Yesterday evening I had the honor and privilege to be asked to speak on the subject of superheroes to the local Girl Scout Troop 10123. As part of their journey the question of “what is a superhero?” was being explored. Enter the Dork Knight. This was a fascinating topic when you consider my audience consisted of 21 brownies and juniors plus four adult leaders. It was great finding out who they knew were superheroes. Heroes like Batman, Superman, Captain America were mentioned. Surprisingly it took a while for anyone to mention Wonder Woman. Once that happened the discussion of females as superheroes took on a life of its own. I showed pictures of Batgirl/Oracle, Supergirl, Rogue, Black Widow and Princess Leia to name a few. The girls just love seeing women in such roles.
When I posed the question as to whether or not a superhero needs superpowers, I got a resounding… no. That was exactly the answer I was hoping for. I love comics and superhero stories but to me anyone can be a hero. Heroes protect us. The girls of troop 10123 started naming police officers, fight-fighters, teachers and ultimately parents/guardians as well as their wonderful troop leaders who give so much of their time, as everyday heroes. And their right. Recently the troop made donations to a local organization that dealt with domestic violence. These girls in my eyes became their heroes. It starts with gesture and hopefully becomes a way of life.
If you want to know more about being a hero, DC Comics has established the We Can Be Heroes initiative. Go to http://www.wecanbeheroes.org for more information.
Who were your heroes growing up? Who are they now?
