When one thinks of the "perfect" American, I believe that someone very similar to Superman appears in their mind. They are strong, brave, and courageous, even in spite of things that make them very weak. Indeed, Superman's greatest moments have come not when he is saving Lois from falling, but when is has been weakened by Kryptonite, and still manages to pull through. That is what America is about. But, while Superman may indeed be the perfect American, he was not able to fight for America, or should I say, Clark Kent could not.
It's true. Any Superman nerd worth their salt will tell you that Clark failed an eye exam when he tried to enlist in the army, instead of reading the chart in front of him, he read the one rooms away, failing the eye test and thus not able to enlist. In this strange but true case, Superman's greatness failed him.
Where am I going you might ask? Well, recently I applied to become a Naval officer, but was disqualified due to a minor physical problem, something genetic and completely out of my control. Yet, I felt ashamed, like I'm not good enough for my country. As if the American soldier, or ideal American is not me. Maybe its a tad bit pathetic for a 20 year old to find solace in comics, but that is where I went. Here were the heroes that I could never be, the ones who could fight for what is right, and fight for America. And then I picked up the latest issue of Superman...
Suddenly I remembered this piece of trivia, Clark Kent could not join the military either. Even though day after day he fought and supported his country; he was heralded as a hero, but still, he was unqualified for the military. Superman, a soldier even better than Capt. American, was not allowed to fight. This thought alone uplifted me.
Although my particular disqualification was not due to super-sight, one small factor put me in the same group as the Man of Steel. This led me to think, what else have I done to help the world. I work at a science museum, and hopefully educate and bring knowledge to kids who may not be encouraged to think for themselves or receive any sort of education. Maybe I am helping them. And maybe, one day, they may make something of themselves and help to better the world. So maybe, I thought to myself, maybe there was a Superman in all of us. Neither of us could directly serve our country, but then again, if we did, maybe Lois Lane wouldn't have survived, and maybe there would be one less kid in the world who wanted to be something.
I'm sorry if this seems tacky and preachy, but it has been on my mind lately. With all these bad things happening in the world, one cannot help but think that the world needs a Superman. But in reality, all of us are Superman, and we must recognize this fact if we are to overcome the challenges ahead. And always remember, Superman failed something as simple as an eye test. If we can pass an eye test, we can be as great as Kal El.