Why the World Needs Superman - a work in progress

Ok - I didn't have a chance to finish my thoughts completely - so this is an unfinished piece of work....hopefully one day I'll get around to finishing it - and editing it too!!! (gotta love procrastination!)

Why The World Needs Superman
By Paula van Wyk~July 2006

Superman is a superhero character that once existed in the imagination of two men; a Canadian artist by the name of Joe Shuster and an American writer named Jerry Siegel. By combining their skills of drawing and writing, Superman came to life on paper. They created a life history for this alien on Earth, claiming that he was born to a very intelligent scientist on a planet called Krypton. Kal-El, Superman’s birth name, was put in a space-ship and sent to Earth to live amongst humans, as his father saw the end of Krypton in their near future. A farmer and his wife (Mr. and Mrs. Kent) adopted Superman, known on earth as Clark, as their own son. As Clark grew he discovered more and more powers that he had….. for example, an incredible strength that no man on earth could naturally possess. Clark eventually needed to do some searching to find out who he was, where he came from, and what his purpose was. It was at his Fortress of Solitude where he would find his answers, and as a result, Superman was created. Superman decided to use his supernatural abilities to fight evil and crime thus helping to protect all of humanity with whom he was raised.

The world that Shuster and Siegel created needed Superman to not only help fight the crime and evil that existed in their world; but to also provide them with a sense of hope, and a common thread of togetherness in the community. We may not live on an Earth created by Shuster and Siegel, but this does not mean that we need Superman any less than such characters as Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. We all still need a Superman that gives us hopes and goals, as well as a common bond that creates a sense of togetherness. The Superman we need is not a superhero that wears tights and sports a red cape. We do not need a man made of steel. We do not necessarily even need a man at all. Each of us can have our own Superman; one that may differ from every other Superman that exists for other people.

For some religious individuals they may have a Superman in the form of God, Buddha, or Allah. The gods of religions are similar to Superman as they are Superior Beings to the rest of us. Using the Roman Catholic religion as an example, following the word of God provides a list of rules or guidelines to live by. The Bible contains the word of God and describes stories of the life before, during and after the life of Jesus Christ, the beloved Saviour to those who believe. The religion provides inspiration for those to live by; it provides goals and something to work towards (eternal life in Heaven). Religion in general provides the followers an opportunity to strive to live the best life possible, a life of morality, truth, and goodness. Religion provides the followers with something to believe in. Religion also brings the people together, creating a community and a sense of togetherness. The people of a religion try to help each other out, because helping each other is the moral thing to do. Helping others brings the followers closer to the goal with which they wish to achieve. For some individuals the Superman that they need to help live a life of morality with goals and a sense of community is religion.

However, over the past years religion has had a dwindling attendance rate, and fewer followers. Although religion may not be the way of life for many individuals today, this does not mean that people still do not need something to believe in, or goals to strive for…….

Whether or not people chose to follow or a religion or not, that choice is not available for children. Children are born into the environment of their parents, or parent, and thus raised accordingly to the beliefs that they hold and obtain. The idea of religion or a god is not one that children can easily understand, but this does not mean that they are an exception from the need of a Superman in their lives. Parents, or the parent, raisin the child in a sense becomes the god of their world. The parent teaches them what is right and what is wrong, helps protect them from harmful things in the world around them, and supports them in creating goals for themselves……

Thus the man of steel may stand for truth, peace and justice, but more importantly Superman offers a world of hope, goals, and creates a sense of community amongst people. We may not have a superhero flying around the world, but we each have our own superhero within our lives. We all need something to look forward to in life in order to keep living. Thus the world does need Superman, we need something to help protect us from the “evils” in the world, to help create goals and guidelines in life, and to help us all feel apart of a community. No matter what form Superman takes in your life, the point remains, we all need a Superman to call our own. We all have our own kypronite that keeps pushing us down, but as long as we keep getting back up on our feet, and keep going, we hopefully can live a life that we are proud of. We can attempt to live life to the fullest, to continually be surrounded by love and happiness, and experience all the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that life has to offer. Therefore, do not be afraid to find out who or what your Superman is, and do not be afraid to believe.