Barack, Change and Spiderman

I’m a lot like Obama.

Well, now I think about it, I’m not that much like him.  In fact, about the only 2 things we have in common is our love for good pizza and being big fans of Spiderman.

I’ve been a superhero nut forever, and just love the fact that Obama is too.  As far as I’m concerned, that means he understands some fundamental principles about life and courage -

“With great power comes great responsibility…” – Uncle Ben

That Uncle Ben was a smart cookie, and that famous quotation sums up what I love about superhero mythos.

The thought that people are walking among us doing amazing things every single day, by using their power responsibly to help other people and add value to mankind, is one that makes me grin from ear to ear.  The fact that they get to wear cool outfits, fly and shoot laser beams out of their eyes is even cooler.

When Stan Lee first created Marvel Comics, he did so with the aim of creating fantastic characters, but characters who are also wonderfully and tragically human.  He populated his comics with characters we can all relate to – people with fears, hopes, anxieties and a whole load of contradictions.

Here’s another line, this time from the movie Spiderman 2:

“Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they’ll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on a second longer.

I believe there’s a hero in all of us. That keeps us honest. Gives us strength. Makes us noble.” - Aunt May

Aunt May rocks just as much as Uncle Ben, and she hit the nail on the head.

We’ve all had people who’ve inspired us, touched us or taught us something important. Someone who gave us the strength to keep going or hold on a second longer. A teacher, a parent, a friend, whoever.

But more than that, there IS a hero in all of us.

There is a piece of ourselves that’s honest, strong and noble.

There’s a part of ourselves that knows what we need to do, not just for ourselves but for the greater good. There is a piece of ourselves that can make incredible things happen.

That’s how amazing things happen in the world, and that’s how real, positive change happens – by being confident enough to tap into that piece of yourself and apply it out there in the world.

That’s why I love that Obama’s a Spiderman fan, because it tells me that he understands.