What Happens when SuperHeros AreReal

Hi everyone. I was just about to call it a night when I remembered this story I read the other day, and I just had to share. Otherwise, I would have forgotten.

I have often pondered the idea of superheros. In the movies it is played off as if they are a normal part of everyday life. People speak of them with respect, but casually. Now I do realize it is movies and that it is fantasy. Yet it always amazes me when it is played off as reality. And it got me thinking- what if Superman was really real? Or Batman? Spiderman? Any superhero who willingly risks his life to save the world?

You can get lost in movies like that. I can get lost in the Chronicles of Narnia even, wishing for a place like that, despite it's own obvious issues (White Witch, anyone?). However, there is always a cheerful sense that everything will always turn out alright. Superman always come back after being blasted by Kryptonite, Batman always defeats the Joker, and Spiderman always swings past danger just in time. Aslan always saves the day, even if it is at the last minute. There is always a good ending. And that is comforting. To know that there is someone looking out for you, no matter the chaos in the world. But what would happen if they were really REAL? And did the things in the movies in REAL life?

Nah~ would never happen.

Wait...

Could it?

Never! I am a logical person who knows that they Do Not Exist. Ever. Only in comic books can I escape from reality and see a person saving the day.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that there does indeed a superhero. Not even just one! There is a whole group of them! They call themselves the "Rain City Superhero Movement", and they take their job seriously. One of the leaders, Ben Foder~ excuse me~ "Phoenix Jones", was recently arrested for pepper spraying a group of people that were in a bit of a rumble outside a bar. and HE got arrested.

Yep. That is correct. An actual SUPERHERO was arrested. Amazing.

Now, I understand the fact that you just can't go around pepper-spraying people. (Ladies, remember this.) YOU have to have been the one provoked. Apparently, they didn't turn on Phoenix Jones until he sprayed them. Oops. However, this did not deter the husband and father (not to mention superhero). He paid the $3800 bail bond and was quoted as going right back to, um, "work".

"I will continue to patrol with my team, probably tonight. ... In addition to being Phoenix Jones, I am also Ben Fodor, father and brother. I am just like everybody else. The only difference is that I try to stop crime in my neighborhood and everywhere else."

Impressive. He actually wants to make a difference, cares about making a difference, and he is doing it the best way he knows how. Now, most people I know, including myself, are not going to strap on a black/gold outfit, complete with a matching mask, and patrol the streets of our hoods at night. In fact, most of us get off the streets, lock the doors, turn out the lights, and pray that the people who would do us harm would stay away from us and ours. We don't care enough to start a movement. To put ourselves on the line for what is right. Can I criticize him for pepper spraying some drunk fighters? No. Why? Because he did more than I would have. A lot more. He is blessed he was arrested before someone pulled a knife on him. He could have died trying to prevent a fight. Was it worth it? To him it was.

Yes, it does seem like he did a little grandstanding, but then again, maybe he is trying to recruit more members to the 'force' by making it public. This world is a big place, and one small group cannot catch all the bad guys. These guys are not from the planet Krypton, they weren't bitten by a radioactive spider and they didn't have a fear of bats that drove them to make wings. No, instead they saw something going terribly wrong in their community and bothered to do something about it. Is it safe? No. Wise? Perhaps not. Is it the right thing to do? To the best of their ability. Ben Foder isn't a single guy with nothing to lose- he is a husband and father, he has people that count on him to make the right decisions. Because it could be their very lives depending on it.

I do not know how many of you have saw the movie Courageous the past week or so, but I can see a parallel in the two stories. The men in Courageous wanted to leave behind a living legacy for their kids to be able to follow after. The Rain City guys want the same. They want to preserve what is right, good and just- all that good stuff. They want a safer community, and they are not just sitting around and talking about it. Nothing worth anything is ever easy. You might be shunned at work for turning in a coworker. You might be fired for doing the right thing. You might lose a few friends, or all of them. Your family may never understand how you try to make the world a better place. You stand the chance to lose everything you have ever loved for the cause of justice. For a future you may never see and that no one may appreciate.

So what happens when superheros are real?

They make a difference.

Are you a superhero?

Are you making a difference?

I like this story and the morals behind it. Even though it seems silly at first (come on, adults in costume, saving a city? TELL me that doesn't stand out in a city full of business suits or urban streets with thugs.) I can't help but wish there was a branch in my own little town. Or the surrounding area. But then the question comes to mind- why am I waiting for someone to do what I know needs to be done? Just a thought. Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the story...and what should be done with this wonder group of humanity.

~*~Leave a Legacy That Will Make a Difference in the World Around You.~*~