What is Your Superpower?

“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain

When I was little, I used to dream I could move things with my mind. You see, I fell in love with Charlie McGhee, the girl from Stephen King’s novel, Firestarter. She was special. She could start or control fire with her mind. She was so special, in fact, that the government would do anything to get their hands on her. She was the product of a special project meant to enhance human abilities and (while I don’t remember all the details of the movie) I assume they wanted to replicate that “gift” by creating super soldiers so they could burn Russia to the ground and end the Cold War. Or not. Either way, Charlie was super cool. I wanted to be like Charlie. And not just because I liked to burn things. She ignited within me the hope that I could be, well, more than just a boring little girl.

I also wanted to be like the Bionic Woman. Lindsay Wagner could run super-fast, had a fabulous figure, and was highly desired by men. After all, isn’t that a woman’s purpose? (That’s what I got from the 1980’s.) When I grew up, I wanted to be that.

As an adult, science fiction has erupted around me like a Mogwai in water. The superheroes of yesterday’s comic books are now the movie stars of block buster action flicks. It seems I’m not the only person alive who wants to be something “more”. We’ve got Thor and Captain America and even Wolverine (one of my personal favorites but only because—Hugh Jackman! But I digress).

I don’t think adults are helping the situation. They often put tremendous pressure on children by asking them, “What do you want to be when you grow up? A fireman? A ballet dancer? An insurance salesman? Oh wait, no one ever asks about that last one. How about a used car salesman? So, when children do grow up and land a career in law enforcement—for example—they quickly discover the pay is lousy. And while the elected officials are always asking for tax increases to give our LEO’s a raise or better equipment, the budget somehow always falls short (even if there is moolah for a super fancy new greenway for bike traffic).

Shoot. I accidentally put on my Cynical Sally hat. Sorry about that. Where was I?

Why did I think there was something wrong with being “just a little girl”? I didn’t even grow up in the era of contouring. (Look it up if you don’t know what I’m talking about. The Tick Tock videos are fascinating). Worse, try taking your tween daughter to an event without her beauty ritual. It might be easier to wrestle an anaconda.

I’m not even thinking about women’s equality or gender fluidity or any of that. I’m talking about my existence as a person who felt somehow “less than” because I didn’t have that “something special” that made me somehow more interesting. I couldn’t do backflips (thought I longed to do gymnastics) or memorize vast swatches of poetry, or win blue ribbons for running fast. Shoot, I couldn’t even make the final round at the spelling bee–even though I read circles around my peers. Gee whiz. What a loser.

Social media has exacerbated this phenomenon. Parents laud their super star kid whose soccer team took home the trophy, ran a triathlon, or baked a world-class cake. I’m over here like, “My kid didn’t burn the house down today” and I’m trying to be all cheery about it because my patio has the black burn marks to prove he got the fire gene from me.

So, what do I mean by asking such a silly question like, what is your superpower? It’s not like we can actually be Superman or Cyclops. Shoot, I’d even settle for being able to breathe under water but that’s not going to happen. The thing is, I think the basic human condition is one of restless wandering until we discover why we exist. Knowing our superpowers is helpful in this regard.

For some people, their superpower is charity. I know a lot of people who have money and like to give it away to help others in need. This is a beautiful thing. And while some people would abuse the caring nature of others, I consider this one of the more blessed powers one can harness.

Some people have a superpower of positivity. They have a ‘sunny side up’ disposition that enables them to see good where others see only negative. They are the motivational speakers of the age and they wield their sword accordingly.

I could likely make a very long list of good things that people do to help others, but I would like to ask a question that goes a level deeper. What would be your superpower if you had no special ability in yourself at all outside of existing? May you feel like a plain Jane or John and you sell used car insurance. Maybe you have no perceived gift at all other than the ability to drive responsibility. Does you even count? What if your only superpower is never missing a day of work? (Remember when one got a certificate for perfect attendance in school? Funny how when we grow up all our focus is on vacation. Wait—was this a tactic taught in grade school to engender drones who never call in sick?)

The question that used to bother me was: am I special even though I don’t have a special ability?

In the workplace they call people like me a “worker bee”. I’m not a boss. I don’t have an awesome intellectual ability to crunch numbers or retain cool facts. I don’t have the best clothes or shoes. Sure, I could make up a superpower for my coffee mug that reads, “My superpower is not killing people who ask what my superpower is.” I try to show up on time and do my job and then I go home and make dinner that nobody likes to eat. One would think after all these years of cooking, someone would say thank you. Alas, saying ‘thank you’ is not my husband’s superpower. Does that make me a terrible spouse? Does falling asleep in front of the television make me a terrible mother? (I should have been reading a book to my child). I’d like to (at least) say I’m a perfect neighbor but someone got offended that my house needs to be painted and reported me to the city. I get to go to court in December.

This weekend I discovered my superpower and it made me very happy. I discovered it quite by accident. I was sitting on the back patio while my husband rambled on about something random when I heard a high twitter in the top of my tulip tree. (Say that five times fast!) It was the brown creeper! I know it because I looked it up after observing it scale the tree from bottom to top in search of bugs. So, when I heard it tweet, I said, “There you are. I hear you.” Then I started to mimic its whistle.

My husband said, “What on earth are you doing?”

I said, “I’m talking to the birdie.”

He said, “But I was saying something important.”

I said, “I know you. But you were talking when the bird starting tweeting so I couldn’t hear anything else you said.”

To which he rolled his eyes.

I told him, “I am so in tune with nature that when the creatures make a sound, I can’t simply ignore it. I have to make the sound back.” Mostly this applies to birds, but I’m not immune to mimicking other beasts. Therefore, my superpower must be “Bird Mimic.” Bet you didn’t even know such a superpower existed.

Sadly enough, I was ridiculed online by an owl expert when I bragged about calling in the great horned owl in my neighborhood. The owl and I exchanged hoots until he finally flew into the Sweet Gum Maple tree in my backyard in search of his new friend. Mr. Expert Owl Man said, “It’s very dangerous to hoot at owls because you might give them a false sense of security.”

The thing is, this superpower gives me great joy. I may be overstating it, but I feel it gives my life meaning and purpose. Certainly, God wouldn’t give me this superpower if he didn’t intend for me to use it. Even if all it does it lift my spirits, certainly that is enough. When the birds tweet, it makes my heart sing. Shouldn’t I somehow thank them by tweeting in return?

I bet you didn’t think this is where the blog was going.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we all have unique talents (superpowers). It may take us nearly 48 years to figure them out. They may not be what is popular on the television. They may even invite rebuke from family members who don’t want to hear bird noises at 6am coming from the other side of the bed. (I’m totally kidding, I would never do that!) The point is, we don’t have to be what others expect or even like to enjoy our superpower. We can wield it at any given moment. And when we do, there is a resonance that thrums through our being that somehow helps us know “this is the reason for which I was created. This is why I exist!

Finally, just to round this story out, I would like the dear reader to know I have another superpower. I have officially achieved Firestarter status. I may not be able to light or control fires with my mind, but I have mastered the art of making brilliant bonfires that warm the soul. They go especially well with marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers.

So, I’ll ask one last time. What is your superpower?

On November 10, 2022   /   The Journey   /   Leave a comment