in general. What I find special to me, is when a person can spend the time to write and send a letter. I feel that they genuinely care because they took that time, and in this day and age, time is so limited. It's always the simple things that make a difference and I believe that.

Although I don't have super powers, I know that I can do a good deed here and there. Not exactly at the level I would like too, but it's my only hope that it gets passed on.

I've never been a fan of capes, but I do enjoy wearing my black rimmed glasses as often as I can.