Heroes Belong to All of Us

Boyce said the fact so many "complete strangers" donated cash to ensure a little boy they never met will never be forgotten is "a testament to the human spirit."

 

The tribute to the tot briefly hit a roadblock earlier this year when DC Entertainment initially refused to grant permission for its famous Superman logo to be emblazoned across Jeffrey's chest.

 

But the company later had a change of heart. 

 

DC is a for-profit company.  They exist to make money.  Why should they do something that doesn't serve that purpose?  Why should any of us do things that don't serve our direct interest?  If there's no immediate ROI, if there's risk and the potential that our efforts may not succeed, what's the point?

 

But there's more to being a human being that self-interest.  Our ability to be more than the sum of our parts, together, is core to what makes us human.  It can be very hard to do, though - in a world that often seems petty, self-interested and cruel, it's can be a frightening thing to be the first one to think and do differently.  There's always the chance no one will follow, and then you're out there alone.

 

Superman is a trademark, but the idea behind him is as old as story telling.  Superman is the adult in the room, the strength to carry us when we're weak, the shield at the front that gives us all courage to move forward. 

 

Superman inspires - that's what heroes do best.

 

Poor Jeffrey Baldwin is an unconventional hero; he saved no lives and fought no wars, expect perhaps the one that was his short life.  For a moment, though, despite everything that he endured, in spite of the hardship that was all he knew, Jeffrey Baldwin was Superman.

 

And thanks to the heroic efforts of Todd Boyce, he will remain Superman.

 

That's it - the big secret, the thing left in the box, the piece of the puzzle we simply need to raise our gaze to see.

 

Heroes aren't brands to be bought into; heroism is human aspiration we crave, reach out for with tentative hands but, when the light shines bright enough, we embrace.

 

We need heroes - that's why we create them.

I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.