By Lorry Myers
The question came up in the middle of a heated battle between Captain America and Hulk. My grandson, Ivan, is five years old and an expert on anything Super Heroes. So, I told him that, just as Hulk smashed Captain America’s, “Ivan, you sure know your super heroes!”
“What about you, Queenie,” Ivan asked. “Do you know any super heroes with super powers?”
“Oh yes,” I whispered, like I was about to share a secret, “but their powers are not like Hulk’s or Captain America’s.”
With that, I lost his attention.
How do you explain to a super power loving boy that there are real life heroes that don’t transport themselves through space or transform themselves into a robot? Sometimes, heroes teach Sunday School or lead a youth group, or is a friend’s mother that becomes the mother you never had. Sometimes a hero is disguised as a scout leader or a den mother or a summer league coach.
Everyone knows one of those.
I had Twila and Bette and Shirley, Walter and Russell and Harold. These people showed up and showed me how to be a winner and a loser. They encouraged and consoled, motivated and disciplined. They came early, they stayed late, and in the end, they earned trust, offered praise and taught teamwork.
That’s a pretty good super power.
What about the educator who makes the decision to be more than a teacher? Men and women who take the time to look into the heart of a child and see who they really are. My super heroes were Mrs. Debolt, Mrs. Tanner, Mrs. Hamilton, and Coach Enlow. Each of these memorable educators taught me much more than reading and writing and free throws. These teachers were hard on me and must have seen something in me that I never saw myself.
Maybe teachers have x-ray vision?
For the complete column, see this week’s edition of the Centralia Fireside Guard
